If you are a NASCAR fan you have likely seen the controversy in the news over the past month about three-time NASCAR champion and co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing Tony Stewart getting into several wild crashes during his side job Sprint car racing.

Tony Stewart racing at Susquehanna Speedway Park Sunday, April 14, 2013.
Photo courtesy of Anthony DeSeta

Read the Star’s Norris McDonald’s blog post from the end of July about this very topic after Tony’s crash at Ohsweken Speedway near Brantford, Ontario.

Well, as irony would have it, just as the dust was starting to settle on this controversy, it has been reported today that Tony Stewart has broken both tibia and fibula in his right leg in a crash at Southern Iowa Speedway, a half-mile dirt oval in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Reports state that Stewart was transported to an area hospital after the accident, and immediately underwent surgery.

Unfortunately, as a result of this latest accident, Tony will not be driving the number 14 car this weekend in Watkins Glen, New York and according to Stewart-Haas Racing, a replacement driver for Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International has not yet been determined. Currently, Stewart is 11th in the standings, and with one victory this season, leads the race for the first Wild Card in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It’s too early to know when Tony will be returning to racing but for sure he will be out a while so we of course wish him a speedy recovery.

But let’s get back to the debate of today’s post. What are your thoughts about big name racers like Tony Stewart racing in other series at which they risk serious injury and/or time away from their main sport?

Please let us know your thoughts as we are interested to see what people think about this one.