The real reason Roush suspended Busch

It was not because he was drunk, because he was not. It was not because he was abusive to the local police when he was stopped in Phoenix. No the real reason Jack Roush suspended Kurt Busch was because he quit his team and went to Penske. Busch gave Roush the perfect avenue to get back at him.

Roush is still angry over Busch's decision to leave his organization to drive for Roger Penske, a decision Busch made just months after winning his first Nextel Cup title. His desire to move on shocked Roush and forever fractured their relationship, with Roush saying Friday he hasn't even spoken to the driver in at least four weeks.

So it was no surprise when Roush took the unusual step of kicking Busch out of the car and refusing to let him finish the final two races of the season. It was Roush's way of getting the final word.

Although police now say Busch was far below the legal drinking limit, they accused the driver or being belligerent, argumentative and verbally harassing the officer performing the traffic stop.

Roush said reports of Busch behaving badly didn't surprise him.

"I was doubting that Kurt was in fact intoxicated beyond a legal limit because it had been his nature to be very much like he was reported to be in contentious situations that frustrated him before," Roush said. "He's an extraordinary talent, but he's really had trouble dealing with the realities of normal social behavior."