Stewart suffers broken leg at Oskaloosa track

Iowa seems to have gotten the best of "Smoke."

Tony Stewart made an appearance at Oskaloosa's Southern Iowa Speedway, a half-mile dirt oval, Monday night, racing winged sprint cars. He left the track in an ambulance, suffering a broken fibula and tibia, according to an online NASCAR story. Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed that Stewart broke the tibia and fibula in his right leg and underwent surgery at an Iowa hospital immediately after the accident.

It's one of a few recent incicdents Stewart has experienced racing short tracks, outside of his NASCAR Sprint Cup responsibilities. Stewart was involved in an accident at a New York track that sent a teenage female driver to the hospital. He also flipped last week during a race in Canada.

The 42-year-old former Sprint Cup champion is 11th in points this season, and is leading the wildcard race to qualify for The Chase for the Cup. He will miss the Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International. It will be the first one he misses there in about 15 years.

Update:

According to Stewart-Haas Racing, the first procedure was to stabilize and clean the injury they are describing as a grade 2 ailment. A second surgery will be needed and Stewart remains hospitalized.

Max Papis was announced as Stewart's replacement at Watkins Glen.