Johnson injured in golf cart accident

The 2006 Nextel Cup champion was injured on Friday while at a celebrity tournament in Lecanto, Florida. According to reports, Johnson was lying on the cart's roof when the driver turned sharply, sending Johnson in the air.

"I was in a golf cart and the driver took a sharp turn," Johnson said today. "I wasn't holding on tight enough, landed awkwardly on the ground and heard a little pop.

"It was a fluke deal, but fortunately we're in the off-season and I don't plan to miss any additional time."

Johnson is likely to be sidelined for at least four weeks, which means he will miss the Race of Champions event in Paris next week. He won the Nations Cup in 2002, when he teamed up with fellow NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and Colin Edwards.

This year, Johnson was scheduled to drive alongside X-Games champion Travis Pastrana, and it is unclear at the moment who will replace him.

"It's disappointing that I can't compete," Johnson said. "But I'll definitely be in Paris to cheer the team on and provide any support that I can."

Johnson's injury comes a week after fellow NASCAR driver Greg Biffle dislocated a shoulder in testing last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

It is also the second year in a row where a newly crowned Nextel Cup champion injures himself in the off-season, as Tony Stewart last year broke his wrist during a midgets qualifying race.