Stewart to return at Daytona

Tony Stewart said his broken right leg will only be 65% healed by the time he's cleared to drive for Daytona Speedweeks, but the three-time NASCAR champion still believes he'll be fine once he gets back in the car. Stewart has a titanium rod in his leg, which will provide it enough strength to press the pedals -- which he said he's done "a million times already" in the race shop. But Stewart still won't be cleared to drive until Feb. 14, the day before NASCAR's season-opening Sprint Unlimited exhibition race. Because Stewart's leg isn't fully healed, the driver acknowledged there's a risk he could aggravate the injury to his leg, which he badly broke in an Aug. 5 sprint car crash in Iowa. But he cited injuries to Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. last season as proof healthy drivers can break bones, too. "This is an injury that's not healed 100% -- there's no bones about it," Stewart said before realizing he made a pun and chuckling. "But it is reality that it could get injured again." (USA TODAY 1-27-2014)