Four-time Bathurst 1000 champion Greg Murphy will miss the weekend V8 Supercar round in Tasmania after undergoing back surgery.
Doctors advised Murphy to have an operation to repair a ruptured disc in his back after he had an MRI scan on Tuesday.
The Holden driver had been troubled by theinjury which he suffered in a 2010 crash and re-injured in another crash during qualifying at the 2012 season-opening Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
New Zealander Murphy has been replaced by David Russell in Kelly Racing's Commodore for the weekend racing at Symmons Plains in Launceston.
But he said he had "no doubt'' he'll be back in action for the next round, his home country event in Hamilton from April 20-22.
"After seeing my surgeon last week and then with the way my body has reacted on the weekend after not really doing anything I knew something wasn't right,'' said Murphy.
"It's attributed to the accident that happened in Adelaide. It's put too much pressure on the disc and a tear has formed and finally it's ruptured open on Friday or Saturday.
"In 2010 when the disc initially tore, I had the operation and was racing at Phillip Island less than three weeks later.
"I'm expecting this recovery to be quicker.
"That's the positive for it. I don't expect it to hold me back.''
