Kurt Busch Out at Penske, Who Will Replace Him?

Kurt Busch is no longer the driver of the No. 22 Dodge. The dismissal was immediately and leaves the Penske organization without a driver for their highly sponsored stock car. Busch had been in hot water since the last race of the season when an independent photographer recorded the profanity-laced tirade directed at ESPN pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch at Miami-Homestead Speedway.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]Busch had fallen out of the season’s final race with transmission problems and the incident took place in the garage area of the racetrack. Earlier, Busch had directed an obscene gesture at a NASCAR official. NASCAR fined Busch $50,000 last week for the incident, but Penske officials commented that they were still evaluating what action would be taken against Busch. A Penske official reiterated that stance today when asked if Busch would be the driver of the Shell Dodge in 2012.

One of the factors involved might have been the exit of crew chief Steve Addington after the season. Addington abruptly left Penske for greener pastures at Stewart-Haas Racing. There had been rumors that Addington was unhappy with Busch’s attitude. It also left Penske without one of the top crew chiefs in the sport.

It’s not the first time Busch has been in trouble and been fired. After winning the 2004 Sprint Cup championship for Roush-Fenway Racing, a traffic incident in Avondale, Arizona which involved alcohol consumption was the last straw for Jack Roush. Busch had already told Roush that he was leaving his ride for a similar ride at Penske Racing earlier. His dismissal meant he missed the last two races of the season. Roush had already lined up Jamie McMurray to replace Busch, but not until the beginning of the 2006 season. It’s going to be a lot tougher for Roger Penske.

Looking at the pool of top drivers available, only David Ragan, Brian Vickers, and David Reutimann remain, and all have their negatives. Ragan and Vickers have only one victory apiece and Reutimann only shows two wins in his career. It gets tougher for Busch. With his reputation tainted, there doesn’t appear to be any rides comparable available for him in Sprint Cup. It is very possible that he might be without a ride for 2012.

Then again, it may be the start of another silly season as Penske looks for a driver to replace Busch. The No. 22 ride is considered one of the best in Sprint Cup and those wanting to compete in the car should be many. One thing is certain. Kurt Busch just might have burned his last bridge in the sport where he reigned as champion only six years ago.