NASCAR Cup Series

Busch's future to be topic of talk

Published Jun. 11, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Tuesday will be D-Day for NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kurt Busch.

That is “D” as in either determined or done.

For Busch, 2012 should have been the "Drive for Redemption" tour. We’ve seen flashes of what his former Roush Fenway Racing teammate Jeff Burton refers to as “Good Kurt” – the driver that supports his team and tackles the track with tremendous passion. Channeling his inner Ricky Bobby from the flick "Talladega Nights" at Talladega Superspeedway was a side of Busch that has endeared him to fans and crew alike.

But in the last 10 months, the former NASCAR champion’s emotional downward spiral has been painful to watch, particularly for those having witnessed “Good Kurt” at his best. On Tuesday, the day before Busch’s suspension is lifted, his current team owner James Finch will have a self-described “come to Jesus” discussion with his driver.

Finch, who has not spoken with Busch since he harangued a reporter at Dover and was subsequently suspended by NASCAR, will determine the driver’s immediate fate on the Sprint Cup side of the garage.

What happens at Michigan and beyond this weekend is completely up to Busch. Certainly, if "The Jerry Springer Show" sponsorship does not come to fruition – the show asked the team to submit a proposal for possible sponsorship prior to the race at Darlington and the team has delivered an image of the green and white car bearing Springer’s likeness and the show’s logo on the hood – a call to Dr. Phil might be in order.