Counting his blessings. Ryan Newman feels that “the angels aligned” to help him survive his Daytona 500 wreck in February, which resulted in a head injury.
“[It’s] still humbling to watch it and know that I’m sitting here without a headache, which is amazing,” the race car driver, 42, said in an interview on Today on Wednesday, March 11. “Just a miracle on so many levels, and thankful for so many people for prayers, for all the things that went into me being safer in that situation.”
He added, “On so many levels, I feel so lucky. You look at the crash, you think that’s spectacular in a bad way. You look at the car afterwards, you think about all the things of what happened right for me to be sitting here.”
As for how he was able to survive the crash, Newman believes it was because “the angels aligned and held a really good grip with their hands.”
The incident occurred during the last lap of the Daytona 500 on February 17, when another driver, Ryan Blaney, hit Newman’s car from behind. The impact caused Newman’s vehicle to slam into a wall and flip over before it was struck by another car driven by Corey LaJoie.
Newman was immediately transported to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. Two days later, Newman’s team Roush Fenway Racing announced that the veteran driver had been released from the hospital and was showing “great improvement.”
The organization shared the news along with a photo of Newman walking hand in hand with his daughters Brooklyn and Ashlyn, whom he shares with his estranged wife, Krissie Newman. Later that day, the team revealed that Ryan would no longer race at the 2020 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on February 23. Instead, Ross Chastain, a three-time NASCAR Truck Series winner, drove in his place. Ryan and Krissie, 42, announced their split via Twitter just four days before the incident.
Ryan gave an update on his condition during a pre-race press conference at the Pennzoil 400 delivered on his behalf by Roush Fenway Racing team president Steve Newmark.
“I was fortunate to avoid any internal organ damage or broken bones. I did sustain a head injury, for which I’m currently being treated,” Ryan said at the time. “The doctors have been pleased with my progression over the last few days.”
