NASCAR attempted to quell the long-percolating animosity between Jimmy Spencer and Kurt Busch on Monday by suspending Spencer from driving in any NASCAR event until Aug. 26.
Spencer, 46, punched Busch twice in the mouth - chipping his tooth - as Busch sat in his car in the garage area on Sunday after the GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Spencer had rammed Busch when his car ran out of gas near Spencer's hauler.
Spencer also was fined $25,000. Both he and Busch, 25, were put on probation for the rest of the year.
NASCAR's ruling is one phase. How the feud will play out in the judicial system is another. The incident is being investigated by Lenawee County (Mich.) police, who will turn their findings over to prosecutors this week, according to the Associated Press.
The altercation Sunday, following two bumping incidents during the race, was a further escalation of a dispute that began in March 2002 at Bristol, Tenn., when Busch tapped Spencer out of the way and went on to his first Winston Cup win. Spencer wrecked Busch that July in the Brickyard 400 and Busch lingered on the track to make lewd gestures at Spencer as he lapped Busch's demolished car.
Spencer, through his media representative, said Monday he would appeal the penalty.
Busch is ninth in the Winston Cup standings, 622 points behind leader Matt Kenseth. He has seven Winston Cup victories, three this year. Spencer is 28th, 1,300 behind Kenseth and has two Winston Cup victories, both in 1994.
PARTING WAYS: Sam Hornish Jr., a two-time Indy Racing League champion and its record-holder with nine wins, announced on Monday that he will leave Panther Racing after this season.
Team officials said Hornish will announce his future plans at the end of August. It has been widely speculated the 24-year-old will jump to Winston Cup, possibly with Dale Earnhardt Inc., or Hendrick Motorsports. Pennzoil, a primary Hornish sponsor with Panther, announced last month it would leave a similar role with DEI's No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Jeff Green.
IRL: Although CART's future remains cloudy with the announcement Monday that a group called Open Wheel Racing Series has made an offer to buy out the struggling circuit, IRL released a 2004 schedule that features a full 16-race schedule with every event televised.
While CART had to buy its own television time this year, IRL will have every race televised on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 next season.
IRL officials have expressed an interest in racing some road courses in 2005 - to this point CART's domain - but will contest only ovals next season. The 88th Indianapolis 500 will be run on May 30 and the season opener will be held for the third consecutive year at Miami-Homestead Speedway on Feb. 29. The newly created event at the Milwaukee Mile will be held on July 25. It replaces an event at Gateway International Speedway near St. Louis.
The Pikes Peak event has been moved from June to Aug. 22 and the series' only event outside the United States - the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi - has not been assigned a date.
The season concludes with the Chevy 500 on Oct. 17 at Texas Motor Speedway.
GOODBYE: Tommi Makinen, one of two drivers to win four world rally titles, will retire in November after competing in the five rally events remaining this season.
SPRINT CARS: Defending NASCAR Winston Cup points champion Tony Stewart was in attendance on Saturday to watch Danny Lasoski win the World of Outlaws Knoxville (Iowa) Nationals in the No. 20 car Stewart owns.
Lasoski overcame a broken shock to outduel Donny Schatz and win his third Knoxville Nationals, and second with Stewart.
