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Tag: Patricia Driscoll

NASCAR Suspends Driver Kurt Busch Effective Immediately

NASCAR indefinitely suspended Kurt Busch Friday afternoon “following the release today of a supplemental disposition setting forth the findings and conclusions that formed the basis for the Family Court of the State of Delaware’s decision on Monday to issue an Order of Protection from Abuse against him.”

They determined that Busch was in violation of:

– Section 12.1.a: Actions detrimental to stock car racing.

– Section 12.8: Behavioral Penalty.

NASCAR further stated that, “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. 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. We will continue to respect the process and timetable of the authorities involved.”

NASCAR also confirmed that Busch can appeal the suspension and that they will expedite the process.

NASCAR’s decision comes after the Kent County (Del.) Family Court Commissioner David Jones granted a protective order to Kurt Busch’s ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll Monday, February 16. Friday afternoon Jones released the supplemental disposition and opinion which details the reasons for his decision.

His conclusion was that “it is more likely than not on September 26, 2014, Respondent (Busch) committed an act of abuse against Petitioner (Driscoll) by manually strangling Petitioner with his left hand on her throat, while placing his right hand against her chin and face while placing his right hand against her chin and face, causing her head to forcefully strike the interior wall of (Busch’s) motor home, thereby recklessly causing physical injury to (Driscoll).’’

Jones wrote that he found Driscoll’s version of events was more credible “based upon her demeanor when required to recall and describe the alleged acts of abuse, the absence of motive to falsify when she initially disclosed the alleged abuse moments after the events in a manner consistent with her trial testimony, the fact that her testimony regarding those events is corroborated by documentary evidence, including photographs of her injuries and text communications between both parties both before and after the incident and between herself and others after the incident.’’

Jones also said that Busch’s version of the events was “less credible than (Driscoll’s) version.” This was “based upon the manner in which he initially testified regarding those events, his obvious interest in preserving his racing career, which could be endangered by a finding that he committed an act of domestic violence, the fact that his testimony conflicts with the documentary evidence that corroborates (Driscoll’s) version of the events.” Busch’s testimony was further described as being “inconsistent with the credible testimony of other witnesses.”

Driscoll issued a statement Friday night.

“For victims of domestic violence there are no “victories.” My only hope is that the pain and trauma I suffered through this process will help other victims find their voice. Unfortunately we live in a culture where stories like mine are often swept under the rug out of fear and with the knowledge that for every person who shows empathy many more will seek to disparage the victim. It is bad enough to endure the actual physical abuse but the verbal attacks that follow when a victim speaks up are sometimes just as painful.

“Today NASCAR took an important step and deserves to be commended. The next steps are to develop a thorough process and policies that reinforce the organization’s position it took today: Domestic violence will not be tolerated in NASCAR.”

Stewart-Haas Racing executive vice president, Joe Custer, reacted to NASCAR’s ruling in a statement saying, “We understand NASCAR’s position regarding Kurt Busch and accept their decision. We are in the midst of finalizing our plans for the Daytona 500 and we will announce those details as soon as we’re ready.” The team has named Regan Smith as the interim driver for the No. 41 in the Daytona 500.

Chevrolet responded soon after the decision in a statement from Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Motorsports and Performance Vehicles.

“Chevrolet has suspended its relationship with Kurt Busch indefinitely. We will continue to monitor the events surrounding Mr. Busch and are prepared to take additional action if necessary.”

Busch’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, issued a statement after NASCAR’s ruling and announced their intention to immediately appeal the ruling. The appeal will be heard Saturday by a three-member panel in Daytona. If Busch loses the appeal Saturday, he can make one last appeal which would be heard by former president of Gulfstream Aerospace, Bryan Moss, who has been selected as NASCAR’s final appeals officer.

“We are extremely disappointed that NASCAR has suspended Kurt Busch and we plan an immediate appeal. We assure everyone, including NASCAR, that this action against Mr. Busch will turn out to be a travesty of justice, apparent to all, as this story continues to unfold.

“We are confident that if the Commissioner agrees to hear newly available evidence that contradicts the testimony of Ms. Driscoll, he will be able understand the actions of that night as well as Ms. Driscoll’s character and motivations and reconsider his judgment. He has already found that Ms. Driscoll lied under oath at least once. Our newly available evidence will make it clear that much more of her testimony was untruthful and was purposefully kept from the Commissioner by Ms. Driscoll’s attempts to intimidate and threaten witnesses.

“It is important for everyone to remember that the Commissioner’s report has to do with a civil, family law matter and no criminal charges have been filed against Mr. Busch.

“We ask everyone’s patience as this case continues in the court of law and are confident that when the truth is known Mr. Busch will be fully vindicated and back in the driver’s seat.”

February 20, 2015
Delaware Family Court Grants Patricia Driscoll Protective Order – Kurt Busch’s Attorney Will Appeal

Family Court Commissioner David Jones ordered Kurt Busch to stay away from ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll in court documents signed Monday. The order is effective immediately and will expire February 16, 2016.

The documents state, in part, that Busch “shall stay 100 yards away from Petitioner’s (Driscoll) person, residence and workplace.” The documents also state an exception to this at NASCAR events, “where closer proximity is required for Respondent (Busch) to perform his duties as a driver or sponsored athlete. On such occasions, Respondent shall maintain the maximum practicable distance from Petitioner and shall not contact or attempt to contact Petitioner.”

In addition, the court has ordered that Busch undergo a mental health evaluation.

Driscoll requested the protective order in November 2014 after allegations of abuse during an incident that occurred in September. She alleged that Busch grabbed her by the throat and smashed her head three times against the wall. Driscoll also filed a criminal complaint with the Dover police who completed their investigation in December and turned their findings over to the attorney general’s office. The Delaware attorney general’s office has not yet decided if any criminal charges will be filed.

Busch has emphatically denied the charges stating that his ex-girlfriend came over to his motorhome, uninvited. He further said that he never grabbed her by the throat and hit her head against the wall but, instead, cupped her face in his hands and repeatedly asked her to leave.

Rusty Hardin, Busch’s attorney, plans to appeal the decision and issued the following statement.

“Though we are not surprised by the Commissioner’s ruling, in light of the restrictions on the evidence he considered, we are deeply disappointed because we believe the evidence of Ms. Driscoll’s total lack of believability was overwhelming. It is important to note that the Commissioner’s ruling is a civil family court matter and totally unconnected to any criminal investigation or finding.

“Regardless of the Commissioner’s finding, we know that Kurt never committed an act of family violence. The evidence was un-contradicted that Ms. Driscoll committed the criminal offense of trespass when she entered his motor home at night, while he was sleeping, uninvited, without permission, and refused to leave when he repeatedly asked her to get out. Mr. Busch’s conduct was totally reasonable and legal under the circumstances. He never intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused her any injury.

“We intend to appeal the Commissioner’s ruling and will seek to persuade the family court judge hearing the appeal to consider new and previously unknown evidence from various people that have come forward since the conclusion of the hearing before the Commissioner. We have provided this additional evidence challenging Ms. Driscoll’s testimony and credibility to the Attorney General’s office for their criminal investigation, and we hope to persuade the family court judge to consider the same evidence.

“Ms. Driscoll clearly committed perjury during her testimony before the Commissioner, and we deeply regret that Ms. Driscoll has been allowed to abuse the justice system in such a flagrant way.”

Stewart-Haas Racing issued a statement from Joe Custer, SHR executive vice president, Monday afternoon, concerning this latest development.

“These are serious allegations and we do not take them lightly. We are relying on the authorities in Delaware and their collective experience to identify all the facts. They are the experts in these matters and their decision, specifically the one that will be made by the Attorney General, will determine our course of action.”

NASCAR issued a statement on the matter indicating that they would continue to monitor the situation.

“NASCAR has been closely following the civil proceedings in Kent County (Del.) Family Court regarding driver Kurt Busch and therefore is aware of the court order issued today. We now await the full findings of the Commissioner and any actions by the Attorney General of Delaware related to the allegations against Busch.

“As we stated earlier, NASCAR fully recognizes the serious nature of this specific situation and the broader issue of domestic violence. We will continue to gather information and monitor this situation very closely, and we expect our members to conduct themselves properly.”

February 16, 2015
Dover Police Complete Kurt Busch Domestic Assault Investigation

On Tuesday the Dover (DE) Police Department concluded its investigation into the domestic assault allegations brought against Kurt Busch by his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll.

“The Dover Police Department completed the investigation of Kurt Busch a few weeks ago and has since forwarded their findings along with all evidence and statements to the Kent County Attorney General’s Office. Their office will review the findings of investigation and make a decision whether Mr. Busch will be charged or not.”

Driscoll, president of the Armed Forces Foundation, alleged that Busch slammed her head against the bedroom wall of Busch’s motorhome three times. The incident supposedly occurred during a NASCAR race weekend in late September while Busch’s motorhome was parked outside of Dover International Speedway. Driscoll is also seeking an order of protection from the Delaware court in a case that is currently ongoing. The protective order hearing is scheduled to resume January 12.

Busch has vehemently denied the allegations. In a statement released by his attorney Rusty Hardin, the allegations were characterized as “a complete fabrication.”

NASCAR chairman Brian France previously stated that no disciplinary action would be taken until the police investigation was complete but added that, “If charges are filed, that will change our equation, and we will look at that.”

January 6, 2015
Opinion: Driscoll vs. Busch …. True or Not, It Does Not Belong in the Motorsports Headlines
I am tired of hearing all this crap about Kurt Busch allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and how she is in fear for her life and the safety of her child. Before we all jump on the hate Kurt Busch wagon because he is an abuser, let me let you in on a few things.

Patricia Driscoll is a political lobbyist. She has the ears of every congress man/woman and every representative in Washington. She used those already in the campaign against Busch when the congress woman from California, Jackie Speier, attempted to influence the situation with Stewart-Haas Racing and NASCAR. She wasn’t the only one who got involved in something which was not a matter of public record until Driscoll made it such and there are a lot of irregularities in her story and her situation.

Driscoll was not afraid for her life, not then and not now. How do I know this? Well for one if she was she would not have manipulated the court system to get custody of her son and then filed the complaint 10 weeks later. If she were truly afraid for herself and her son she certainly wouldn’t have waited another two weeks to file for an order of protection. If she had truly been brutally attacked and slammed face first into a wall with her child in the other room as she claims she would have sought medical attention, she did not.

This step is very important in the progression of obtaining safety for both the victim and the child. This step includes photographs and interviews by medical professionals and law enforcement officials to document the situation and the occurrence. Without this step there is no documentation for a court of law to intervene on her behalf.

Driscoll is very well aware of the procedures required in Domestic Violence situations. Yet she chose not to follow through with them. According to her it was to avoid complicating her custody battle with her ex husband. She was also very well aware that it would bring the situation to a he said she said situation with no documentation.

Driscoll testified before family court with a modified version of her original story on Monday, December 16. She testified that Busch called her to the track (Dover) and when she arrived she found him lying on the floor crying and saying “he wished he had a gun so he could shoot himself”. She had her son stay in the other room as she got him off the floor and calmed down. Then she stated that they were in bed and he suddenly attacked her slamming her face into the wall of the motor coach. At that point she ran out of the coach, leaving her son in the coach with Busch, to a neighboring coach to get help.

To be frank I am personally not sure it happened. Driscoll claims she was attacked by a drunk suicidal, Kurt Busch. However, in my experience, drunk and suicidal people are not attackers. Most lack energy and motivation. She claimed at that point she was in fear for her life. But she waited 10 weeks to file a complaint and then another two weeks to file for an order of protection. She is afraid for her and her sons safety and yet she left him alone in a motor coach with Busch at the point he was apparently the most violent. None of that makes sense unless the objective is to damage Busch’s reputation and destroy his career.

The campaign she has launched against Kurt Busch continued in court when she sought to destroy the relationship with his employer and his teammates. Claiming he stated that Kevin Harvick got all of the good equipment all he had to do was whine. That Busch was upset with owner Tony Stewart for “throwing his career away by killing that kid in New York.” What is the purpose of that? Seriously the only thing she can hope to gain is to alienate him within the race community by linking his past actions to this situation and showing a progression to violence. (However, Busch has never thrown a punch publicly, that I could find documented anywhere.) When she does this she will affectively destroy his career. Granted, Busch his self contributed to his situation within the race community with his past actions.

The bottom line in all this comes down to whether you believe her or not. I don’t, but whether you do or don’t it doesn’t change the fact Domestic Violence is a growing problem in our country and it’s not a closet situation anymore. It’s a very serious problem that ends tragically 60 percent of the time according to statistics published by the United States Attorney General’s office. With the football player being suspended indefinitely and the NFL getting knee deep involved in the situation it has become high profile. Sadly, it doesn’t change the fact that Domestic Violence is a sad and tragic thing. If Ms. Driscoll is manipulating the system, as she has already shown she has no problem doing, then she is as guilty as the abusers.

False reports make it very difficult for those who have truly been victims of abuse. It makes people question whether the situation is what the victim claims it is. It makes it virtually impossible for orders of protection to be issued on the say so of the victim even with photographic proof. Although the order of protection will not protect the victim and that has been proven time and time again, there are cases in which it does. It is a part of the chain of events necessary to proceed in getting the victim help and stopping the abuser.

Whatever, happened here does not need to be dragged through the media circus of NASCAR. The legal system needs to do its job without the politics and influence of outside agencies and political associates. The fans of our sport have been drug through enough dog and pony show antics from the media this year. They have been scarred, alienated and frightened. This situation needs to not be on the front page of every motorsports publication because the reality of the situation is, that like it or not, it is not a public issue just because Busch is a public figure.
- About one in three American women have been physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
- On average, nearly 20 people per minute are victims of physical violence by an intimate partner in the US.
- In 2006, 50 percent of all female murder victims were killed by their husbands or boyfriends. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2012)
- One of the most frequent types of abuse in the United States is the use of a child to force compliance. According to Busch, Driscoll brought her son uninvited to his coach so he “could tell him the relationship was over.”
- Driscoll did not file complaint until AFTER she admittedly manipulated the family court to gain custody of her son.
- Pre court testimony Driscoll claimed son was not at the scene. In court she claimed he was present.
- Driscoll had no reason to fear Busch. http://youtu.be/_MAbYIrniY4
- Smear campaign against Busch very similar to what we see done to politicians by opponents during elections.
- Driscoll did not seek medical attention at the time of the assault.
- Driscoll did not seek law enforcement assistance.
- Driscoll did not seek an order of protection until 12 weeks after the supposed attack. During which time Kurt Busch was completing the NASCAR season. Following which he began a racing tour in Europe.
- Driscoll moved her office after the attack to Charlotte, North Carolina. Busch lives in Mooresville, NC, a suburb of Charlotte.
- Driscoll claimed in court to be responsible for Busch’s PR and the rebuilding of his brand. However, NASCAR’s media guide lists Rory Connellan of True Speed Communications as his PR person and contact.
- If you are in need of assistance in a Domestic Violence situation or you know of someone that is The Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 1800 799 SAFE (7233).
Editors Note: Personal attack comments will not be tolerated.
December 17, 2014
Kurt Busch under Investigation Following Allegation of Domestic Assault

NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Kurt Busch is being investigated after an allegation of domestic assault against his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll.

The Dover (Del.) Police Department issued the following statement:

The Dover Police Department can confirm that an investigation is being conducted based on an allegation of domestic assault that is alleged to have occurred in the City of Dover involving Mr. Busch. These allegations were brought to the Dover Police Department on Wednesday, November 5th at 2:00PM. At this time, the department is still investigating the victim’s claims and will not have any further comment on this matter in order to preserve the integrity of the case. The Dover Police Department will release further information as it becomes available. We appreciate the public’s and media’s patience in this matter and are confident that the department is taking the proper investigative steps to ensure the case is resolved appropriately.

Multiple reports state that Patricia Driscoll said the incident occurred inside Busch’s motor home during the Dover International Speedway race weekend in September. Driscoll filed court documents Wednesday asking that a judge order Busch to have no contact with her and to stay away from her. She is reportedly also asking that Busch undergo a psychiatric evaluation and an evaluation by a certified domestic violence treatment agency.

In the documents Driscoll alleges that, “He (Busch) was verbally abusive to her and said he wished he had a gun so that he could kill himself.”

Driscoll said Busch called her names and accused her of “having spies everywhere and having a camera on the bus to watch him.” He then jumped up, grabbed her face and smashed her head three times against the wall next to the bed, the documents say.

The documents further state that Driscoll says she pushed Busch away and ran from the bedroom, going to a nearby bus to put an ice pack on her head and neck. She said the incident caused her severe pain, difficulty breathing and bruising on her neck.

Busch’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, issued a statement Friday afternoon saying Busch would cooperate fully with the investigation.

“The Dover Police Department has been informed that Mr. Busch will fully cooperate with their investigation,” Hardin said, “and he expects to be vindicated when the entire truth of the situation comes to light. This allegation is a complete fabrication by a woman who has refused to accept the end of a relationship, and Mr. Busch vehemently denies her allegations in every respect. At this time, we intend to have no further comment in the media out of respect for the Dover Police Department’s desire to conduct a thorough investigation without a media circus.’’

Busch is at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend in preparation for the upcoming Sprint Cup race but has made no statement concerning the allegations.

Mike Arning, a spokesperson for Busch’s team, Stewart-Haas Racing, issued a statement which said, “This is an allegation Stewart-Haas Racing takes very seriously, but we’re still gathering all of the facts and are not in a position to comment in greater detail.’’

NASCAR responded to the incident with a release from Brett Jewkes, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, as follows, “NASCAR is aware of the investigation involving driver Kurt Busch. We recognize the seriousness of this matter and are actively gathering information from all parties, including law enforcement authorities and Stewart-Haas Racing. It would be inappropriate for NASCAR to comment further on this matter until we have more information.”

Driscoll is president of the Armed Forces Foundation and Busch has participated as a spokesperson for the organization.

Pat LaFrieda, chairman of the board of the Armed Forces Foundation issued a statement saying, “I want to, first and foremost, express the direct support from the Board of Directors of the Armed Forces Foundation to Ms. Driscoll. For more than a decade, Ms. Driscoll has been a tireless worker and advocate for our nation’s service members, veterans, and military families. The Foundation will continue working to support service members, veterans, and military families and we ask that Ms. Driscoll’s privacy be respected. Given the serious nature of the allegations, the Foundation has suspended its association with Mr. Busch.’’

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Dec. 2.

November 7, 2014
Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota/Save Mart 350

With plenty of wine and whining on and off the track, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 26th Annual Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

Surprising: The winner of the race, his first ever at Sonoma and his second of the season, effectively locking him into the Chase, seemed surprisingly star-struck in Victory Lane.

“It means a lot to me,” Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, said. “And then the real special part to me was to stand in Victory Lane at Sonoma and have Jeff Gordon come and give me a handshake as the second place finisher means a lot.”

“I grew up watching Jeff Gordon and specifically watching how he drove this racetrack and all the successes he had here, so I mean, that’s really super,” Edwards continued. “It definitely meant a lot to have Jeff Gordon in my mirror.”

“It’s something I’ll never forget.”

With his victory, Edwards kept the consecutive new winner streak alive at Sonoma, being the eighth consecutive first time winner on that road course.

Not Surprising: As Edwards paid tribute to him, Jeff Gordon seemed to get a kick out of it, which he could afford to do after posting a runner up finish to Edwards, as well as maintaining the point standing lead.

“I’m starting to hear that a lot more,” Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet, said of Edwards comments about watching him race in his growing up years. “I hear things like he was born when I won my first championship or watching me as a kid.”

“You know what, I love racing here,” Gordon continued. “I love being competitive, leading the points and having a shot winning races 22 years into my Cup career.”

“We’re having fun.”

Gordon scored his 14^th career top-5 finish at Sonoma and his 12^th top-10 finish for the season. He is now 20 spots ahead of six-time champ and teammate Jimmie Johnson in the point standings.

Surprising: While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s aggressiveness certainly played a role in this third place finish, he also credited his own road course education for helping to achieve his first ever top-10 finish at Sonoma.

“This is a real technical track where the corners are lined up one after the other, and if you make a mistake in Turn 2, you really don’t clean it up until Turn 4,” the driver of the No. 88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet said. “So everything sort of has to line up and that takes a certain mentality and a certain understanding of road course racing that guys like myself don’t have coming from late models and oval tracks and stuff like that.”

“You have to go to school,” Junior continued. “You have to study. You have to listen to people. You have to run as many laps as you can at practices and tests and stuff like that to adapt and understand. We were fast all weekend and just kind of put it together.”

“Aside from holding a trophy, this is like a win for us.”

Not Surprising: Kevin Harvick took to the California stage and starred yet again in his own version of ‘Groundhog Day’. On Lap 72, the driver of the No. 4 Outback / Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet entered his pit stall in the fourth position and promptly lost spots after another miscommunication with his over-the-wall team.

“We basically sat on the jack for about three seconds waiting on fuel and we didn’t need to,’’ Rodney Childers, Harvick’s crew chief said. “Bad, bad miscommunication or decision on some of the pit crew member’s part.’’

After that bad pit stop, Harvick restarted further back in the field and then was collected in an accident to finish 20^th.

“All in all, we got to get it together,’’ Childers said. “The pit crew has worked really hard to get their pit stops better. We got that better and now we’re doing stuff like we did to take us out of the win.”

“Everybody keeps saying that the pit crew is messing up,” Childers continued. “The pit crew is not actually messing up. We had a great pit stop, and we just sit there on the jack, waiting for the gas man to say it was full.”

“If we wouldn’t have sat there and waited, we would have beat (Jeff Gordon) off pit road and he almost won the race,’’ Childers said. “We had a way, way, way better car than (Gordon) did.’’

Surprising: Austin Dillon, not Kyle Larson, was the highest finishing rookie of the race. Dillon, in his iconic No. 3 Dow Chevrolet, finished 17^th while Larson, in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished well behind in the 28^th spot.

With that finish, Larson slipped from eighth to tenth in the point standings and Dillon also slipped one notch from 17^th to 18^th in points.

Not Surprising: Although Marcos Ambrose, known for his road course prowess, did not have the best of days, he echoed what many in the Ford camp were definitely thinking.

“I’ll take eighth,” Ambrose said after crossing the finish line in his No. 9 DeWalt Ford. “We came here with a strategy because we had the fastest car for a couple of laps, but it would fade away really bad. We came with a really soft package and I was hanging onto it all day, too.”

“We’re gonna keep working at this place to try and make ourselves better, but congratulations to Carl,” Ambrose continued. “He did a great job in the race and it’s great to see Ford back in Victory Lane.”

Surprising: Clint Bowyer was the highest finishing Toyota and he had to make an incredible comeback after a flat tire and on-track incident with Jamie McMurray to finish in the tenth position in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

We had a fast 5-hour ENERGY Camry this weekend,” Bowyer said. “We got ourselves in position and had a flat. It was going down and I was all over the place.”

“Jamie (McMurray) just kind of finished me up and got me out of the way, I guess,” Bowyer continued. “Bad luck, man.”

“The way our season has been, we’ve been the lap closer here lately and if they keep bringing cars like that to the race track, we’ll be just fine.”

Not Surprising: With her IndyCar experience, especially on the road courses, it was no surprise that Danica Patrick not only had a decent day at Sonoma but also scored her personal best with an 18^th place finish.

“I think we kind of salvaged something there,” the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet said. “It would be good for a couple laps and then would just go away. We got lucky getting the Lucky Dog and then just pitted a couple of times for fresh tires and fuel and wound up 18^th.”

“It’s not the best day, but I think we keep improving.”

It was Patrick’s best road course finish in the Sprint Cup as she bettered a 29th-place finish last year at Sonoma and a 20th-place result at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

Surprising: Even Kasey Kahne, the only Hendrick driver who has struggled this season, got into the act at Sonoma, finishing sixth and ensuring that all Hendrick Motorsports drivers were in the top-10 when the checkered flag flew. And he did so in spite of some contact mid-race with Casey Mears.

The driver of the No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet even finished higher than Jimmie Johnson, who came in seventh after starting 22nd in his Lowe’s Chevrolet.

Not Surprising: With NASCAR’s close association with those in uniform, it was not surprising that the sport paused to honor its five year association with the Armed Forces Foundation, particularly the Troops to the Track program, a year-round recreational group therapy program that honors service men and women, veterans and military families at races throughout the country.

“Troops to the Track presented by Bank of America showcases NASCAR’s commitment to our nation’s military and we are proud of our joint effort the past five years to serve the military,” Patricia Driscoll, President of the Armed Forces Foundation, said. “Here at the Armed Forces Foundation, we constantly strive to ‘serve those who serve,’ and with the support from NASCAR and Bank of America, we will be able to provide more opportunities for service members and their families around the country to get away from the stresses of injuries and deployments while enjoying the patriotism of the NASCAR community.”

June 23, 2014
Kurt Busch, Patricia Driscoll and Brandon Igdalsky Announce Troops to Table Poker Event

Brandon Igdalsky, President/CEO of Pocono Raceway, along with NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, Armed Forces Foundation President Patricia Driscoll, and Lorene King, Executive Director of the NASCAR Foundation, announced this morning that the Third Annual Pocono Celebrity Charity Poker Showdown will be held this year on Thursday, July 31^st at Mohegan Sun prior to the track’s August race.

“The last two years, we have hosted the celebrity poker tournament at Mohegan Sun and it’s been a tremendous success,” Igdalsky said. “We’ve always done it for this race but this year we decided to do it prior to our August event with Kurt and Patricia and their Foundation to build this into a bigger and more impressive event than it already is.”

“They have done a tremendous job of raising big funds and they are going to help us take it to the next level,” Igdalsky continued. “It’s not a big donation to come out and enjoy it. Donations to play start at $250 for your seat to play and VIP meet and greet prior and $150 if you just want to come and be a spectator and take part in the VIP. A $100 donation reserves a seat in the poker tournament and a $50 donation allows for fans to attend the event as spectators. The top-finishing fan will receive a choice between two exciting prizes – a VIP Race Experience at Pocono Raceway or a VIP Stay and Play Experience at Mohegan Sun.”

“It’s a nice evening and we’re going to make this a kick ass event.”

All proceeds from this year’s event will benefit both the NASCAR Foundation and the Armed Forces Foundation.

“We’ve partnered together with the Armed Forces Foundation’s Annual Education Initiative, Operation Caring Classroom,” Lorene King, Executive Director of the NASCAR Foundation said. “This program increases awareness, appreciation and support among children in the military. It impacts 40,000 children across the country in 100 schools.”

“We’re really honored to be a part of this,” Patricia Driscoll, President of the Armed Forces Foundation said. “We have hundreds of thousands of kids participating in our program. Our families suffer too when it comes to post traumatic stress syndrome.”

“We’re really excited to partner with the NASCAR Foundation to make our program grow even bigger.”

NASCAR champion Kurt Busch, one of the drivers who has participated in the past poker competitions, acknowledged that the competition is fierce, even if the cause is charitable.

“Greg Biffle, he likes to flash around his experience,” Busch said. “But he’s vulnerable in certain areas. I can see the certain cards he likes to play.”

“The young kids who come in, you don’t know if you’re good at it or not, but they come in and their chip count starts stacking up,” Busch continued. “You have to watch out for those young guys because they can count cards quicker than us old guys. It’s just a lot of fun to watch the sponsors, individuals and then a large group that come to make the donation and be involved in the fun.”

“It’s also a matter of bragging rights as well for how many celebrities you can take down,” Busch continued. “Mike Helton has come, John Darby and a lot of the NASCAR top officials and we will also have the Truck Series guys to come and participate.”

“And it’s a competition so all the guys that are up on it trying to advance to the final table are into it,” Busch said. “Mohegan Sun does a phenomenal job to keep it on time. The VIP meet and greet beforehand is very relaxed and effective for the sponsors involved. It’s just a matter of building it up and that’s my job to go and recruit more of the celebrity players. It’s a lot of fun to just sit down, play poker and go at it.”

“I know I’ll be up on the wheel and on the table.”

Both Busch and Driscoll spoke passionately that the best part of the whole poker playing evening, however, was that wounded warriors and veterans attended the event, rubbing shoulders with drivers and other celebrities as part of their therapeutic healing process.

“It’s a lot of fun too with our veterans that come out,” Busch said. “You will see our wounded guys jumping in and playing and it gives them a chance to get into an environment that is relaxed and safe. We’re all doing it for a good cause and it’s for them. We see the smile on their faces and they are energized to be engaged in the tournament.”

“We will have a lot of veterans at the event. That’s what it’s about,” Driscoll said, echoing Busch’s comments. “We try to bring a lot of guys with PTSD. I don’t want to announce it, but we do. It’s part of our therapy that we have with NASCAR that we bring them to the track. It’s important for them to experience everyday life experiences and to feel special.”

“To sit there and to talk instead of being shut in at home is really important,” Driscoll continued. “So, we’ll have veterans at the table. They might not announce themselves but I promise they will be there.”

While both Busch and Driscoll have been dedicated to bringing troops to the race track every week, Busch, as he left the media center to prepare for NASCAR’s first practice at Pocono Raceway, gave the event a new tag line.

“Instead of troops to the track, it’s troops to the table.”

For more information on the troops to the table event, visit www.nascar.com/foundation.

June 6, 2014
Kurt Busch Races On Angel’s Wings in Memory of Fallen Soldier

[media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]This weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch is not just driving on Goodyear tires. He is also piloting the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing on angel’s wings, in memory of fallen soldier Joseph Altmann.

“My husband Joseph, Staff Sergeant U.S. Army, was a combat medic,” Nikki Altmann said. “He did six years of service and, while in Afghanistan this year, enlisted for another four years.”

“We got married in February 2011 and he deployed in April,” Altmann continued. “And on Christmas day of 2011 is when he was killed in Afghanistan.”

Nikki Altmann’s journey had just begun as a widow of a service member killed in action. And for her it became one of the loneliest journeys of her life, that is until she learned of the Armed Forces Foundation program to honor fallen soldiers.

“We flew to Dover Air Force Base to welcome him home,” Altmann said. “The funeral happened and he was buried in Wisconsin, which is where he was from.”

“It was really shocking, especially because you don’t expect it,” Altmann continued. “You read about it but you never think it can happen to you.”

“It’s been a crazy road,” Altmann said. “And then Armed Forces Foundation sent out a tweet about honoring a fallen soldier.”

“One of my dear friends responded and asked to submit Joe’s name,” Altmann continued. “We didn’t think we would be chosen, but last week I got a call that Joe had been selected.”

“My family got on the phone looking up flights to get here,” Altmann, who is from Texas, said. “It was so worth it. I cried all morning when I saw the car. It’s such an honor to remember Joe in this way.”

[media-credit name=”Joseph Altmann with wife Nikki – Photo Credit: Nikki Altmann” align=”alignright” width=”214″][/media-credit]Altmann said she has been amazed not only by the support from the Armed Forces Foundation but also the support she has felt at the track, especially from the No. 51 race team.

“It’s amazing what the Armed Forces Foundation does,” Altmann said. “I’m so glad that we got to come and do this because this is a fun way to remember someone.”

“My husband was that kind of person,” Altmann continued. “He was a NASCAR fan.”

“He didn’t have a favorite driver because he liked all of them,” Altmann said. “He thought they were all cool and that the sport was fascinating to watch these cars go at these speeds.”

“My dad’s a big fan as well so I grew up around it,” Altmann continued. “A lot of Joe’s buddies watch NASCAR and follow Kurt on Twitter.”

“ So, why not send a message in a way that’s fun, informative and gets so much attention,” Altmann said. “It’s wonderful.”

“It really has helped me heal.”

[media-credit name=”Patricia Driscoll, President and Executive Director of the Armed Forces Foundation.” align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]Healing for families who have lost loved ones due to military service, as well as helping wounded warriors and bringing troops to the NASCAR track is what the Armed Forces Foundation is all about. AFF is also on a mission to call attention to the dangers of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) as well as addressing the high suicide rate among soldiers and veterans.

“We run the Troops to the Track with NASCAR, so we bring troops here every week,” Patricia Driscoll, President and Executive Director of the Armed Forces Foundation, said. “We want to remind people that there are wounded service members everywhere throughout the country.”

“There are service members who are suffering from PTSD, as well as family members who have lost loved ones because of their military service,” Driscoll continued. “This is really important to us.”

“Our Foundation is very involved with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries,” Driscoll said. “When a service member is wounded, the families drop everything so they really do need help. Our Foundation takes care of mortgages and car payments so that families don’t have to worry.”

“The suicide rate in the military is alarming,” Driscoll continued. “We had 155 active duty service members take their lives in 154 days.”

“Time magazine recently put out an article that said we are losing one service member a day and every 90 minutes, a veteran is taking his life,” Driscoll said. “None of those numbers are acceptable.”

“I think this is why this push is so important to both Kurt and I,” Driscoll continued. “We try to get people to understand what PTSD is all about and what depression is all about. You cannot wait to get help and we are doing everything we can to try to help.”

Driscoll admitted that the combination of AFF, NASCAR and bringing troops to the track is a perfect one.

“NASCAR has always been a very patriotic sport,” Driscoll said. “I was brought in by the Aaron’s Corporation at Talladega to be the grand marshal because of our work and after that I thought, I have missed the most patriotic sport I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“It just blows my mind how patriotic the sport is and I realized this is where we need to be involved,” Driscoll continued. “To have over 100,000 people show up is a great place to spread our message.”

Because of their commitment to the military and NASCAR, both Driscoll and Altmann shared their disappointment in the news that the U.S. Army was pulling out of their NASCAR sponsorship next year.

“It’s sad to see the Army is pulling out,” Altmann said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

“But for Kurt and them to stand up and say even though the Army is leaving, we’re going to step up is amazing,” Altmann continued. “He is showing me that I’m not alone.”

“I think they bowed down to the media pressure,” Driscoll said of the Army retreat from the sport. “I think it was ridiculous.”

“This is the group they recruited from and this is the group that is really patriotic,” Driscoll continued. “So, why would you not want to be there?”

“I think the exposure they get in NASCAR they cannot get anywhere else.”

But for this one race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the NASCAR exposure was simply about paying tribute to one U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and helping his widow and family remember him in one of the most unique ways possible.

“I am so honored by this,” Altmann said. “We’re here not to promote anything but to honor someone in a really fun way.”

“Joe’s personality was like this,” Altmann continued. “He was a fun person.”

“To be able to see the Kurt’s car in the garage and on the track, I just said, ‘Come on Joe, carry him on your wings.”

“Let him get to that Victory Lane.”

July 15, 2012