Matt Kenseth has mechanical problems and his 32nd place finish in Phoenix today mathematically eliminates the #17 team for this season’s NASCAR Championship. So thanks for the year guys, especially the never say die late season charge that enabled Matt to even qualify for chase. Matt will be back at Roush Racing next year for another go at a second Championship.
NASCAR racing burns through money so when “hard liquor” sponsorship dollars were put on the table this year they were happily accepted, even though it raised concerns about a potential drinking and driving message. Earlier this year Wausau native Scott Wimmer was allowed to continue racing despite a January arrest and subsequent June conviction on a DWI charge. No such leniency for Defending Champion Kurt Busch.
Busch was suspended from NASCAR and released from all further duties by his employer Roush Racing after Arizona Police charged him with reckless driving and refusing a field sobriety test. According to the official Roush Statement the decision to release Kurt was made “after consultation with our primary sponsors” including Diageo, one the world’s largest marketers of alcoholic beverages. I suspect the conversation was a pretty simple choice: either the driver goes or our money goes.
