NASCAR, America’s hugely popular stock car racing series, suspended driver Kurt Busch indefinitely after a court commissioner found he smashed a former girlfriend’s head into a wall.
In a decision released by Kent County Commissioner David Jones in Delaware, the court found by a “preponderance of the evidence” of domestic violence by Busch against Patricia Driscoll.
Busch hurt his one-time girlfriend by “manually strangling her by placing his left hand on her throat, while placing his right hand on her chin and face and smashing her head into the wall of his motor home” on September 26.
The incident occurred at Dover International Speedway, where Busch was competing.
Busch, a driver for Stewart-Haas Racing and the 2004 champion in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup series, had been scheduled to race on Sunday in the Daytona 500.
But NASCAR suspended Busch immediately after Jones’ decision was handed down.
“Given the serious nature of the findings and conclusions made by the Commissioner of the Family Court of the State of Delaware, NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Kurt Busch, effective immediately,” NASCAR said in its statement.
“He will not be allowed to race nor participate in any NASCAR activities until further notice.
“Kurt Busch and his Stewart-Haas Racing team are fully aware of our position and why this decision was made.”
Busch has disputed Driscoll’s version of events, and said she was in his motor home uninvited and refused to leave.
But the case is the latest in a series of domestic violence incidents involving a high-profile US sportsman, coming after the NFL was roiled last season when it was revealed that former Baltimore running back Ray Rice had knocked out his then future wife in a hotel elevator.