Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR
Nobody could have predicted how Kurt Busch's 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season would have gone. The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion was most definitely a threat for the 2011 title but what was a great season ended up falling apart in the closing races of the year.
Busch started the season with a steady string of top 10 finishes. While the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge race team was pretty consistent, things really changed for the entire Penske Racing operation at Kansas Speedway in the STP 400. Busch won his first pole of the season and his car went from a top 10 car to a top 5 car almost overnight. Busch backed up the Kansas pole with two more at Pocono and Michigan, however the 22 team didn't find victory lane until stop 16 at Infineon Raceway. Busch dominated the Toyota/Save Mart 350 for his first win of the season.
Busch continued to knock off good finishes and made the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Once the Chase started, it appeared as though the 22 team fell apart. While they scored a victory at Dover in the AAA 400, it was one of only two top 10 finishes Busch and crew had during the Chase. Busch finished a very disappointing 11th in the final points standings, but the season was not over yet. Video leaked of Busch in a verbal tirade toward ESPN pit reporter, Dr. Jerry Punch while Busch was in the garage area in the final race of the year at Homestead. Subsequently, Roger Penske and Busch went their separate ways after the conflict and now it is unclear who will pilot the 22 Dodge and whether or not Busch will even participate in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
Surprisingly, Busch garnered several black flag penalties from NASCAR in 2011. In all, Busch was penalized an astounding eight times for speeding in the pits. Busch was also penalized once for illegally pulling up to pit and twice for pitting before pit road was open when he did not have any issues. The 22 team was not penalized once in 2011.
2011 Statistics For Kurt Busch
11th in Sprint Cup standings
2 wins (Toyota/Save Mart 350, AAA 400)
8 top 5s
16 top 10s
770 laps led
2011 Penalty Report For Kurt Busch
Race 1 - Speed-Entering pits, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 3 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 9 - Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field; Speed-Entering pits, Tail of Field
Race 10 - Speed-Exiting pits, Tail of Field; Pulling up to pit, Held 2 laps
Race 20 - Speed-Entering pits, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 23 - Pitting before pit road is open, Garage; Speed-Entering pits, Garage
Race 24 - Speed-Exiting pits, tail end; Speed-Exiting pits, tail end
Race 32 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end garage
Race 35 - Speed-Entering pits, pass thru
Race 36 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end