DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart said the team has a contingency plan in place if Kurt Busch is unable to drive due to allegations of domestic abuse made against him by ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll.
Tony Stewart: We have a plan if Kurt Busch can’t drive
As Kurt Busch awaits word regarding whether he will be charged with domestic assault, Stewart-Haas Racing has a plan just in case Busch cannot drive.
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“We do, but we’re kind of waiting to see,” Stewart said Thursday at Daytona 500 Media Day. “I’m very hopeful that we won’t have to worry about it. I mean, I feel bad he’s in that situation right now and that they’re both in that situation. But we have to be smart and we have to have a plan in place if it doesn’t work out for whatever reason.”
In an alleged incident last September, Driscoll contends Busch grabbed her by the face and smashed her head against the wall in his motor home three times. The incident in question took place at Dover International Speedway, the site of that weekend’s NASCAR race.
Driscoll filed a police complaint Nov. 5, with the investigation concluding in late December and being handed to the Delaware Attorney General’s office. She is also seeking a protective order preventing Busch from contacting her. A decision in both cases is expected any day.
Throughout the proceedings Busch has declared his innocence. The 2004 Sprint Cup champion maintained that stance Thursday and said he is unconcerned about his legal troubles and expects remain in the No. 41 car.
“I feel like it’s full throttle, full steam ahead,” Busch said.
Busch did express a complaint about the amount of time he’s spent in court, which included four days of testimony in December and January. While reminding everyone to exercise patience, Busch repeatedly mentioned how in similar cases a decision is rendered within the same day.
“Normal situations like this take 30 minutes, so we’re going close to day 100, so we all have to be patient,” Busch said. “We all have to understand, there’s a process that we have to respect. The fact that no announcement has come out, each day that goes by continues to be good news.”
When asked if he was taken aback about the lengthiness of the case, Stewart responded in the affirmative.
“It’s definitely been a surprise for us,” he said.
NASCAR begins its 2015 season with the non-points Sprint Unlimited on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. The first official points event is the Daytona 500 on Feb. 22.
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