On October 2, Busch won on two late restarts beating
Jimmie Johnson in turn 1 leading the final 43 laps to grab his first ever victory at the Monster Mile at Dover. After a frustrating final five races, things came to a head when Busch launched a verbal tirade against an
ESPN cameraman, and giving an obscene gesture to workers when a car blocked his path towards his pit garage following a transmission failure at the same race.[SUP]
[21][/SUP] Crew chief Steve Addington moved to
Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2011 season. Busch's employment with Penske Racing terminated on December 5, 2011. Although most observers of the sport believe he was fired,[SUP]
[22][/SUP] Busch claimed in a public statement that the parting was "mutual": "I am grateful to Penske Racing for six very productive years. Together we won a lot of races ? 16 in all. ... Coming to a mutual agreement to go our separate ways is a positive step for me."[SUP]
[23][/SUP] In contrast, the Charlotte Observer reported several sources confirming team owner Roger Penske decided that Busch's altercation at Homestead-Miami Speedway was the last straw in his stormy tenure with the team but chose to defer the announcement until after Champion's Week.[SUP]
[24][/SUP] He was replaced in the No.22 by
A. J. Allmendinger.