NASCAR Throws The Book At Kurt Busch Again

Kurt Busch will be forced to take a week off due the suspension he received on Monday from  NASCAR.  Busch was cited for verbally abusing a media member at a post race interview on Saturday.  NASCAR said Busch's behavior after the Nationwide Series race at Dover, was in violation of his probation which he received following an incident last month at Darlington.  The probation which should have lasted until July 25^th has now been extended through the end of the year.

Busch's latest penalty stems from a confrontation with a Sporting News reporter after Saturday's race. Contact on the track with Justin Allgaier led to a discussion on pit road after the race, and Busch was asked if being on probation impacted the way he raced Allgaier.

"It refrains me from not beating the (expletive) out of you right now because you ask me stupid questions. But since I'm on probation, I suppose that's improper to say as well," Busch replied. The exchange was captured on video.  It's yet another bump in the road for Busch, who has been trying to recover this season from a series of ugly meltdowns that contributed to him losing his job in December with Penske Racing.

Busch had a rage-filled rant on his team radio last year that drew widespread attention, sparred with two reporters in September at Richmond, and then was caught on video by a fan verbally abusing an ESPN reporter during the season finale. The video was posted on YouTube, and Busch was fined $50,000 by NASCAR after it went public.

Busch and Penske Racing split about a week later in what was called a "mutual agreement." Although most believe Busch was fired in the fallout of yet another embarrassing incident, he has maintained he was no longer enjoying his time racing and needed to leave Penske "to put the fun back into racing for me."

Busch has seemingly tried to do that this year driving for underfunded Phoenix Racing, but his talent outweighs the capability of his race team and it's caused his temper to get the best of him on more than one occasion.

It's what happened at Darlington last month. A flat tire caused Busch to wreck with six laps remaining in the Sprint Cup race, and he headed to pit road for repairs. As he left, he did a burnout through Newman's pit box. There were crew members over the wall and on pit road at the time, and they complained they could have been injured by Busch's actions.

Busch also ran into Newman's car on pit road after the race, and several of Newman's crew members confronted Busch, who said he was taking off his helmet and didn't see Newman's car.  Newman went on the offensive after the incident, accusing Busch of having a "chemical imbalance."

"It's easy to see and it's easy to say that Kurt blew a fuse again," Newman told SI.com after the race. "I'm not sure why he did it and tried to run over our guys and NASCAR officials. And nobody is. Circumstances I think are that he lied (about hitting Newman's car on pit road) and was so frustrated that he doesn't know how to deal with his anger."

Busch, the 2004 NASCAR champion, admitted last December he's seeing a sports psychologist to help him with his temper.  This latest penalty comes as Busch is jockeying for one of the seats due to become open at the end of the year. He's said all along this year is about positioning himself to return to a top-level ride next season.

It also marks yet another suspension for the Busch family. Younger brother Kyle was suspended last November for two races at Texas because he intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. in a Truck Series race.  Kyle Busch had to fight hard with sponsors for Joe Gibbs Racing to not be fired from his rides after the Texas incident.

NASCAR's Most Famous Daughter Taylor Earnhardt Weds

Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, daughter of Teresa Earnhardt and 7-time NASCAR Champion, Dale Earnhardt tied the knot on Saturday, May 25, 2012 to Brandon Samuel Putnam in Mooresville, North Carolina.  The wedding with a southern flair was designed by celebrity event planner David Tutera took place at the Earnhardts' private estate. The couple exchanged their vows in a romantic outdoor evening ceremony at a lakeside arbor nestled under the trees with stained glass panels suspended from surrounding trees. The bride was transported to the ceremony by horse-drawn carriage, the horse, a gift from her father when she was a little girl. Taylor wore a customized lace wedding gown by Rivini and walked down the aisle to "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts, performed by an eight-piece string ensemble. After saying their "I Do's," the couple rode to their reception in a vintage 1946 cherry red pickup truck that was from Dale Earnhardt's Classic Car Collection.

Taylor and Brandon's guests were escorted by horse and carriage to the reception space on the estate, where they celebrated under a rustic open air pavilion that had been constructed especially for the wedding.

Guests were treated to hand-rolled cigars, a fine whiskey tasting bar and a bespoke perfume bar, along with entertainment by country artist Jared Ashley.

The custom pavilion where the reception was held is now available to the public to rent for weddings and other special events. The unique space has a rustic, southern elegant feel, adorned with specially-commissioned antiqued stained glass windows by local artists, vaulted ceilings, custom woodwork and crystal chandeliers. The newly constructed space opens up to a back terrace overlooking a lake and is the only open air structure of its kind that includes heated flooring, so guests can dance the night away no matter the weather.

Taylor Earnhardt, 23, is a professional rodeo competitor and devotes herself to supporting the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, a charitable organization that is dedicated to children, education and wildlife preservation. She is also the Director of Equestrian Development for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. She is currently studying equine business, reproduction and training to use in her future endeavors. She is the daughter of Dale and Teresa Earnhardt of Mooresville, North Carolina. Her father, seven-time NASCAR Champion Dale Earnhardt, was the co-founder of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Her mother Teresa is the co-founder and current CEO of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated based in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Putnam, 25, is the owner of Hi Tech Incorporated, a grading and trucking company in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also competes in rodeo professionally and is an avid hunter. He graduated from Central Piedmont Community College and received a degree in Fire Science. He is the son of Sam and Julie Putnam of Charlotte, North Carolina. His father Sam is a retired landscape and grading company owner and CEO, and his mother Julie is an accountant and financial manager for several grading and land care companies in Charlotte, North Carolina.