May 26th, 2011 
Journo Turns out the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t look too kindly on people doing 128MPH in a 45MPH zone. Well, they’ll let you drive away, but they will issue you one heck of a citation. What’s three times the legal limit, right?
If you live in the Charlotte area this has been THE story for the last couple of days. It made the front page of the state and local section of the Charlotte Observer yesterday morning, and at least one local TV station led with it at 5pm. Apparently there isn’t much going on.
From local coverage to national sports radio, the oddity of this story has been much talked about all over. And while not too many of us have done 128MPH in our personal vehicles, this is hardly the first time we’ve had drivers behaving badly out on public roads. In the last two seasons there has been two separate drivers popped for DUIs – Michael Annett and AJ Allmendinger. Both were put on probation by NASCAR.
The issue of off-track indiscretions raises a lot of questions about the limits of the sanctioning body. Other sports punish their athletes for off-field issues, but other sports also have codes of conduct athletes agree to adhere to. NASCAR doesn’t have one.
In situations like this, that lack of a policy leaves them without much leverage. Sure they’ve got the all encompassing “actions detrimental” at their disposal, but without laying out to the drivers just where they stand, severe penalties are very likely out of the question.
It’s interesting when these issues pop up (and yearly they pop up) to see what the reaction is from the fans and media. I recall being surprised from a post on the Allmendinger incident and from comment sections on websites throughout the internet how strong the feelings were about the probation handed down from NASCAR – actually in Allmendinger’s favor.
It’s always hard to gauge though just where people stand until they are forced to take a stance. But if we want to start early, from precedent we can suspect NASCAR may hand down probation to Busch – I’d assume a continuation of the probation he’s already on – but there won’t be any suspension.
Is it time for a personal conduct policy in NASCAR? I kind of think so.
Feel free to use this as your “Kyle Busch Speeding Ticket” sound off post. Talk amongst yourselves.
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I am a Kyle Busch fan, however some sort of sanction seems appropriate. Probation, probably. And if this puts a spotlight on off-track conduct for all drivers and crew, so much the better. If these folks are ambassadors of the sport, well then that sounds like it carries some responsibility, doesn’t it?
But any policy should be fair and consistent. Unfortunately NASCAR does not seem capable of implementing policy in a fair and consistent manner, at least not that I’ve witnessed. It’s a hard job, but it needs to be done right.
NASCAR: Make a policy. Make the drivers sign it. And be consistent.
Kyle: Get your head out of your butt. You are endangering lives.
I’m sure he’ll get off with some sort of slap on wrist from NASCAR. However, NASCAR needs to step up and have a personal conduct policy of some sort. Luckily, these guys rarely get in trouble with the law compared to the NFL, NBA, etc. I thought the Michael Annett situation was far worse. He was so drunk he was near the death level for BAC. All he got was probation? Outside a drug test failure NASCAR seems really reluctant to suspend a driver. I’m guessing they don’t want to upset that team’s sponsor or something.
Every time we hear any talk about drivers and NASCAR, NASCAR is quick to point out that the drivers work for or are contracted with the teams and are only participants in NASCAR events. I think if there is any discipline to be handed out over an off-track incident that is not related to substance abuse, NASCAR has no business whatsoever getting involved. Now, if JGR wants to discipline their driver, I’m okay with that.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Kyle fan. However, that has little to no bearing on what I’m about to say.
Is it smart to drive 128mph on a public road? Nah, it’s not. Is it dangerous to do so? Probably so. But the thing that’s really gotten under my skin these past few days is that certain members of the media and a lot of NASCAR fans have been acting like Kyle Busch is the only person to have ever done something dangerous in a car on a public road. So for those people who are calling for suspension, jail time, public flogging, or tar and feathering, I want to know, have you ever: sped, talked on your phone, texted, ate food, had even one drink and then got behind the wheel, put your makeup on, dropped something on the floor and reached for it, dug around in your purse/bag/glovebox for something, changed a CD, played with the radio, operated your TomTom/Garmin/other GPS, turned around to fuss at your kids in the back seat/looked up into the rear view mirror to fuss at them, turned to talk/look at a passenger, searched for an address/business/landmark while driving, read a book/map/note/etc, received road head, had an animal loose in the car, or driven after getting very little or no sleep?
If you haven’t done any of the things on that list, I guess you’re free to go ahead and throw stones to your heart’s content. But if you HAVE done any of those things (and I know I’m guilty of several of them) maybe you should stop and think for a moment. Any of those things listed (and it’s not an exhaustive list) could have resulted in someone getting hurt or killed, too, just as driving entirely too fast for a public road could have.
This isn’t a NASCAR matter– it’s a matter for the legal system to handle. And come July 20th, I wager it will be handled the same way it would be handled if it were any of us– a huge fine and Kyle losing his NC driver’s license for 60 days.
Cutting through all the bias that’s seen the ugly light of day about this unfortunate mistake that apparently no one else has EVER made… I agree with last few sentences, yes, it would be appropriate for NASCAR to adopt a driver conduct policy similar to other major racing series.
As for the backlash by the public, I’d think we can all agree on how much Kyle is loved, and yeah it’s extremely unfair. Maybe these people should consider that the judge will not looking kindly on interference with the law.
And lastly, do people honestly think that Kyle & his wife Sam got in Hendrick Lexus’ topline car with the intention, “Oh look honey it goes more than 200mph. Let’s go endanger some lives!” Considering all the charity work the Busch’s do for people, cmon. And, after seeing the simulation Charlotte FOX so cleverly broadcast as part of the “story”, I have serious doubts about the accuracy of the radar gun reading & hope Kyle contests it.
I’m flabbergasted by blind loyalty from much of the Kyle Busch nation. Going 128 mph on a public road is dangerous, end of story! Comparing this significant incident to a minor distraction like changing a radio is just ridiculous.
I don’t think Kyle was intentionally trying to endanger people, however, it once again shows shows poor judgement on his part.
The North Carolina penal system will handle this just fine, thank you. And JGR will pat him on the back, because he wins a lot of races, and he has lot’s of irrational fans which will not hold him accountable for yet another idiotic move.
Haters will hate.
If this had been Joon-yer, he would have done an aw shucks I’m sorry folks, and you would have wet your pants.
Race car drivers have gotten speeding tickets for years. It was a quiet back road in a sparsely populated area, not downtown Charlotte. Get a grip.
It’s probably not as bad as it seems anyway. That Lexus will probably stop quicker from 130 than most of our econoboxes will from 70. Like you said, not much going on there.
I’ll admit up front I’m not a Kyle Fan.
Driving 128MPH in a 45MPH is not a little over the limit. I’ll admit that I have several (ok maybe a few more then several) speeding tickets over the past decades. All are 10 – 15 MPH over, not 80+ MPH over. It’s one thing for a person, don’t care who you are, to be caught driving 14MPH over the limit it’s another thing to be caught 80+MPH over the speed limit.
If the speed limit is 45MPH, sounds to me like it’s not THAT sparsely populated, and rural. I live I rural Ohio, if the limit drops from 55 down to 45 that is telling me either the road is not safe for 55, or I’m no longer in the middle of nowhere.
Should NASCAR do something, at this point I’m leaning towards NO. Maybe a stiff talking to, behind closed doors, in a secret meeting. Should JGR do something YES, it is giving the organization a black eye. I’m not saying he has to miss races, heck they don’t even NEED to tell the public.
Does NASCAR need a personal conduit policy, I don’t think it would hurt things.
As a side note / question I seem to recall Kurt B. getting into some kind of trouble with the law (outside a race track?), and not being allowed to race a couple of races. Was it the team owner or NASCAR that fined / stopped him? I’m thinking it was several years ago.
Just another episode that shows Kyle still doesn’t have the maturity to win a championship. I thought maybe this would be his year but he keeps doing stupid stuff both on and off the track. Sad.
I agree NASCAR needs to come up with a policy, though in this particular case the judge for the case will probably make sure Kyle “gets it” in the future.
Comparing this significant incident to a minor distraction like changing a radio is just ridiculous
Not sure if this was directed at me, or not. I’m sure it sounds ridiculous ’til you’ve had someone hit you because they were changing the radio station or a CD. The point is, there are many things that we all do, every day, in our cars that are dangerous and could result in someone getting hurt or killed. I don’t have a problem with people saying what he did was dangerous, or even with them saying there should be consequences for those actions. It was, and there should be consequences. What I have a real problem with is people who act like they have NEVER done anything dangerous while behind the wheel.
In no way am I saying what he did should just be excused and brushed off, but it IS a legal matter, the same way it would be a legal matter if you or I got a traffic citation.
Ric- Jack Roush parked Kurt Busch for the rest of the season after that incident in Phoenix. He was going to leave for Penske after the season anyway. Roush decided it was time to quit being his apologist.
I am not a Kyle Busch fan. I’d just soon see his engine scatter on lap 1 of every race. That said, punishing him beyond what the law does seems a bit excessive. Perhaps they’ll slap an extra few weeks of probation onto what he received for his antics in Darlington, but beyond that, let it be.
@Ric -
Kurt Busch was pulled over by the Maricopa County, AZ Sheriff’s Department in November of 2005 after he ran a stop sign and was clocked driving 60 in a 45. He was argumentative and uncooperative (imagine THAT!) and smelled of alcohol. Because the breathalyzer equipment “failed” (if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell ya!) he was only cited for reckless driving.
Roush Racing suspended him for the final two races of the season, and since he was leaving for Penske anyways, “officially retir[ed] as Kurt Busch’s apologists effective [immediately].”
Because Kyle Busch is on probation now, wouldn’t a new incident violate that probabtion. I have never heard of a violation of probation giving you more probabtion. So either suspend him, dock him points or get off his a$$.
Come on guys, whats wrong with this? Clearly Just testing a car that is lucky to be loaned means you gotta test it to its extreme limits when you get a chance. Its yellow, so people should see the car and know to watch out for it, right? Plus how else do you get to your anger management class on time when you left 10 minutes later than you should have.
Signed, overly protected golden athletes with money.
I am seeing everyone coming down hard on KB, more than willing to persecute him to the fullest extent allowed by law. In fact, it is getting a little uncomfortable with regards to the zeal shown in coming down on KB. And envy. Hmmh.
Well when you see how much of an a$$ he has been to everyone in the past to everyone in the sport AND gotten away with almost all of i t, if not all of it, people don’t forget that. There is a reason why everyone cheered when Brad Keselowski came in with “Hi my name is Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch is an ass!” awhile back.
83 MPH over the posted speed limit is not a small deal. 2.8 times the posted speed limit is not a little thing, nor is it “Just speeding” When I think of ‘Just speeding’ 5-15 comes to mind. Twice the posted speed is ridiculous. 2.8 times is insane. Assuming you think its OK to exceed the speed limit by 2.8x you also endorse the following:
70 in a 25 mph. Can you imagine going highway speeds through a school zone?
154 in a 55 mph
In a 70 MPH zone, (a comparison I’ve read frequently, Including someone on another forum claiming they go faster than 128 on their way to work) the comparative speed is 196.
If you’re lucky enough to live around an 80 MPH zone, Kyle would have flown past you at approximately 202 MPH (because the LFA can’t reach the 224MPH the math claims he’d like to be doing)
It bothers me how reckless Kyle Busch is. When you spend most of your driving time above 100MPH, it should give you MORE respect for the consequences, not less. It tends to give many an understanding of how quickly something can go balls up, and how little can be done once it does. One correctly misenginered imperfection in that road would have sent his highly aero dynamic lexus through the side of a house like a stupidly yellow missle (rural roads are known to have those sort of bumps and dips, designing a road for 45MPH tends to do that.) But he doesn’t seem to see that, he tells the cop it’s just a toy, and gives a generic apology form letter as a press release.
But I think aside from the insanity and the recklessness the real issue is this: Is this action detrimental to the sport of auto racing? I can’t see how it isn’t. The news stories about it have all been heavily critical of NASCAR, or amused to see those dumb NASCAR boys at it again. Adding to the perceived recklessness and lack of societal contribution of this sport is detrimental in the same way that standing outside a trailer shirtless yelling at your kid to leave a snake alone is detrimental to a trailer park; The reputation is already damaged and weak, you don’t need any extra stereotypes as low hanging fruit to throw around. We’re nearing the middle of a dynamite season here, bad PR and stories about how NASCAR can’t keep its drivers inline long enough to test drive a car without doing thrice the posted speed limit doesn’t really help. Its a narrative we didn’t really need right now, instead of “Great racing, awesome speeds, great competition” we’re talking about if NASCAR can penalize drivers for offtrack incidents, and if not why.
The man is on probation because NASCAR thought pushing a car on pit road near a few NASCAR employees and pit crew members was reckless. These people know the risks they’re in, any time you’re on pit road you’re told to watch your ass because its dangerous. Nobody said that to these people who live in the country. I’ll bet no where in the contracts they signed to buy/lease their houses does it say “Occasionally this 45MPH stretch of road becomes a 120+MPH lexus test track.”
That’s my feeling on it. I feel like i should put it out there, so that i’m not trying to conceal some sort of bias… i am NOT a fan of Kyle, I never have been. Even when he was with HMS i hated him. That said, if Jimmy or Junior did this, i’d say the same thing. Something needs to be done about this. NASCAR deserves worldwide acclaim not a reputation reckless drivers willfully endangering the people around them.
I woulda done the same thing in a Lexus LFA! Especially if I had the money for lawyers that he does! Racers go fast!
vRoooom.
go Chevy!
-W
just this: he should lose his license for 60 days, be fined & serve community service. he should not have been arrested because he was not combative, was not under the influence & does not represent a flight risk. at the time of the citation, he was, like it or not, treated within the law.
and this: NASCAR should stay out of it because, as they have pointed out repeatedly: drivers and team members are independent contractors. if JGR chooses to take action, that would be their prerogative as employers of said contractor. what that action should be is none of my business: it is a disciplinary matter between an employer and employee.
should NASCAR have a code of conduct? no. again, independent contractors, employed by a team. i believe the teams absolutely should have a code of conduct & i believe some, in fact, do.
(and drug testing by NASCAR is a different issue: that protects competitors on the track and NASCAR is responsible for that aspect of the sport.)
unless NASCAR would be willing to sit a driver down for a race or two for driving under the influence or speeding to this level (& getting caught), there’s nothing they should do. placing any driver on probation for something that happened away from the track is nonsense. hell, placing a driver on probation for something that happened ON the rack is nonsense as well. probation is a way for NASCAR to say “look, we did something about this” but until/unless a driver sits out a race & has points taken away, it is nonsense to this fan.
young mr busch is not my favorite driver on the track each week but some advice? take the person OUT of the equation & look at the situation as if your driver — or you — had been the one cited by police. what would be your honest reaction? i’ve done that & so have come to my conclusions.
First of all doing work and giving to charity does not give anyone a free pass to break the law. Secondly and I’m a car guy, but I could never understand why manufacturers built cars that are capable of going at high rates of speed and then offering them to the public. I know the manufacturers can’t be held responsible for peoples actions, but I’m sure there is nowhere in this country that a vehicle can be driven legally on public roads at high speeds such as 128 mph so why even make them capable of doing so? With that said maybe some of the blame should be aimed at the car makers. As for me, what impresses me is the beauty of a car as opposed to how fast it will go.
A race car driver speeding is not really big news that’s what they do. If someone handed me the keys to a $500,000 LSA, I’d flog the hell out of it too.
He’s not a nice person at all.