Grant Denyer on his monster truck crash and recovery

TV star Grant Denyer writes about the monster truck crash that has left him facing a long recovery - and a centimetre shorter.

Injured ... a Channel 7 TV image of Grant immediately after the crash.

TV star Grant Denyer writes about the monster truck crash that has left him facing a long recovery - and a centimetre shorter.

WHOA, what a hairy couple of days it's been.

My monster truck hit the deck hard on Wednesday and my back absorbed more of the impact than the truck's suspension did.

Everything else about the jump was pretty much textbook. So it was just one of those things, I guess.

It's one of my lower vertebrae that took the blow and I've shattered it into quite a few pieces, unfortunately.

The good news is that there's no nerve damage and now it's a matter of taking it easy for a couple of months to let the bones heal properly.

You know how I love my motor sport - this is one of the hardest realisations but I have to pull out of all my racing commitments for the rest of 2008.

It's hard considering this has been my best racing season ever, having won my first two V8 races and leading the field in the 2008 Mini Championship.

But the spine is a delicate thing and we can't take any chances at this time.

I'm being so well looked after by the amazing doctors and staff at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney and all the signs are good for a 100 per cent recovery ... if I take the time to rest for the next few months.

As if having the racing accident wasn't bad enough already, the most heartbreaking news was that, as a result of the injury, I am a centimetre shorter. I was 165cms but from today I'll be 164cm.

Damn! My promising basketball career has been shot down!

I can't believe the messages of support this past 24 hours. Thank you so much. I can't thank you all enough.

Give me a little time and I'll be back looking for the next challenge. I really will. Just dare me!