Vickers to replace injured Tony Stewart at Daytona

Brian Vickers

Tony Stewart is recovering from a fractured vertebra, so Brian Vickers will reportedly take his place in the Sprint Unlimited race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

The Associated Press' Jenna Fryer reported on the expected NASCAR lineup change Wednesday.

Stewart injured himself while riding an all-terrain vehicle on vacation on the West Coast, according to a news release from Stewart-Haas Racing. This upcoming season is meant to be the 44-year-old veteran's last.

NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, who retired after the 2015 Sprint Cup campaign, had invited Stewart to the excursion that led to his injury and commented on the situation, per FoxSports.com's Jared Turner:

When we got there, he was laying on his back outside the car…It was pretty obvious that he was in a lot of discomfort. I'll tell you, he's one tough guy, man. Because you knew he was in pain, but he never complained. He never said one thing, other than, "It's my lower back." My gosh, he's so tough. I would have been screaming like a baby.

Per Turner, SHR will officially announce Stewart's replacement during a Friday press conference.