NASCAR fined Kurt Busch $50,000 on Friday for his poor behavior during the Run Cup culmination last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. NFL scores

NASCAR cited both an outrageous gesture Busch made within his vehicle and him being verbally aggressive to a journalist in fining the 2004 Cup champ.

“Kurt Busch showed disregard toward a media member, an event that followed similar unseemly media confrontations earlier in the season,” NASCAR recounted in an announcement announcing the penalty. NFL odds

Busch had a transmission problem early in Sunday’s race that sent his Penske Racing Dodge to the garage. His in-car camera caught him making an obscene gesture during that time.

While his team made repairs, Busch waited to be interviewed by an ESPN newshound, and a fan videotaped Busch being verbally aggressive while waiting to go live.

That video was posted on YouTube, and both Penske officers and Busch have says sorry in separate statements for his behavior.

“Unfortunately, our result in the season-ending race at Homestead on Sunday was not what we had been hoping for as a team,” he claimed. “In my frustration with the loss of my transmission early in the race, I let my emotions get the best of me. I regret having done this and say sorry to the sponsors of Penske Racing, to NASCAR, its fans, to the media and in particular, Dr. Jerry Punch.”

Penske officials claimed earlier on that Busch’s “inappropriate actions” were being reviewed internally.

“These actions don’t represent Penske Racing and are inconsistent with the firm’s standards for behavior, respect for others and professionalism,” the team recounted in a statement.

The penalty comes just days after Busch crew chief Steve Addington quit the team, and three weeks to the day that Busch’s younger bro, Kyle, purposely wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. Under caution in a Truck Series race.

NASCAR postponed Kyle Busch for what’s left of the weekend at Texas — he was entered in both the national and Cup events — and fined him $50,000 for the Hornaday wreck. He then spent the following week battling to keep his seat with Joe Gibbs Racing because sponsor MM’s was embarrassed by his actions.

He lost all composure during a race at Richmond in May, when he berated his team and Penske management over his in-car radio.

Busch’s sponsor Shell / Pennzoil said in a press release it was unsatisfied with the driver.

“Shell and Pennzoil are disappointed with contemporary actions by driver, Kurt Busch, at the final race of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race season,” the company said in a press release. “His actions are in no way consistent with the way that we need our brands represented and we have voiced our dissatisfaction and concerns right to Penske Racing.”

At the same track in September, he had an irritated post-race showdown on pit road with another correspondent, then continued the debate before his formal meeting. He also ripped apart another reporter’s papers the same evening.

Busch was a two-time winner this season and opened the Chase for the Run Cup championship confident he might be the one to dethrone five-time protecting series champ Jimmie Johnson — his opponent. Though he beat Johnson at Dover in the 3rd Chase race, he faded as rumors spread Addington was bolting.

Busch wrecked at Talladega, ran out of gas while leading at Phoenix and had the transmission problem at Homestead. He finished the season 11th in the final standings. Kyle Busch, who opened the Chase tied for the top seed, finished 12 th. Neither Busch brother will be a part of the formal ceremony at next week’s banquet in Vegas — their hometown.

It isn’t clear what action, if any, team owner Roger Penske will take against Kurt Busch. He is stayed principally silent when Busch has acted out during the past, but the emergence of colleague Brad Keselowski has given Penske reason not to tolerate Busch’s behaviour any longer.

Keselowski, in his second Cup season, won 3 races this season and came fifth in the final standings. He’s also become a fan favorite for his outspokenness — fairness that proved last week can get him in trouble : Keselowski was fined $25,000 by NASCAR for comments critical about electronic fuel injection.