NASCAR's Kurt Busch claims ex-girlfriend is a trained assassin

(TNS) - For a guy who goes by the nickname "The Outlaw," NASCAR driver Kurt Busch appeared a little uneasy when testifying about his ex-girlfriend at a no-contact order hearing his week.

That's because Busch claims Patricia Driscoll is a trained assassin who has worked on overseas missions for a defense contractor.

"Everybody on the outside can tell me I'm crazy, but I lived on the inside and saw it firsthand," Busch said when asked by his lawyer this week if he believed Driscoll was still a hired killer.

Driscoll claims Busch physically assaulted her during a NASCAR race weekend at Dover International Speedway in September and is seeking a no-contact order against the 2004 Cup champion. Busch's testimony was part of an effort to undermine Driscoll's claim that he is a threat to her safety.

Driscoll described Busch's allegations as "ludicrous" in a phone interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday, saying his claims originated from a fictional movie script she had been working on and that he had proofread.

During Tuesday's hearing, Busch said Driscoll once told him she was a mercenary who killed people for a living. He also said she showed him photos of bodies covered in blood. Busch recounted a instance in El Paso, Texas, where Driscoll met him wearing a trench coat over an evening gown covered in blood.

Michael Doncheff, who worked as an assistant for Busch and Driscoll, testified earlier in the hearing that Driscoll said she was a trained assassin and worked for the U.S. government. Doncheff said she once told him, "I take down foreign governments. I own Washington."

Driscoll and her attorney never refuted the testimony over the four days of the hearing, but she later said it was false.

"These statements made about being a trained assassin, hired killer, are ludicrous and without basis and are an attempt to destroy my credibility," Driscoll told AP.

Busch said Monday that he decided to break up with Driscoll last fall because he wanted to stay focused on his racing career. He claimed that she showed up unannounced at his motorhome at Dover International Speedway and that he told her multiple times to leave.

Driscoll alleges Busch assaulted her at the motorhome, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her head into a wall three times.

Richard Andrew Sniffen, who works as a Christian music minister at NASCAR events, testified Driscoll told him on the night of the assault that Busch had pushed her and that she hit her head. He said Driscoll became angry toward the end of their conversation saying, "I will destroy him."

Police in Delaware have concluded their investigation of the alleged assault and have forwarded their findings to state prosecutors, who will determine whether charges will be filed against Busch.

A ruling on Driscoll's request for a no-contact order could be decided by the end of the month.