Kyle Busch undergoes successful surgery

Mike Hembree | Special for USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch underwent successful surgery Thursday morning to remove metal plates, screws and a rod from his left foot and right leg, corrective measures that followed his racing accident at Daytona International Speedway in February.

Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch’s team, said the surgery was successful and that Busch is expected to make a full recovery before the start of the 2016 Sprint Cup season in February.

The plates, rod and screws were inserted to help stabilize Busch’s injured foot and leg after he was involved in a brutal crash in an Xfinity Series race at DIS prior to the start of the Sprint Cup schedule.

Busch missed 11 Cup races because of the accident but returned to the circuit in May and rallied to win his first Cup championship.