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Kurt Busch rolls while ex-girlfriend reels in controversy

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One of NASCAR’s most twisted soap operas got a little stranger this past week.

Great news for Kurt Busch. Not so much for his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll.

Busch won the rain-shortened race at Michigan on Sunday, but that may not be nearly as satisfying for Busch as the problems that Driscoll is having on the legal front.

Driscoll — whose combative and contentious relationship with Busch has been well-documented — is reportedly under investigation from both FBI and IRS officials. The issue is that she allegedly mishandled money as executive director of the multimillion-dollar Armed Forces Foundation, according to three sources involved in a report aired on “Outside the Lines” on ESPN.

Driscoll is also under fire on another front — facing a federal whistleblower complaint filed by a former foundation employee.

The relationship between Busch and Driscoll includes charges of domestic violence and claims from Busch that Driscoll told him she was a trained assassin.

While it’s difficult to sort out fact from fiction, this much is true:

Karma certainly seems to be smiling down on Busch these days. Busch now has two victories this season, stands 11th in points, and is locked in for the postseason Chase.

Nice comeback for a guy who began the season under suspension over those domestic-violence issues. He missed the first three races of the season but was reinstated by NASCAR after the Delaware state attorney’s office decided not to file criminal charges, citing there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges.

“Any time you win, it comes with a basket full of goodies and the way more of what is the unknown is what comes from this, and that is the pep in the step of the crew members, the genuine chemistry and the feel on the shop floor,” Busch said. “There’s so many tangibles that come up from a win, and bonus points for the Chase, we’re not really thinking of that. But any time you win a second race, it really gives you that stamp you’re in the Chase. Now let’s work through these summer months to continue to make the team better.”

Busch also stacked up his first multi-win season since 2011 on the Cup circuit. He will also get to enjoy it for a while because NASCAR’s Cup schedule includes an off week this coming weekend.

“The best part about winning: there’s an off week next week, so everybody will take this win and enjoy it for an extra week, recharge, and that will give us the gas we’re going to need because we’re going to try to go all the way to Homestead,” Busch said.

Driscoll has no such momentum. But, if anything, she remains combative.

She has issued a statement describing Outside the Lines’ investigative piece as “shameful.” Her attorney, L. Lin Wood, called the allegations “baseless” while adding, “Neither AFF nor Ms. Driscoll is aware of any current federal investigations being conducted into the operation of AFF.”

Stayed tuned. This is, as we like to say in the business, a developing situation.

gdiaz@tribune.com Read George Diaz’s blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/enfuego

Logano tries to double up

Joey Logano will be going for the famed double victory at Daytona in a little more than two weeks. He will try to become the sixth driver in NASCAR history to win the Daytona 500 and the summer race in July. The last guy to do it? Jimmie Johnson in 2013.

The short list also includes Bobby Allison (1982), Fireball Roberts (1962), Cale Yarborough (1968) and LeeRoy Yarbrough (1969).

Logano is also playing with house money because he qualified for the Chase by winning the first race out of the gate. And he’s looking good for the summer run, with top-five finishes in the July race in 2011 and 2012.

“It changes our approach a little bit because this win here at Daytona puts us in the Chase,” Logano said last week during a promotional pit stop in Daytona. “We can race very aggressively now whether it’s our strategy, whether it’s the way I drive the car or the way we build our cars. We are very aggressive with things right now trying to win races. That’s the advantage you get from winning early in the season.”

Logano helped honor longtime Daytona International Speedway ticket holders and military members as part of a special ceremony. The honorees received complimentary tickets to the upcoming Coke Zero 400 race.

“We’ve done some things with the military before but today was a very special one being able to give them some of the historic seats from Daytona along with some tickets for the Coke Zero 400,” Logano said. “Getting to meet them and talk to them for a short time was special for me.

“Anytime that I can shake their hand and thank them for what they do, obviously if they weren’t doing what they do we wouldn’t be here today talking about Daytona. [The military] are very special to us and our whole sport does a great job honoring them.”

Truex joins The King

A tip of the cap to Martin Truex Jr., who became the first driver to score 14 top-10 finishes in a season’s first 15 races since Richard Petty in 1969. Truex Jr. finished third in Sunday’s rain-shortened Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

“Really proud to have my name mentioned next to Richard Petty,” Truex said. “The King is pretty special and I am so thankful for my team and what they’ve done this year. Hopefully we’ll keep this thing rolling.”

Daytona 500 update

Daytona International Speedway will begin selling tickets for the 2016 Daytona 500 on June 22 at 9 a.m. Normally, there wouldn’t be much of a rush. But then again, consider this:

There will be only 101,500 tickets available, about 45,000 less than the previous year with the absence of the backstretch in conjunction with the Daytona Rising project.

The improvements will include premium club seats, 40 escalators and 17 elevators, 60 luxury suites, social “neighborhoods” and three concourse levels that will span the nearly mile-long frontstretch.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or visiting http://www.DAYTONA500.com