Surgery for injured drivers.

Davey Hamilton and Robby McGehee (pictured here in 2000) both underwent surgery on Sunday after sustaining leg injuries in Saturday night's Casino Magic 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Saturday night's Casino Magic 500 at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway may have provided the fans with some truly spectacular action but it also left two drivers nursing badly broken legs as the legacy of a pair of horrific accidents that darkened the event somewhat.

Indy Racing Northern Light Series drivers Davey Hamilton and Robby McGehee underwent surgery early Sunday morning for lower leg injuries suffered in separate accidents during the 200-lap event. Both drivers were fully alert and awake during their accidents although neither will be able to race an IRNLS car for quite some time. Hamilton's injury brings to an end his record of starting every single IRNLS event since the series' inception back in 1996.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver Hamilton, from Las Vegas, had surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas to assess injuries to both lower legs and to determine further surgery. His vital signs are good, said Dr. Henry Bock, Indy Racing League director of medical services. It was later revealed that he had sustained two badly broken legs as a result of his monstrous crash coming off turn two in which the front end and the gearbox of his No.99 Dallara-Aurora was ripped away completely.

Two-time Indy Racing League runner-up Hamilton will be transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation and surgery, possibly as early as today, Bock said shortly after the surgery.

Hamilton was injured when his machine collided with Jeret Schroeder's No. 6 Tri Star Motorsports Dallara-Aurora on Lap 73 of the 200-lap race when Schroeder's engine let go in Turn Two and caused him to spin. Hamilton, running directly behind had nowhere to go and clipped the rear end of Schroeder's machine before cannoning into the wall where the force of the impact made the car airborne as it spun round more than half a dozen times before coming to rest near the entrance to turn three.

McGehee, from St. Louis, had surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital to repair a broken lower left leg. He will stay at Parkland for a day or two before being transferred to either St. Louis or Indianapolis for further care, Bock said. He is in fair condition, Bock said.

1999 Indianapolis 500 Bank One Rookie of the Year McGehee was involved in the three-car accident on Lap 196 that effectively ended the race and handed the win to Scott Sharp.

McGehee's No. 10 Cahill Racing Dallara-Aurora made contact with Greg Ray's No. 2 Johns Manville/Menards Dallara-Aurora whilst Ray, leading the race at the time, was attempting to lap him. Ray passed McGehee on the low-side and thought he had cleared the No.10 machine but as he moved back across to defend his line he clipped McGehee and sent McGehee directly into the following Eddie Cheever. Cheever had no time to slow and t-boned McGehee's car at close to 200mph, causing the injuries to its driver.