Tony Stewart hospitalized after ATV accident

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart was hospitalized Tuesday in Arizona after an accident while he was riding an all-terrain vehicle.

The accident, which occurred at some point Sunday afternoon, has landed Stewart in the hospital with a back injury, according a spokesman for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Stewart, 44, who has gone on record saying this will be his final season as  NASCAR driver, was due to report next week to Daytona International Speedway to begin preparing for the Feb. 21 Daytona 500.

"We have received word from Stewart-Haas Racing of Tony Stewart’s accident and injury," NASCAR chairman Brian France said in a statement. "On behalf of everyone at NASCAR, I wish Tony a full recovery and look forward to seeing him back in our sport when he’s ready to return."

Stewart was 28th in the final Sprint Cup standings last year with three top 10 finishes and 24 laps led, both career lows. Hopefully he is able to make a full recovery in time to enjoy his final season as a NASCAR competitor.