Longtime NASCAR driver Kurt Busch is known for his no-nonsense attitude, and it's gotten him into trouble more times than once during his nearly 25-year career. His nickname is "The Outlaw" after all.
If you're unfamiliar with Kurt's past, or you're just looking to watch some good old fashioned drama unfold, you should check out the below video showing his comments from 2012, after Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass asked him a question that definitely ruffled his feathers.
The Bob Pockrass incident occurred after the June Nationwide Series race at Dover Motor Speedway. Driving the No. 54 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Kurt turned in a solid fourth-place performance, but after making contact with Justin Allgaier during the race, he became the target of veteran reporter Bob Pockrass. You see, Busch was already on probation at this time due to an altercation with Ryan Newman at the May Cup race in Darlington during which he ran into his car on pit road and confronted several of his crew members. Pockrass asked if his probation impacted the way he raced Allgaier, which clearly rubbed Busch the wrong way.
"It refrains me from not beating the s*** out of you right now because you ask me stupid questions," Busch said. "But since I'm on probation, I suppose that's improper to say as well."
Kurt Busch's outburst got him suspended for a week, and Phoenix Racing team owner James Finch wasn't very too thrilled about his driver's antics. He told ESPN.com by phone that he wasn't entirely sure if Busch would return to the team after the suspension was over. Finch stated, "If he's going to kill himself, I'm not going to be in the airplane with him. If that's what he's planning on doing, I am going to get out."
Busch's stint with Phoenix Racing wouldn't even last a full season, as he and the team parted ways in October 2012. He finished the rest of the season with Furniture Row Racing.
While many people agreed that Busch was in the wrong to mix it up with Pockrass, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart actually came to Busch's defense. He explained on his SiriusXM show Tony Stewart Live that "Bob Pockrass is probably the biggest mixer in the whole media center," and that he thought Busch's comments after the Dover were right on the money. Now, Tony himself has been known to mix it up with the media a time or two, so maybe his endorsement wasn't the best one.
Even still, Stewart clearly had a soft spot for Busch, because after his time with Furniture Row Racing was up following the 2013 season, Tony signed him to Stewart-Haas Racing from 2014-2018. Can you believe that was actually his second-longest time with a team, save for his run with Roush Racing from 2000-2005? At 44 years old, Busch has avoided any major blow-ups in recent years, but his outlaw-esque shenanigans back in the day definitely do him any favors as far as team longevity was concerned.
