There are going to be some people out there who think Kyle Busch is some kind of romantic rebel.
Sort of like those good ol’ boys from the early days of NASCAR, hauling moonshine in souped-up street cars and outrunning revenuers on North Carolina back roads.
Well, this is not the 1950s.
And Kyle Busch is not some kind of hero.
Busch was caught Tuesday driving 128 mph in a 45-mph zone.
An sheriff’s deputy stopped him on Tuesday around 2 p.m. on Perth Road south of Troutman, in Iredell County.
Busch, whose wife was riding with him, was driving a yellow Lexus LFA exotic sports car.
A Lexus LFA is capable of a top speed of 203 mph. It’s 10-cyclinder engine can rocket it from 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds; from 0 to 100 in 7.6. seconds.
If you want to buy one, it’ll set you back anywhere from $350,000 to $400,000. Busch reportedly told the deputy he thinks of the Lexus as “just a toy.”
The Lexus LFA / Image from Autoviva
Some toy.
Let’s talk about Kyle’s playground.
He was stopped near a subdivision near Lake Norman. Close by are several neighborhoods, a church and a day-care.
One report, from the News & Record of Greensboro, describes the road Busch was traveling as winding and dipping through the countryside. It’s often used by bicyclists and farm tractors. Not far ahead from where Busch was pulled over is a sign warning of a school bus stop, and another warning of curves ahead. Much of the road is marked with the double yellow lines that denote a no-passing zone.
“There’s a lot of traffic, especially concerning kids,” said one woman quoted in the Charlotte Observer. “There’s mothers going to pick up their kids at school, school buses dropping off.”
Busch, who lives in Iredell County, was charged with speeding and driving recklessly. He is to appear in court July 20.
Legally, Busch deserves to get the maximum penalty possible. But the North Carolina justice system does not take speeding seriously enough. His punishment may be as minor as probation, losing his license for a year, and paying a $1,000 fine.
Professionally, Busch should be sanctioned. He drives the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. At this point he’s scheduled be driving it Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Gibbs said Thursday of Busch’s speeding that “It’s a serious issue,” and he is considering disciplinary action. He said that one option is having Busch speak with youth groups about speeding and reckless driving. That sound more like an opportunity than a sanction. A suspension from racing is more in order.
Speeding is cited as a major factor is nearly one-third of motor vehicle accidents. Given the terrible toll of injuries and fatalities, this atrocious example set by a celebrity sportscar driver is intolerable.
NASCAR still flaunts that rowdy persona, that rough streak of outlaw appeal from its old days. Fans love that stuff – spectacular crashes, fistfights on pit row, “tradin’ paint.”
But all the drivers – and Kyle Busch in particular – need to leave it at the track.
51 Comments
lee w
suprised he could actually drive that fast without hitting something for a change!!!!
lee w
Good thing Micheal Waltrip wasn't the cop, or Kyle would have never been caught!!! Seriously though------ I think he should get a severe punisnment from J Gibbs Racing because we can be almost sure he will only get probation in court. He will cry like a baby and say he is sorry like he does everytime he gets in trouble, and then be cocky and tough when it's over with.
Seriously???
Serious sanctions from NASCAR?? You're an idiot- I hate the the guy, but he is a professional RACE car driver after all. Obviously he shouldn't be driving that fast but give me a break-NASCAR doesn't need to penalize for off track behavior. They have enough to worry about trying to keep fans when all they do is keep penalizing drivers for 'bumping' into one another.
Get over it people-MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!!
sharron
Hate him! Wish they would put him under the jail and gibbs would drop him! Doesn't deserve to drive nascar! Has a bad attitude!
brg67
Car like that, as soon as you hit it it will be at 100 before you realize you have to slow down. just one of those things.
Rick
You don't need a drivers lic. To drive on a track. That said, would any of you be sanction by your employer for a speeding ticket if your job did not require a drivers license? Why should he be different than you? Don't tell me he's an example to our children. All adults should set good examples, so if he is so much more special than you, maybe he should be above the law, not penalize for be good at his profession.
Pam zerby
he is not above the law. Young kids look up to him and he just stated with this action that it is ok. Would he do this if his wife was in the car and carrying his child? What if his car went out of control like it does on the race track???????
morgan
first lets look at his driving manner and attitude. people don't like kyle because he is cocky and sometimes bumps people out of his way to the front to win a race. lets not forget how we were when we were young. most people that have this attitude towards kyle crammed into the theaters to watch DAYS OF THUNDER. rubbing is racing according to the movie. Also lets not forget Dale SR. #3 who did the exact same thing and is a Legend and in the Hall of Fame. Kyle is a driver just like any other driver, they all want to win. Don't hate him just because your drivers finish behind him almost every weekend.
what he did was wrong for sure but next time you are driving look at your speed and if you are over even by a couple miles per hour over you are wrong also.
Rick
Wow, we should call the what if police right away. Wow, what if his wife wasn't,t in the car? Wow, what if his kid wasn't in the car? Wow, what if the car didn't spin out of control? Oh, I know, he'd get a speeding ticket just like you perfect people would. I'm guessing your a stay at home mom and your used to talking with children who always say, but what if mom? Gee mom, Billy's mom let's hi. What will you tell your kids if you or you're husband gets a traffic ticket, that you should be executed? It's a speeding ticket omg what if!
Jake
Pam, were the 7 ? seven what if's
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