Denny Hamlin was taken to a hospital Sunday after an accident at Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR said he was alert and awake, but was transported for further observation.

Hamlin, one of 12 drivers racing for the Sprint Cup title, was leading midway through the race when his right front tire failed and his Toyota shot into the outside wall. He said very little over his in-car radio after the hit, was slow to get out of the car and seemed to be favoring his right foot.

Hamlin's tire failure was the fourth one in the race and fifth of the weekend. Earlier, Brian Vickers' tire exploded as he was racing for the lead and it triggered an eight-car accident.