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[bobmcswain]

Following Kurt Busch's wreck In the Busch race on Saturday night, ESPN sent a pit reporter to get some comments about his wreck and his night.

From the TIVO it appears that Busch had problems hearing the female reporter and said something like "I can never understand you." She restated her questions and he supposedly said the same thing.

What happened next is what I will follow up on tomorrow. According to one reporter it got ugly. I'll try to confirm and report what happened.

Bob
Prodigy Member since 1985 - @Speed reporter beginning 1997

[bobmcswain]

To set the stage: In Saturday's Busch 300, Kurt Busch wrecked his car on lap 148 of 200 laps. I don't remember the exact details, but there was something unique about what he did in the wreck.

ESPN sent their pit reporter, Shannon Spake, to Busch's hauler to get his comments. The Busch race was under green conditions (i.e. it was noisy in the garage area.)

Spake asked him a question. Busch looked at her and said something like "I can't hear you."

She asked it again and this time Busch made a pointed, sarcastic remark about never being able to hear her and walked away.

The TV cut away.

According to a reporter that saw the event Busch turned and grabbed her. As he held her he said something like "You made me look bad."

A PRN (radio) reporter said "Kurt! The camera's still on." It wasn't or ESPN was not broadcasting the scene , but the PRN reporter hoped that it would snap Busch out of whatever he was doing.

That's all that was reported in the media center by the reporter. There was no collaboration of his story.

I called home to ask Paula to review it on the Tivo. She verified what happened up to the point that the TV cut away.

I then went up to the reporter that told us about it. I reverified what I had heard and told him what Paula had done and seen.



On Sunday night during the 600 I was joined at my desk by the ESPN crew (on-air, produers, writers, etc.).

As Dick Bergern interviewed Kurt Busch I leaned over to a producer and asked about the incident between Busch and their pit reporter, Shannon Spake.

P@S: "There were reports last night in the media center that Busch 'roughed up' Spake. Were they true?"

"Yes. Our camerman had to intervene."

P@S: "Is ESPN planning to do anything or complain to NASCAR?"

"I don't know."

P@S: "About 4 years ago at Rockingham in the media center, my wife asked him a question and he basically blew her off. I'm wondering if he has a problem with women? I'll bet he wouldn't do any of this to Dick Berggern."

"I don't think so."

If anything happens I'll report it here.