NASCAR: Kurt Busch's last appeal rejected

Kurt Busch's second and final appeal of his indefinite suspension was rejected by NASCAR Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss on Saturday night. Moss is the former president of Gulfstream Aerospace.

Busch will not race in Daytona 500, where his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet will be driven by Regan Smith. The team had indicated it would start Smith in the car even if Busch had won his appeal.

NASCAR issued a statement following the second Saturday night, which read, in part:

"Upon hearing tonight's testimony, Bryan Moss, the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer, made the following decisions:

"The appellant violated the Rules set forth in the penalty notice and the decision of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel was correct;

"The penalty was within the scope of the guidelines;

"The National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer upholds the original penalty levied by NASCAR.

"The decision of the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer is final and binding on all parties.

"Kurt Busch now has exhausted his appeal options under the NASCAR Rulebook, and the indefinite suspension remains in effect. He will not be allowed to race nor participate in any NASCAR activities until further notice."

More on the Busch story:

• Kurt Busch suspension upheld

• Regan Smith to take over Busch's ride