NASCAR Decides On Punishment For Kyle Busch After Pace Car Incident

Kyle Busch apparently will not be penalized for his actions Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

During caution laps after his early controversial wreck in the Foxwoods 301, Busch multiple times bumped into the rear of the pace car. Competition officials later said the incident would be addressed in Tuesday’s penalty report.

But the report offered no mention of Busch, and thus he seemingly avoided any punishment.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver clearly was frustrated with his showing at the “Magic Mile,” and justifiably so.

His ultimately afternoon-ending crash on Lap 6 likely was caused by the heavy downpour that began shortly after the start of the race. The pace laps, as well as the first lap, were run under a heavy mist, and any delay to the start of the race would’ve been a product of communication between the pace car driver, corner spotters and race officials.

Obviously, those responsible for making those decisions did not believe a delay was necessary. NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell later defended the organization, indicating the mess on Lap 6 was an example of bad timing and poor luck.

Busch and the rest of the Cup Series will enjoy a two-week break before returning Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen International.