Kurt Busch Confronts NASCAR Reporter After Dover Nationwide Series Race

After the Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, Kurt Busch said he would beat up a SportingNews.com reporter if he wasn’t already on NASCAR probation.

According to video aired on SPEED, reporter Bob Pockrass asked Busch if he felt hamstrung by the probation status while racing hard with Justin Allgaier during the 5-Hour Energy 200.

Busch had just finished telling ESPN that he couldn’t race Allgaier as hard as he wanted because “I’m on probation, so I can’t even pick my nose the right way.” The two drivers had a conversation about the hard racing afterward.

Pockrass then tried to follow up on Busch’s comments about probation, but the driver wanted nothing more to do with the topic.

“(Probation) refrains me from not beating the shit out of you right now, because you ask me stupid questions,” Busch said. “But since I’m on probation, I suppose that’s improper to say as well. If you could talk about racing things, we could talk about racing things, Bob.”

When Pockrass defended himself and told Busch he was asking a racing-related question, the driver disagreed.

“It’s not racing,” Busch said. “You’re in this just to start stuff. That’s all you’re out here for.”

Saturday’s incident was just another in a string of recent clashes between Busch and NASCAR media members.

After the Richmond race last September, Busch had to be restrained from going after NASCAR.com reporter Joe Menzer, who asked if the driver would be able to win the Chase despite his rivalry with Jimmie Johnson.

The driver then ripped Associated Press writer Jenna Fryer’s transcript in half when she tried to present him with evidence of a previous quote.

In the season’s final race, Busch was caught on a YouTube video berating the respected ESPN pit reporter Jerry Punch. NASCAR decided to fine the driver $50,000 for his actions.

In the offseason, Busch separated from Penske Racing and joined with Phoenix Racing, where he planned to rebuild his image.

The project seemed to be going well until Darlington, when Busch drew the ire of Ryan Newman’s pit crew by doing an angry burnout through the team’s pit box after a crash. Busch and several crew members then had an altercation following the race.

Newman told SI.com that Busch’s actions showed he had a “chemical imbalance.”

Busch was fined $50,000 again and placed on NASCAR probation, which is what sparked the controversy on Saturday.