Kurt Busch ordered to stay away from ex-girlfriend, but can still race

By Glenn Yoder February 16 at 10:12 PM

Kurt Busch, left, with new girlfriend Ashley Van Metre during qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Sunday. (John Raoux/Associated Press)

In November, reports surfaced that NASCAR driver Kurt Busch was being investigated in connection with domestic assault accusations. Monday, a family court judge granted a protective order for the woman who brought those claims, Busch’s ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll.

The order says Busch must keep 100 yards away from her, except at the racetrack, where Driscoll leads the Armed Forces Federation in events with veterans. There, Busch must stay a “practicable” distance away, according to Jones’s ruling. Busch must also be evaluated for mental health and anger management issues.

While Busch’s lawyer is planning to appeal, Driscoll’s attorney, Carolyn McNeice, praised the decision in an e-mail to USA Today.

“We are pleased that the court ruled in our favor. Ms. Driscoll can now know that she will not receive any unwanted communications from Mr. Busch and feel that she is safe after nearly 5 months,” she wrote.

Busch is still awaiting word from the Delaware district attorney’s office if he will be charged with domestic assault. In the meantime, NASCAR said it will not punish Busch based on the protective order and has allowed him to continue competing, though later actions could be taken, according to the New York Times.

While his name swirls in the news, Busch has recently been seen with a new girlfriend, which has attracted attention. Sunday, he posted a photo with Ashley Van Metre at Daytona International Speedway.

According to USA Today, Driscoll has also been active on social media, posting a tweet Monday afternoon that would later be deleted: “From my lawyer: GOT IT!!! Order for finding of Abuse entered today Opinion with supplemental findings to be available on Friday #ThankYouGod”

Glenn Yoder is an editor in Sports. He joined the Post in 2014 from Boston.com, where he served as Sports editor. He was previously editor-in-chief of BDCwire and a writer for the Boston Globe. He is a graduate of Northeastern University.