Buddy Rice

Rice will move to Champ Car and replace NASCAR-bound A.J. Allmendinger in Forsythe Racing's car at the season-ending race in Mexico City on Nov. 12, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Rice announced Tuesday he will not race in this year's Indianapolis 500, ESPNews reports.

Rice spent Wednesday night in a hospital after injuring his back and suffering a concussion in a crash during practice. The defending Indy 500 champion will miss qualifying next week as a result.

Rice won the Argent Mortgage Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway just 0.0051 seconds ahead of Vitor Meira.

Rice, who started from the pole, won the 88th Indianapolis 500. He is the first American to win the race since 1998.