Tony Stewart broke his right leg during a sprint car race in Iowa Monday night. It was the second crash for Smoke in as many Mondays.
But unlike last week’s accident, which the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver walked away from, he was not so lucky this time.
The three-time champion was leading the 30-lap feature in Oskaloosa when Josh Higday’s car spun on Turn 4, reports USA Today. Stewart had nowhere to go.
The wreck collected Stewart, Tasker Phillips, and Tony Shilling. Track officials assured in the after math that Tony Stewart was conscious and talking to first responders.
Once he was extracted from the wrecked sprint car, Stewart was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. Rumors ran rampant on Twitter about Stewart’s leg injury, with early reports suggesting he sustained a compound fracture.
Mike Arning, a spokesman for Stewart-Haas Racing , confirmed the rumors late Monday night. He explained that the 42-year-old owner/driver sustained a broken right tibia and fibula in the crash. Stewart underwent surgery on his leg and was expected to stay in the hospital for observation.
In light of the accident, Tony Stewart is expected to be out of the NASCAR Sprint Cup No. 14 for an unknown amount of time. Given his right leg was fractured, Sporting News notes that Smoke will definitely miss next weekend’s race at Watkins Glen.
The break is a disappointment for Stewart, along with all of his fans who were cheering him on to a spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase. Stewart is currently in 11th place, but that will likely change as he sits out at least one, if not more, races.
Along with its immediate implications, Tony Stewart’s broken leg will likely have an impact on what his NASCAR sponsors and team will allow him to do outside of the sport in the coming years. But knowing Tony, his sponsors and team likely can’t keep him out of the driver’s seat, no matter what car he’s racing.
More updates on Tony’s condition are expected on Tuesday afternoon.
Who do you think Tony Stewart’s replacement will be for next week’s race at Watkins Glen?
[Image via Doug James / Shutterstock.com ]
