Former NASCAR Driver Kurt Busch Arrested and Charged with DWI: 'Very Disappointed in Myself'

Mar. 15, 2025

Former NASCAR driver Kurt Busch in February 2016.Photo: Todd Warshaw/NASCAR/Getty

Retired NASCAR driverKurt Buschwas arrested on charges of DWI, careless and reckless driving in North Carolina, according to multiple reports.

According to the outlet, Busch reportedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17% at the time of his arrest. In North Carolina, thedepartment of public safetylists the legal limit at 0.08%.

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PerSI, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office report shows that Busch’s driver’s license has been revoked for 30 days and the former NASCAR driver is scheduled to appear in court for the charges on Sept. 19.

PEOPLE reached out to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office for more information about the incident.

Busch issued a statement the following evening to Fox Sports' NASCAR reporterBob Pockrass. “I’m very disappointed in myself and I apologize to my family, my racing family, and to my fans," he said on Wednesday, Aug. 14. “I will work with the authorities to rectify the situation and work with the county to make it a safer place in the future.”

Kurt Busch on June 19, 2019.Bruce Bennett/Getty

Tuesday’s arrest was not the first accusation of reckless driving for the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion. In 2005, Busch was detained on suspicion of drunken driving in Maricopa County, Ariz., and given a citation for reckless driving, according to a report fromESPNat the time.

Busch last drove in NASCAR’s World Cup Series in 2022.

In May 2022, he and his wife, Ashley, officially divorced. “I am heartbroken to confirm that my wife Ashley and I are working to dissolve our marriage. Divorce is a personal and private matter and I hope our privacy will be respected,” he said in a statement provided to PEOPLE at the time.

source: people.com