Kurt Busch welcomed back by his race team

Associated Press

AVONDALE, Ariz.

Kurt Busch, buoyed by a warm reception from his race team, was finally back in a car Friday preparing for his first race of the season.

Busch was suspended the first three races of the season for an alleged domestic assault of a former girlfriend. NASCAR reinstated him this week, and Stewart-Haas Racing promptly put him back in the No. 41 Chevrolet for Sunday’s race at Phoenix International Raceway.

He seemed to genuinely appreciate being back in a car and among his peers.

“The seat, the belts and just the love from the crew guys, it’s been pretty cool the way the garage feels like a fraternity,” he said after his first practice session. “It’s nice to see good friends.”

Busch was suspended two days before the season-opening Daytona 500 after a Delaware judge ruled he likely assaulted Patricia Driscoll in his motorhome in September at Dover International Speedway. He lost two rounds of appeals on the eve of the season-opening Daytona 500, then missed NASCAR’s biggest race of the year.

He also was suspended for races at Atlanta, one of his favorite tracks, and Las Vegas, his hometown.

The 2004 champion said it was “torture” not being able to race.

It was the third suspension of his career, and led NASCAR to insist that Busch participate in a road to reinstatement program.

His path to reinstatement accelerated last week when the Delaware attorney general declined to charge Busch, and health care expert recommended to NASCAR Busch’s immediate reinstatement.

Busch, who remains on indefinite probation, has denied Driscoll’s allegations.

His focus, he insisted Friday, is just getting back to racing and a regular routine.

“It was good just to get back in the seat and shake hands with all the guys,” Busch said.

Harvick on the pole at Phoenix

Kevin Harvick once again showed how dominant he is at Phoenix International Raceway with a pole-winning run Friday at the track he has mastered.

Harvick has won four of the last five NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix, and a record six for his career. He’ll start first Sunday after earning his first pole at Phoenix in his career.

Harvick, winner last week at Las Vegas, turned a lap of 140.751 mph in his Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet to win the pole.

Joey Logano qualified second in his Team Penske Ford with a lap at 140.543. He was followed by Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.