Tony Stewart will miss the season-opening Daytona 500 and possibly other races as he recovers from a back injury suffered Sunday in an ATV accident near San Diego.
Stewart suffered a burst fracture of the L1 vertebra and was transported to a local hospital. He was awake and alert and able to move all of his extremities, according to a Stewart-Haas Racing spokesman.
Stewart flew to North Carolina on Tuesday evening and had surgery at a Charlotte-area hospital on Wednesday.
A timetable for Stewart's return has not be determined, but he is expected to make a full recovery and return this season, the team said in a news release Thursday.