Court Orders NASCAR Driver Kurt Busch to Stay Away from Ex-Girlfriend

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has been ordered by a judge to stay away from ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll.

In a Delaware family court on Monday, a judge ordered that Busch, a driver known as “The Outlaw,” must stay 100 yards from Driscoll. The order, obtained by ABC News, also states that Busch “shall be evaluated for mental health problems related to anger control and impulse control.”

The judge’s order is the latest development in a contentious breakup between Busch and Driscoll. In court last month, Driscoll claimed that Busch grabbed her throat and slammed her head into a wall. Busch, 36, denied assaulting Driscoll – and countered that she was a hired assassin in Central and South America. During his especially descriptive testimony, Busch claimed that Driscoll had once come home wearing a trench coat over an evening gown covered in blood.

Driscoll, 37, fired back at the claim. “Mr. Busch’s statements in court serve to confirm my belief that he needs professional counseling to deal with his alcoholism and issues of depression,” she said in a statement. “He clearly believes fiction is reality and that’s all the more reason he needs help.”

The judge seemed to side with Driscoll, ruling that Busch cannot buy or possess firearms.

After the decision, Busch’s attorney released a statement claiming that they will appeal the ruling. “Ms. Driscoll’s total lack of believability was overwhelming,” attorney Rusty Hardin said in the statement. “We know that Kurt never committed an act of family violence. Ms. Driscoll clearly committed perjury during her testimony before the commissioner and we deeply regret that Ms. Driscoll has been allowed to abuse the justice system in such a flagrant way.”

Driscoll’s attorney, Carolyn McNeice, applauded the decision. “We are pleased that the court ruled in our favor,” she told USA Today in an email. “Ms. Driscoll can now know that she will not receive any unwanted communications from Mr. Busch and feel that she is safe after nearly five months.”

Busch, who plans to appeal the decision, remains eligible to race in the Daytona 500 on Sunday – as long as NASCAR allows him to compete. In a statement, NASCAR said it is awaiting more information from the court before making any decisions. “NASCAR fully recognizes the serious nature of this specific situation and the broader issue of domestic violence,” the NASCAR statement said. “We will continue to gather information and monitor this situation very closely, and we expect our members to conduct themselves properly.”