Tony Stewart cleared for rehab following back fracture
Tony Stewart was cleared to start a rehabilitation plan after a Wednesday evaluation by doctors in North Carolina.
Stewart has missed the start of the 2016 Sprint Cup Series season after he sustained a burst fracture in his L1 vertebra in a sand buggy accident in Arizona at the end of January. He’s been replaced in the No. 14 car by Ty Dillon and Brian Vickers so far.
“Satisfied with the amount of healing that has taken place, doctors implemented a rehabilitation regimen that will hasten Stewart’s recovery,” a statement for Stewart-Haas Racing said. “Future evaluations will be necessary before a timetable is known for Stewart’s return to racing.”
“A full recovery is expected for the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, as is a return to the No. 14 Chevrolet this season. Plans for an interim driver have not been finalized”
The three-time series champion, who spoke with media on Friday at Las Vegas, said Dillon will be in the car when Bass Pro Shops is the primary sponsor and Vickers is set to be in the car otherwise. He said Friday that Wednesday’s appointment was the first update he’s had on his back since surgery following the accident and he’s been under instruction to either be walking or lying down as much as possible.
2016 is scheduled to be Stewart’s final season in the Sprint Cup Series. He said he hasn’t considered coming back in 2017 since suffering the injury and said Friday he’ll make his return to the Cup Series this season when his back is fully healed and he’s able to continue on with everyday life with no issue.
“This, if we do anything too soon, we could mess it up for the rest of my life,” Stewart said. “It’s more important to let this thing heal right. We’re not rushing to get back in the car. Like I said, the number one priority is to give it the opportunity to heal right the first time. Once they say we’re all right to get in it, we’ll get in it. We’re not going to push that issue. We’re not going to try to do something before we’re ready. We’re going to definitely make sure it’s done right.”
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
