Kurt Busch arrested on DWI and Reckless Driving

Kurt Busch, who last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series during the 2022 season with 23XI Racing, was arrested on Monday evening by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office on charges of DWI, as well as careless and reckless driving. As a result, his driver’s license has been revoked for 30 days. Busch is scheduled to appear in court to address these charges on September 19.

Court records reveal that Busch was driving 63 mph in a 45 mph zone in a 2024 Lexus when an Iredell County Sheriff’s deputy pulled him over. According to a report from IredellFreeNews.com, the Sheriff’s Office had been conducting speed checks in the area following complaints from local residents. The records further indicate that Busch’s blood-alcohol level at the time of his arrest was 0.17%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in North Carolina.

On Wednesday evening, Busch released a statement regarding the incident.

“I’m very disappointed in myself, and I apologize to my family, my racing family, and to my fans,” Busch said. “I will work with the authorities to rectify the situation and work with the county to make it a safer place in the future.”

Busch, 46, was the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion while racing for the Roush Racing team, now known as RFK Racing. His tenure with Roush came to an end in November 2005 after he was pulled over on suspicion of DUI in Maricopa County, AZ. While he was ultimately cited only for reckless driving in that case, it led to significant consequences.

Following the 2005 incident, Busch was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service. As a result, Roush Racing dropped him as a driver with just two races remaining in the season. The following year, Busch joined Team Penske, where he won a race in his first season. Remarkably, just a year after his Maricopa County citation, Busch became an honorary deputy for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, and then went on to secure 10 wins over a six-year period before being released by Team Penske.

In the years that followed, Busch worked to repair his image within the sport. He had stints with Phoenix Racing and Furniture Row Racing before finding stability with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

In 2019, Busch joined Chip Ganassi Racing, winning a race in each of his three seasons with the team. However, after the 2021 season, Ganassi sold his program to Trackhouse Racing, leaving Busch without a ride.

Busch eventually joined 23XI Racing as a teammate to Bubba Wallace in 2022. He scored a victory at Kansas Speedway that year, but his driving career was cut short after a concussion sustained during qualifying at Pocono Raceway. Busch has since served as an ambassador for the 23XI Racing team, but a statement from the organization has not yet been addressed.