"This decision today is allowing me to take a deep breath and to work on things to make me a better driver and a better person," Busch told USA TODAY in a telephone interview Monday morning a few minutes after Penske Racing announced the team and driver mutually agreed to end their contract. "I want to put the fun back into racing.  "I didn't enjoy the formality of the processes of the Penske Racing team in general, but I'm very grateful for what (team owner) Roger Penske has given me (and) the successes we've had together. I think he'll echo that we were committed to each other, and we're still going to have a long-term friendship after this. But I'm a regular guy, and common knowledge in the garage area is how the Penske culture is built with a formal process. As I reflect back, I'm just not sure I was the best fit. At times, I feel my frankness and my intensity didn't play well there as I intended. Wearing your heart on your sleeve, that's me."  Busch's Penske tenure ended after a vulgarity-laced tirade at ESPN reporter Jerry Punch during the Nov. 20 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Penske and Shell, the sponsor of his No. 22 Dodge, condemned the driver's actions, which were captured in a video that went viral with more than 638,000 views on YouTube.  Penske Corp. senior vice president Bud Denker said the Homestead incident led to the team assessing its future with the driver.  "Kurt had some concerns and of course, so did we, which led us to the decision to mutually separate and end our driver-race team relationship," Denker said in an email to USA TODAY. "We will begin to evaluate possible candidates for the No. 22 car."  Busch said "there was no single incident that got us to this point" and stressed it was "a mutual separation. That's how I want it to be expressed to everybody. Everybody's going to run with it and write 'out' or 'fired' or whatever it may be. Most importantly, this was a mutual agreement."  The Las Vegas native intimated he had been mulling a departure from the team prior to Homestead. It was a turbulent season for Busch, who revealed a separation from his wife in June and clashed with two reporters in the regular-season finale Sept. 11 at Richmond International Raceway.  Though he won twice (bringing his career victory total to 24, including 16 wins at Penske) and made the Chase for the Sprint Cup for the third consecutive season, the No. 22 radio transmissions revealed an unhappy driver. With a stream of colorful and memorable invective, Busch regularly castigated his crew about the handling of his Charger — even during an Oct. 2 victory at Dover International Speedway.  The most publicized outburst came during a 22nd in the April 30 race at Richmond, where Busch specifically criticized Penske technical director Tom German. A few weeks later, the team made personnel changes that included the removal of German, and the performance of Busch and teammate Brad Keselowski subsequently improved dramatically with both drivers making the Chase.  "I don't think that any of the incidents that happened this year were proper," Busch said. "For some reason, something was chewing on me internally. Whether it was the radio issue at Richmond in the spring, but that did turn our program around. It was really 'How can I channel my thoughts and my direction into a positive form for everybody?'  "Right now I'm just looking at just putting the fun back into my racing. Maybe that's why I was out running drag racing, or Frank Kimmel's street stock racing. I was looking to find opportunities to put a smile on my face."  The opportunities for Busch to remain in a competitive ride in Sprint Cup might be limited. There is no room at powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. Roush Fenway Racing isn't interested after firing Busch for a reckless driving citation with two races remaining in 2005 (Busch already had signed with Penske at that point). There are several winning teams that have room to another car, but it would require sponsorship, and teams such as Roush and Richard Childress Racing already have contracted for next year because corporate funding still remains difficult to find in NASCAR.  After qualifying for an NHRA Pro Stock event in March, moving into drag racing also might be a possibility for Busch. When pressed on whether he would stay in NASCAR if only offered a winning-caliber car, Busch said multiple times that he would consider all options.  "This is a fresh start," he said. "I'm evaluating all options. To me, racing has never been about the money. It's always been about winning and having fun. Today's news is a positive step for me. I just want to put the fun back into my racing and hopefully continue to compete for championships. I just want to get back to having fun in the race car."  After telling reporters during NASCAR's Champions Week in Las Vegas last week that he had work to do personally, Busch said he plans to continue seeing a sports psychologist.  "There was no excuse for treating people unprofessionally," he said. "I've talked to Dr. Punch. We have a personal relationship that I think is one that we're almost smiling about, because he's been in thicker stuff with Dale (Earnhardt) Sr. and Darrell Waltrip in the past. He knows what was going on down in Homestead. Things took the turn that it did.  "It was my idea to work with a sports psychologist a few months back, so I recognized I need help. I'm taking the right steps. None of that has changed. It's all a work in progress. There's been quite a few things weighing on me. Today is a day where I feel a lot lighter. I can smile honestly and go, 'This is refreshing, and this is a good start.' At end of day, I want to be remembered as a champion driver and someone who represented the sport well."  Denker said Penske was evaluating a replacement for Busch. The dearth of sponsorship has resulted in several winning drivers looking for a ride this offseason, including David Ragan, Brian Vickers and David Reutimann. The team also has three-time IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr., who ran Cup full time from 2008-10 and won his first Nationwide race last month, in the fold.  "I appreciate the victories that Kurt has brought Penske Racing and our sponsors over the past six years," team owner Roger Penske said in a statement. "While I am disappointed that Kurt will not be racing for our team in the future, both Kurt and I felt that separating at this time was best for all parties, including our team and sponsors. I wish Kurt the best in his future racing endeavors."  The next No. 22 driver  Penske Racing's short list to replace Kurt Busch likely includes these candidates:  David Ragan: Scored first victory at Daytona in July; 30 top 10s in five seasons at Roush Fenway Racing.  David Reutimann: Captured Michael Waltrip Racing's only two Sprint Cup wins during five seasons with the team.  Brian Vickers: Two-time winner qualified Red Bull Racing for its first Chase for the Sprint Cup berth in 2009.
Kurt Busch and Penske Racing have parted ways; NASCAR driver says he's not sure team was right fit and wants to put fun back in racing