NASCAR driver Ryan Newman worried fans and his fellow drivers when he was in a violent crash at the end of the Daytone 500 on Monday, February 17. The race had started on Sunday afternoon but was delayed for rain, picking up the next day. Ryan, 42, was in the lead when his car was tapped by driver Ryan Blaney.
Ryan’s No.6 Ford car flew through the air and repeatedly flipped upside down. It caught on fire and slid from the race track on to the pit road. Ryan was rushed to the hospital.
NASCAR gave an update hours later, saying in a statement, “Ryan Newman is being treated at Halifax Medical Center. He is in serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life threatening.”
They continued, “We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that you respect the privacy of Ryan and his family during this time. We appreciate your patience and cooperation and we will provide more information as it becomes available.”
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Ryan Blaney, 26, told USA Today, “I hope he’s all right.”
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He continued, “That looked really bad and not something you want to do. Definitely unintentional. It sucks to lose a race, but you never want to see anyone get hurt.”
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Photo credit: John Raoux/AP/Shutterstock
Danny Hamlin won the race just as the crash occurred.
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Photo credit: Mark Humphrey/AP/Shutterstock
Danny, 39, said that he learned about what happened as he was walking over to the victory lane. “Obviously I saw him cross the race track,” he said. “I didn't see the contact that the other car had when he was in the air. That's kind of a worse case scenario you can possibly have. We’re praying for the best.”
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Photo credit: Ralph Freso/AP/Shutterstock
He apologized for initially celebrating his victory before he learned about the extent of the crash. "We got in the winner's circle, and then that's when people told us. I wanted to explain that to everyone. It makes it so hard. Such a close-knit community, you know everybody,” he said.
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Fans and other drivers sent their thoughts and prayers to Ryan on Twitter.
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Photo credit: Terry Renna/AP/Shutterstock
The crash happened one day before the 19th anniversary of the crash that killed Dale Earnhardt, Sr. at the Daytona 500 in 2001. Fans attributed the safety improvements Nascar made as the result of that fatal accident for helping save Ryan’s life on Monday.
Ryan Blaney, 26, told USA Today, “I hope he’s all right.”
Photo credit: Chris O'Meara/AP/Shutterstock
He continued, “That looked really bad and not something you want to do. Definitely unintentional. It sucks to lose a race, but you never want to see anyone get hurt.”
Photo credit: Terry Renna/AP/Shutterstock
Danny Hamlin won the race just as the crash occurred.
Photo credit: John Raoux/AP/Shutterstock
Danny, 39, said that he learned about what happened as he was walking over to the victory lane. “Obviously I saw him cross the race track,” he said. “I didn't see the contact that the other car had when he was in the air. That's kind of a worse case scenario you can possibly have. We’re praying for the best.”
Photo credit: Mark Humphrey/AP/Shutterstock
He apologized for initially celebrating his victory before he learned about the extent of the crash. "We got in the winner's circle, and then that's when people told us. I wanted to explain that to everyone. It makes it so hard. Such a close-knit community, you know everybody,” he said.
Photo credit: Ralph Freso/AP/Shutterstock
Fans and other drivers sent their thoughts and prayers to Ryan on Twitter.
The crash happened one day before the 19th anniversary of the crash that killed Dale Earnhardt, Sr. at the Daytona 500 in 2001. Fans attributed the safety improvements Nascar made as the result of that fatal accident for helping save Ryan’s life on Monday.
Photo credit: Terry Renna/AP/Shutterstock
