Kyle Busch was going 128 mph in 45 zone, deputies say | Sports & Recreation

STATESVILLE, NC (WBTV) - NASCAR driver Kyle Busch was stopped by deputies after he was caught speeding nearly three times over the posted limit of 45 miles per hour, authorities said.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon with the 26-year-old clocked on radar going 128 mph in a 45 mph zone on Perth Church Road near Judas Road close to where he lives.

Web Poll: What do you think would happen if YOU were clocked at 128 mph in a 45 zone?

According to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, Busch was driving his new 2012 yellow Lexus LFA supercar, the Japanese automaker's first high-performance sports car, valued at more than $200,000, sources say.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view a photo gallery of Kyle Busch's life

Busch was driving with a female passenger, investigators said, and pulled over into a church parking lot after deputies flashed him with the blue lights.

Today, I received a traffic citation in Iredell County. I was test driving a new sports car and I got carried away," Kyle Busch said in a statement issued to WBTV by Kyle Busch Motorsports. "I went beyond the speed I should have been going on a public road. I apologize to the public, my fans, sponsors, and race teams for my lack of judgment."

"I take responsibility for my actions and I can assure you that something like this will never happen again," Busch's statement continued. "I thank the Iredell County Sheriff’s Department and all law enforcement for the hard work they do every day to protect the public and to enforce the laws in a fair and equitable manner.”

On Tuesday, Busch was charged with careless and reckless driving and speeding, deputies told WBTV. The punishment for speeding could result in the loss of his driver's license.

The fact that Busch was issued a citation, and not arrested, has caused a lot of discussion on social media sites - but what does the North Carolina law state?

Related article: Did Kyle Busch get special treatment?

According to the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicle website: A driving privilege will be revoked for at least 30 days if the driver is convicted of driving any vehicle more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, if at a speed higher than 55 mph. It will be taken for 60 days if the driver is convicted of speeding plus reckless driving on the same occasion. The DMV can also suspend a license for a conviction for speeding over 75 mph.

However, Busch wouldn't need to worry about his driver's license to continuing racing in NASCAR.

According to Kerry Tharp, NASCAR’s senior director for communications and competition, all racers need to compete is a NASCAR license, not a state-issued driver's license.

"This is a matter that Kyle will have to handle with the authorities in Iredell County," Tharp told WBTV in a statement on Tuesday. "Based on what we know right now, this would not impact his status as a NASCAR driver. We’ll have no further comment at this time."

More News (story continues below):

• Sheriff: Children walked a mile for toilet paper while mom slept
• Two people killed in deadly train wreck, fire; evacuation prompted
• Woman steals $94, sentenced to 18 years in prison
• Cops: Teen tasered after threatening to run over neighbor's kids
• Woman videotapes apparent ghost at old gold mine in NC
• Man pleasures himself inside Salvation Army, police say

Just three weeks ago, Busch won at Richmond International Raceway, capturing his second win in the 2011 season, but that enjoyment was short-lived, according to Wikipedia.

He got in trouble after an pit-road incident with Kevin Harvick during and after the Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway. Busch was fined $25,000 and placed on probation for four races (plus the All-Star Race), according to Wikipedia.

Web Poll: What do you think would happen if YOU were clocked at 128 mph in a 45 zone?

When the race was over, Busch slowly followed Harvick into the pit area. Harvick eventually jumped out of his car and attempted to punch or grab his rival through his window.

Busch then slammed into Harvick's driverless car to clear space and drive off. Harvick's car ended up in the wall and was damaged. They were both fined and placed on probation for their pit-road actions at Darlington. The probation runs through June 15 and covers all NASCAR-sanctioned activity, including the $1 million All Star Race.