Nascar Race Today

For many fans, the absence of star Tony Stewart won't truly sink in until the green flag drops at Watkins Glen International. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)

Story Highlights Tony Stewart had a second surgery on his broken right leg on Thursday NASCAR fans rely on the comfort and familiarity of tuning in to see the same competitors every week Stewart is a larger-than-life figure, a pure racer who has no tolerance for bull

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - Tony Stewart won't be racing at Watkins Glen International this weekend. He won't be at Michigan International Raceway next weekend or Bristol Motor Speedway the week after that.

And as the timetable for recovery from his broken right leg becomes clearer - he had a second surgery Thursday and remains hospitalized - the list of races Stewart will miss almost certainly will grow.

For NASCAR fans who rely on the comfort and familiarity of tuning in to see the same competitors race every week, it will be strange and disconcerting to watch events without one of the sport's biggest stars.

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Much about NASCAR has changed over the years - the championship format, the rules, the look of the cars, the tracks - but the one constant has been the decades-long careers of the top drivers whom fans often refer to on a first-name basis.

There's Jeff and Jimmie, Danica and Dale. And Tony - or "Smoke," as he's called - has never missed a race since he started driving NASCAR's Cup cars in 1999.

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That's part of what makes NASCAR unique: Every driver participates in every race. Fans can buy a ticket for any Sprint Cup event knowing they'll get to see Stewart race with all of the other big names. It's a weekly all-star event that moves around the country.

Those who don't understand NASCAR's appeal often miss out on that fact: The story lines and rivalries carry over into the next event. In other sports, a rivalry between two stars might not come up again until they have a rematch months later.

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Personalities draw interest, and Stewart is one of NASCAR's biggest characters. He can be gruff, moody, mischievous, playful and kind - sometimes all in the same day. But he's a larger-than-life figure who recalls racing's glory days - a pure racer who has no tolerance for bull.

But now Stewart won't be part of any on-track stories. His absence figures to be the longest of any star in more than a decade, which will leave his loyal fans wondering just what they should do with themselves. Fans of other drivers have also faced similar situations over the last year. Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed two races in October with a concussion - the first star to miss multiple races since Ricky Rudd in 2007. And Denny Hamlin broke his back in a crash in March and missed four races.

Most who follow racing are fans of the sport first and their favorite driver second, so it's likely the majority of Stewart fans will still watch. An informal Twitter poll Thursday showed many fans still planned to watch (42% said they would not). Stewart supporters said their rooting interest would either remain with Stewart's No. 14 car - driven by road-racing ace Max Papis this week - or shift to one of Stewart's teammates, Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick.

"Gonna watch and root for Max, I guess," longtime Stewart fan Aaron Rosser tweeted. "Either that or watch one of Tony's Watkins Glen wins on YouTube." (Stewart has won there five times).

"Will still root for the 14 team!" Teri Lynn Hatcher tweeted. "A win would be bittersweet, but can't imagine not supporting what is still Smoke's team and car!"

Follow Jeff Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck

Still, the track won't feel the same until Stewart returns.

A driver is the face of the team and the sponsor, Stewart even more so because he owns Stewart-Haas Racing and employs hundreds of people.

The idea of Stewart laid up in a North Carolina hospital with a metal rod in his leg won't truly sink in for many fans until drivers take the green flag Sunday. But the hole left by Stewart's absence will reaffirm NASCAR is on the right track with its "Star Power" initiative, which is placing an increased emphasis on spotlighting the drivers' personalities.

That's why more than 5 million still tune in to watch NASCAR races every week: It's not so much about the cars as the people inside them.