NASCAR Fines Kyle Busch 25K for Obscene Gesture

NASCAR has fined Kyle Busch $25,000 and placed him on probation until Dec. 31 for an inappropriate gesture -- giving the middle finger to a pit road NASCAR official -- during Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Busch's move was captured by his in-car camera on the live ESPN broadcast, perhaps forcing NASCAR's hand. He was immediately handed a two-lap penalty during the race. The latest discipline comes because NASCAR says he violated Section 12-1 in the rulebook -- actions detrimental to stock car racing -- with his inappropriate gesture and verbal abuse to NASCAR officials.

Busch was angry after he was caught speeding down pit road during a caution period, trying to stay on the lead lap. After being told he must serve the one-lap speeding penalty, he returned the No. 18 Toyota to his pit box and held up his finger the entire time he sat in his car. After being issued the two-lap penalty, he suggested NASCAR was infringing on his right to free speech.

"I accept NASCAR's penalty and realize what I did during Sunday's race at Texas was inappropriate," Busch said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it's pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it's made me cross the line. Sunday at Texas was one of those days.

"I lost my cool, plain and simple," Busch said. "It's not acceptable, and I know that. I apologize to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a race car that's capable of winning races every week. All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check."

Team president J.D. Gibbs had said after the race he would "be surprised" if there were further penalties issued.

"I think overall it's just he did something there that got caught on TV, everyone saw it and I think it was their way of saying, hey, here's our game; if you want to play here's the rules you play by,'' Gibbs said Sunday.