NASCAR Cup Series

'Springer' to team with Kurt Busch?

Published Jun. 9, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

OK, it’s only in the proposal stages, but a NASCAR team might soon sport a car bearing a likeness of salacious TV talk-show host Jerry Springer.

And fittingly, given recent events, the team involved is Phoenix Racing’s No. 51, which typically is driven by NASCAR bad boy Kurt Busch.

Phoenix Racing general manager Steve Barkdoll on Saturday showed FOXSports.com mock-ups of the No. 51 Chevrolet sponsored by “The Jerry Springer Show.”

Before Darlington Raceway weekend, Springer representatives asked Phoenix Racing to submit a proposal for a possible sponsorship, and the team delivered an image of the green and white car bearing Springer’s likeness and the show’s logo on the hood.

The Springer request came after Busch drove the No. 51 with a “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” paint scheme the previous week in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Springer's show and Phoenix Racing seem like a perfect match considering some of Busch’s recent antics.

Springer’s request for a proposal came on the heels of an incident involving Busch at Darlington last month. Busch, in his first season with Phoenix Racing, was fined $50,000 and placed on probation through July 25 (since extended through the end of the season) for what NASCAR deemed as reckless driving on pit road followed by an altercation after the race with crew members from Ryan Newman’s team

Then, last Monday, Busch was suspended for one week by NASCAR for verbally abusing a media member, a violation of his probation. David Reutimann has been tabbed to replace Busch while he’s out.

Depending on how Busch’s post-suspension meeting goes with team owner James Finch on Tuesday, chants of Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!, could be followed by either Kurt! Kurt! Kurt! Or Reutimann! Reutimann! Reutimann!