DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch indefinitely Friday after a judge said the former champion almost surely choked and beat a former girlfriend last fall and there was a “substantial likelihood” of more domestic violence in the future.

In a stunning move two days before the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR said Busch would not be allowed to participate in any series activities until further notice given the “serious nature of the findings and conclusions” made by a Delaware judge.

“Kurt Busch and his Stewart-Haas Racing team are fully aware of our position and why this decision was made,” NASCAR said in a statement.