ARCA driver has surgery on both ankles after Talladega crash His car hit an interior wall SAFER barrier and he climbed out under his own power

Jeff Gluck | USA TODAY Sports

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- ARCA driver Brad Smith underwent surgery for injuries to both ankles Friday night after a nasty accident during the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Late in Friday's race, as Austin Wayne Self's car spun out and skidded up the 2.66-mile trioval, Smith stayed in the gas to try and drive through. But he hit Self's car instead, resulting in an apparent stuck throttle that sent him careening toward an inside wall.

Smith's car got air from a drainage ditch and crushed the SAFER barrier-protected wall nearly head on, then rocketed back onto the track. It caught fire, but Smith was able to guide it back down onto the apron.

After several minutes, Smith was able to get out of the car with help from safety crews and limped to a stretcher.

He was airlifted to UAB Medical Center in Birmingham, rolled to an awaiting helicopter while wearing an oxygen mask. He remained hospitalized in stable condition as of Saturday morning with his ankle injuries (there was also a laceration on his left ankle). Smith is awake and alert, according to ARCA.

Self was evaluated at the infield care center and released.

"I guess I lost it a little bit," Self said. "It was obviously my fault."

Smith, 46, has been racing on the ARCA circuit since 1988. In four races this season before Friday, his best finish was 15th at Mobile International Speedway. He is a native of Shelby Township, Mich.

Talladega is NASCAR's largest, fastest track.

The crash was eerily reminiscent of the one that involved Kyle Busch in the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 21. But Busch's car, which also hit an interior wall, went into an uncovered concrete wall. Busch suffered a broken leg and foot and remains sidelined.

After Busch's crash, drivers demanded tracks reevaluate where SAFER barriers were lacking and cover all walls.

DIS president Joie Chitwood III and NASCAR apologized for not having that wall covered and Chitwood pledged to have the remaining uncovered walls upfitted with SAFER barriers by the time NASCAR returned for the July 4 racing weekend.

STATS: Brad Smith by the numbers

While Talladega did add some walls before this racing weekend, the wall where Smith hit already was covered.

Dean Sicking, who led the team that invented the SAFER barrier technology, told USA TODAY Sports this week he was ''very, very happy'' with the success of the technology, first used at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002.

Contributing: The Associated Press