NASCAR team Owner Gene Haas yesterday said that Kurt Busch "will be in the car next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway" for the Sprint Cup finale and "continue to drive for the team for the foreseeable future," according to Jeff Gluck of USA TODAY. Busch is "being investigated by Dover (Del.) police for an alleged assault on ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll" in September. Haas said, "He'll be in the car until someone else pulls him out. I'm not pulling him out." Haas' company, Haas Automation, is the sponsor of Busch's car, and he said that it will "continue to be on the hood during the investigation." Haas: "I think we're just going to let the police department do their job and try not to say anything that would compromise that. We want an unbiased investigation and we'll see how it all plays out" (USATODAY.com, 11/9). In Charlotte, Jim Utter reported as of this weekend, NASCAR had "yet to take any action" against Busch. Unless Busch is "charged in the incident, NASCAR is likely to continue with the 'wait and see' approach, which is probably the best option." If Busch is charged, NASCAR "will need to likely sit him until the case is resolved." The issue is "too important for any professional sport’s sanctioning body to remain silent" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/9). The AP's Jenna Fryer noted the incident "allegedly occurred inside Busch's motorhome" at Dover Int'l Speedway on Sept. 26. Driscoll has "filed court documents asking a judge to order Busch to stay away from her and not contact her, and she claims Busch verbally and physically abused her and smashed her head against a wall three times" (AP, 11/8).
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE: In N.Y., Viv Bernstein noted Busch being allowed to race this weekend is "standard procedure" for NASCAR. Driver Travis Kvapil was "arrested on charges of assaulting his wife" in October '13 and "never faced a suspension, even after The Sporting News reported that he had pleaded guilty and had been sentenced to probation and community service." But NASCAR's reaction is "in contrast to other sports leagues, which have removed athletes from competition while they were involved in domestic violence investigations and before legal proceedings were complete." Former NASCAR Managing Dir of Communications Ramsey Poston said, "I can't see a basis for them to take any action, especially take him off the track. However, NASCAR should be asking questions and potentially conducting their own investigation" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/8).
FLYING SOLO? U.S. women's national soccer team G Hope Solo faces trial in January on misdemeanor domestic violence charges, and in Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont wrote it "remains disturbing, and more than hints at a double standard, that Solo’s alleged acts have flown so beneath the radar of public opinion, and have been all but ignored by those who put her in uniform, including US Soccer." In a time when domestic abuse is "so much in our collective sports consciousness, so reviled and condemned, Solo’s alleged actions have barely caused a stir." Dupont: "Why? Because this is a woman as the alleged perpetrator? Because this is a female soccer player and not a male football player? Abuse is abuse, be it dished out by a man or a woman, be the victim male, female, adult, or adolescent. No matter what the sport." But with "no hard evidence such as video or pictures out there, the public remains seemingly largely disinterested." Dupont: "One must wonder, would a star male soccer player, similarly accused, be allowed to remain or play with his professional and/or national team before due process played out?" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/9).
