NASCAR suspends Busch amid violence allegations

NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch indefinitely on Friday after a judge said the former champion almost surely choked and beat an ex-girlfriend last fall and there was a “substantial likelihood” of more domestic violence from him in the future.

In a stunning move just two days before the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR said Busch would not be allowed to participate in any series activities until further notice given the “serious nature of the findings and conclusions” made by a Delaware judge involving the driver known as “The Outlaw.”

Busch becomes the first driver suspended by NASCAR for domestic violence. Chairman Brian France had maintained the series would let the process play out before ruling on Busch’s eligibility — and the series came down hard in finding he committed actions detrimen- tal to stock car racing and broke the series’ behavioral rules.

Earnhardt posts best time

A day after winning the first of two qualifying races for the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. topped the speed chart during practice Friday.

Earnhardt averaged 194.405 mph on one of his 24 laps during the second of two sessions.

He also posted the best 10-lap average, which is considered one of the better indicators of a driver’s true speed at superspeedways.

Reddick wins truck race

Tyler Reddick won the season-opening Truck Series race at Daytona International.

Reddick held the lead down the stretch in the 100-lap race, giving team owner Brad Keselowski a win. It nearly was a 1-2 finish for Brad Keselowski Racing.

Teammate Austin Theriault was tucked in behind Reddick on the final lap, but Erik Jones pulled to the outside and beat him to the finish line.

It was the first Truck Series win for Ford at Daytona since 2006, ending an eight-year winning streak for Toyota.

Kulwicki, Martin, among nominees for Hall of Fame

Former Cup champion Alan Kulwicki, driver Mark Martin and crew chief Ray Evernham are among the first-time nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Crew chief Harry Hyde and driver Herschel McGriff also were named among 20 nominees, as well as Richard Childress, Bobby Isaac and Terry Labonte.