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Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Kyle Busch: NASCAR’s penalty ‘fit the crime’

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. said NASCAR’s decision to park Kyle Busch for two races and fine him $50,000 for wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr. in a truck race ‘fit the crime.’

‘I like the mentality that they’ve had over the last year or two with letting us sort of settle things on the racetrack, but there’s a line you can’t cross,’ Earnhardt told reporters Tuesday in a conference call ahead of Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.

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Earnhardt was referring to NASCAR’s so-called ‘Boys, have at it’ policy of letting the drivers settle more of their disputes instead of the sanctioning body.

When asked where the line is that can’t be crossed, Earnhardt replied: ‘I don’t really care where the line is. I don’t need a firm understanding of what’s right, what’s wrong, where everything lies. I just want NASCAR to be a sanctioning body that’s fair.’

Busch was penalized after shoving Hornaday’s truck into the wall during a caution period Friday night as retaliation for their bumping earlier in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR then parked Busch for the Nationwide Series race Saturday and the Cup race Sunday in Texas. Busch also was fined the $50,000, put on probation and warned that if he committed another foul this season that NASCAR deemed too flagrant, he would be suspended indefinitely.

Busch, 26, issued a public apology to his fans, sponsors, Hornaday and his Joe Gibbs Racing team.

‘I know Kyle probably wishes to move past it,’ Earnhardt said. ‘I’m sure he’s going to learn a lesson from it one way or another. He’ll be a better driver and a better person for it in the end.’

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-- Jim Peltz

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