Stewart thinks his back may have been hurt before accident

Stewart getting replaced by Dillon Sunday

Tony Stewart said he learned something important after his season debut last weekend at Richmond International Raceway – that he may have been more injured than he initially thought. "I think what I learned after the race (is) I really think that my back was messed up before it was broke," Stewart told Fox Sports TV broadcaster Kenny Wallace before Sunday's race at Talladega, Ala.

"I think what the surgeons did was fix that. I feel better than I did last year at this time as far as my back is concerned. (I'm) still having to be a little bit patient. That's why we have to alter the plan for today." Stewart suffered a burst fracture of the L1 vertebra on Jan. 31 while driving a sand rail in the Glamis Sand Dunes of the California desert. He had corrective surgery and sat out the first eight races of the Sprint Cup season. Stewart's doctors cleared him to return to competition just before last weekend's race at Richmond. Motorsport