Indy wreck to sideline Conway 3 months

INDIANAPOLIS - IndyCar driver Mike Conway will miss at least three months with back and leg injuries from his frightening crash in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

Conway had surgery for multiple fractures in his lower left leg and has been diagnosed with a compression fracture in his back.

Conway's team, Dreyer & Reinbold, hasn't said who will replace him in the No. 24 car.

The 26-year-old Englishman was injured on Lap 199 when Ryan Hunter-Reay's car, already low on fuel, started sputtering. Conway was going about 220 m.p.h. through the short chute between the third and fourth turns, and couldn't avoid running into the back of Hunter-Reay. The contact sent Conway airborne and into the catch fence, splitting the car into two large pieces.

He was airlifted to a hospital, where he had surgery.

On Monday, race winner Dario Franchitti reflected on the horrific crash as he took a lap with reporters in a van.

"When they called yellow, there was relief, like 'OK, this helps us.' Then, the next thing you heard was 'Debris is everywhere,' " Franchitti said. "And I thought 'Oh no.' Then I saw it was Mike and was hoping it was OK, and when I came around the next time, I saw his helmet was off and I knew he was OK. When you see the size of that accident, you knew he was lucky."

Conway will be fitted for a back brace that he will wear for three months.

Hunter-Reay injured his left thumb. He was scheduled to have surgery Monday.

Franchitti earned $2,752,055 for his first-place finish. His earnings were part of an overall purse of $13,592,815.

The Busch brothers are finally running at the same level, setting up a potential sizzling showdown over the long summer stretch of racing coming up.

Kurt Busch completed a two-week sweep of Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday night, closing out the first win for team owner Roger Penske in the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 eight days after claiming the $1 million prize in the annual All-Star race.

Kyle Busch, meanwhile, won the Nationwide and Trucks Series races at CMS over the last two weeks, plus the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races at Dover earlier in May.

All told, the Busch brothers have won the last six races spanning NASCAR's top three series. The lone NASCAR celebration not by a Busch was Martin Truex Jr.'s victory in the Sprint Showdown, an All-Star race qualifier without either brother.