Busch admits ’argumentative’ behavior, apologizes, and moves on
"When I was asked by the officer if I had been drinking, I explained to them I had one drink during dinner, but I was certainly not intoxicated," Busch said in an exclusive telephone interview with The Associated Press from his Charlotte office Thursday night.
The reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup champion was pulled over for driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone, swerving to avoid a car and running a stop sign last Friday night on his way back to Phoenix International Raceway. He said he was returning from dinner with his fiancée.
The police report said the deputy smelled alcohol on Busch, and the driver became belligerent.
"You're only doing this because you're a Jeff Gordon fan," Busch was quoted as saying to the officer in the police report, released earlier Thursday in Phoenix.
He was eventually issued a misdemeanor citation for reckless driving.
"I admit I became a bit argumentative with the officer when he continuously insisted that I submit to a field sobriety test and a breath test, which I ultimately did," Busch said. "I later learned my (preliminary breathalyzer) test was .017. That's consistent with an individual my size having one drink. That's brought us to this point.
"I regret that my actions, including saying some disrespectful things to the officer, made the situation worse. I have apologized for this and I want to reiterate this apology to the officer and to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department." More at USAToday
11/17/05 NASCAR star Kurt Busch accused a sheriff's deputy of giving him a hard time during a traffic stop last week because the officer was a fan of driver Jeff Gordon.
"You're only doing this because you're a Jeff Gordon fan," Busch was quoted as saying in a police report released Thursday.
The officer said he wasn't a fan of Gordon or Busch, nor did he follow NASCAR.
According to the police report, Busch told deputies they were "a joke," crowded an officer and asked "Do you know who I am?" at various points while he was detained by police.
"I resent him making derogatory remarks about our sheriffs," said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Attempts to reach Busch for comment on Thursday were unsuccessful. ChicagoSports.com
11/15/05 An alcohol test taken by defending Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch showed the 27-year-old fell far short of the legal level for intoxication last Friday night near Phoenix International Raceway, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department said late Monday. Busch was charged with reckless driving near the raceway on Friday evening after he was clocked at 60-mph in a 45-mph zone by a Maricopa County deputy. Busch began fleeing from the deputy by running a stop sign and making erratic lane changes. Busch was pulled over less than three miles from the Phoenix track moments later after a second officer assisted in the pursuit. "Mr. Busch was administered a preliminary breath test at the command post which registered .017," Maricopa Sheriff's Lt. Paul Chagolla said. In Arizona, a person can be charged with driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level at .08 or higher. A 170-pound male who consumes two drinks in two hours will have a blood-alcohol content of .01, according to estimates from the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Web site. Chagolla said the decision to have Busch take a second breath alcohol test — this time on an Intoxilyzer 8000 machine — was at the sole discretion of the deputy. "It's all up to the investigating officer," Chagolla said. "He could have made that decision, but this is an experienced deputy sheriff who does many DUI arrests. You have to trust his decisions." Chagolla said Saturday that Busch had performed a preliminary breath alcohol test during Friday evening's roadside stop. Chagolla admitted Monday night, however, the chronology of events he originally reported was erroneous, and the initial breath alcohol test was conducted at the county's command post at the speedway. "The odor of alcohol, combined with dangerous driving, gave the officer the right to transport Mr. Busch," Chagolla said. Media reports from Chagolla on Saturday said the Intoxilyzer 8000 had failed.
When asked why the .017 reading wasn't made available to the public on Saturday, Chagolla said he was still on a fact-finding mission. "Whatever information I had at the time is what I was going to release," Chagolla said. "And it's important to note that never at any point did the sheriff's office say he was impaired."
Busch was suspended Sunday for the season's final two Cup events. Roush Racing president Geoff Smith defended the decision, saying Busch's actions violated contractual obligations with sponsor Crown Royal, whose parent company is Diageo. "Regardless of whatever level of [alcohol] presence was there while driving, we have some very strict sponsorship rules in place,," Smith told reporters. "We feel very strongly that those rules have been significantly breached." Busch and Roush Racing representatives could not be reached for comment Monday evening. Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[Editor's Note: Bottom line is that NASCAR and Roush Racing overreacted to the incident and used Busch to cover their posteriors because they now allow hard liquor sponsors and they have ad campaigns saying Don't Drink and Drive. To have one of their drivers pulled over and hauled away by the police might not look too good. Ironically the Crown Royal ads promote pacing yourself when you drink, i.e. don't consume too much too fast. Given Busch's low blood alcohol level it appears that is exactly what Busch did – paced himself. So to suspend Busch is rather hypocritical wouldn't you say? To add insult to injury, the Homestead track this weekend has cancelled events honoring the 2004 champion, Busch. He won the 2004 title fair and square and in no way should the events that transpired this past weekend take away from that accomplishment. All this makes NASCAR look like a Kangaroo Court. Wonder if Busch will sue……or walk away from NASCAR in disgust and race elsewhere.]