It's official: Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will begin his final season as a driver on the sidelines following an accident with a sand rail on the West Coast last Sunday, Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Thursday.
That means Stewart will not compete in what was scheduled to be his final Daytona 500, and will miss additional early races.
SHR issued the following statement on Stewart's condition Thursday afternoon.
Stewart suffered the backinjury when the sand rail he was driving landed wrong, compressing its shock absorbers. He was wearing a six-point harness and a helmet at the time of the accident, according to multiple sources, who added that Stewart's vehicle did not roll over.
A number of drivers were at the dunes after attending the Barrett-Jackson Collector-Car Auction inScottsdale, Arizona on Saturday. They were guests of noted car-collector Ron Pratte at an area known as Glamis Dunes near the California-Arizona border.
The setback is the latest in a string of unfortunate events for Stewart.
In August 2013, Stewart suffered a double compound fracture of the right leg in a horrifying sprint-car crash in Iowa. As a result, Stewart missed the rest of the Sprint Cup season and has not won a Cup race since.
The following August, he was involved in a fatal sprint-car crash in Upstate New York, when his car struck Kevin Ward Jr., who had gotten out of his crashed racer and ran toward Stewart. A grand jury concluded that the filing of criminal charges against Stewart was not warranted, but Ward's family subsequently filed a wrongful death suit, which is still pending.
Stewart, who will turn 45 this year, has 48 career Sprint Cup race victories and three championships. He also won the Indy Racing League championship and the USAC Triple Crown.
Well what do you think,will he recover enough to finish the season finals ???
Info from Fox Sports
updated by @johnny-mallonee: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM