UPDATE: On Wednesday evening, Roush Fenway Racing posted a photo of Ryan Newman walking out of the hospital, daughters in hand. Newman was apparently discharged.
Ryan Newman has been treated and released from Halifax Medical Center pic.twitter.com/J0twhGgQm7
— Roush Fenway (@roushfenway) February 19, 2020
Original story:
Driver Ryan Newman is showing “great improvement” after enduring a ghastly crash during the final lap of the Dayton 500 racing competition Monday night, Roush Fenway Racing announced in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
“Ryan Newman continues to show great improvement after Monday night’s last-lap accident at Daytona International Speedway,” the statement said.
“The veteran driver is fully alert and walking around Halifax Medical Center,” Roush Fenway Racing continued. “True to his jovial nature, he has also been joking around with staff, friends and family while spending time playing with his two daughters.”
A photo of a smiling, standing Newman alongside his two young daughters accompanied the heartening update. “Ryan Newman Continues Great Improvement,” the photo is captioned.
Ryan Newman Continues Great Improvement pic.twitter.com/xIZRiaRApi
— Roush Fenway (@roushfenway) February 19, 2020
On Monday, NASCAR released a statement informing viewers that Newman was in serious condition and being treated at Halifax Medical Center for non life-threatening injuries, though nothing more was known, at the time, of the driver’s condition.
“Ryan Newman is being treated at Halifax Medical Center,” the statement said. “He is in serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life threatening. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that you respect the privacy of Ryan and his family during this time.”
As reported by Everything Lubbock, “Safety crews rushed to Newman’s No. 6 Ford and worked to extricate the 42-year-old driver from his seat” on Monday night. “The car was on fire as it skidded to a stop and had to be turned onto its tires before they could get him out.”
Compounding the horror of the scene, “Fox opted not to broadcast Newman’s removal, which was shielded by large black screens put up by track crews,” the report noted. Media was reportedly asked to leave the scene while emergency crews worked.
You don’t fully understand the magnitude of a crash until you see a picture like this.
Ryan Newman has been taken to an area hospital.
The sports world is praying he’s ok🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/t9aJM9ZLXl
— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) February 18, 2020
Absolutely brutal crash at the end of the #DAYTONA500
Praying that Ryan Newman is okay🙏🙏pic.twitter.com/2RTVvZWOg8
— Sports ReUp (@SportsReUp) February 18, 2020
As outlined by Bob Pockrass, wiring at Fox Sports, the crash reminded NASCAR enthusiasts and drivers of the danger looming in the sport.
“That NASCAR hasn’t had a fatality in its three national series since Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s death in the 2001 Daytona 500 has conditioned fans and those in the industry that every wreck is survivable,” said Pockrass. “That even the vicious hits don’t do more than bruise.”
“But everyone in the grandstands saw the reality, as Newman’s crushed car initially caught fire while upside-down,” he explained. “They saw safety workers hold up screens as they put him in an ambulance, which then sped to leave the track to Halifax Health Medical Center.”
Similarly, famed retired NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon said Monday night, “Safety’s come a long way in this sport, but sometimes we are reminded that it is a very dangerous sport. Thoughts and prayers, right now, are with Ryan Newman and his family.”
As noted by Everything Lubbock, Denny Hamlin won the race for Joe Gibbs Racing and celebrated near the finish line. They did not understand the full scope of Newman’s crash — only that a driver behind Hamlin had hit the wall — and later apologized.
“Some people may have saw us and said, ‘Those guys are celebrating when there’s a serious issue going on.’ I apologize to everybody,” Gibbs said afterward. “We really didn’t know. We got in the winner’s circle and then that’s when people told us. I wanted to explain that to everyone.”
“That’s what makes it so hard,” Gibbs added. “Such a close-knit community, you know everybody. … If you think about all the wrecks that we’ve had over the last how many number of years, some of them have been real serious. We’ve been real fortunate.”