Stewart-Haas Racing has confirmed that driver and team co-owner Tony Stewart has been ruled out of competition for the foreseeable future and will not take part in the first race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Daytona 500 on February 21.
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Tony Stewart will miss the Daytona 500 because of injuries he sustained over the weekend in an ATV accident, his team said Thursday.
The statement added that Stewart had been transported to a local hospital following the non-racing accident and promptly evaluated. It was his understanding that Stewart was able to walk but in a lot of pain.
Stewart-Haas Racing said Tuesday the driver/owner was hospitalized with an injury following an off-road vehicle incident. He underwent surgery on Wednesday.
Stewart is expected back behind the wheel after a full recovery, but there is no timetable for his return. Plans for an interim driver for Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet have not been determined.
Stewart failed to make the 16-driver Chase field this past season and finished 28th in the series standings – the lowest of his career for any season in which he competed in all the races.
In 2013, Stewart was forced out of the final 15 races after breaking his leg in a sprint auto crash in Iowa. Stewart was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, but faces a civil suit from the family of Kevin Ward Jr.
The 44-year-old Stewart announced earlier that he will retire from Sprint Cup racing after the 2016 season. “Things can happen. I don’t know exactly what happened [to Stewart], but it can be done”.
Almost one year to the day of the accident, Ward’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Stewart.
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“I do know the people that helped him…” If Stewart receives an exemption, he would need to win one regular season race and rank 30th or better in points.
