The Daytona 500 race ended in truly scary fashion. Moments before he reached the finish line, Ryan Newman, who was in the lead in the final lap, experienced a terrifying crash which caused his car to flip several times and to catch on fire. Newman’s condition following the crash is not currently known, but the athlete was loaded into an ambulance following the incident and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
Following the incident, FOX’s Mike Joy released a statement regarding it.
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“Ryan Newman has been helped from his car by the AMR safety team,” Joy stated. “He’s been loaded into an ambulance, taken to a local hospital. That’s all the information we can provide you at this time.”
Scary finish at #DAYTONA500 when leader Ryan Newman flipped right before the finish. Denny Hamlin wins but all thoughts on Newman right now. pic.twitter.com/Fltj5w5d2g
— Troy Hirsch (@troyhirschfox5) February 18, 2020
As sports journalist Troy Hirsch noted on Twitter, Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500, but the focus is currently on Newman. Many fans flocked to Twitter after the news of Newman’s crash in order to send some positive thoughts his way.
“Let’s pray for Ryan Newman! Racing is exciting and entertaining, but let’s remind ourselves that it’s very dangerous [and] these drivers put their lives on the line,” one NASCAR fan wrote. “The racing community and the fans come together when something like this happens. I hope he’s ok.”
“I remember as a kid watching NASCAR with my aunt, Ryan Newman was one of my favorites. Truly hoping for the best, but damn, that was a horrible crash. Praying for him [and] his family,” another wrote.
Newman, Hamlin, and other drivers were tasked with competing in the Daytona 500 on Monday after a rain delay meant that the race, which was originally scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 16, would have to be postponed. This delay marked the first time since 2012 that the race took place on a Monday.
Prior to this year’s race, Newman, who won the Daytona 500 in 2008, discussed his partnership with Koch Industries for the 62nd annual racing event.
“We are looking forward to teaming up with Koch Industries and having them on the car for one of the most celebrated races of the season,” Newman said days before the race, per NASCAR.com. “Winning the 500 is one of the biggest accomplishments of my racing career. We have really fast superspeedway cars at Roush Fenway and we’d like nothing better than to kick off our season by driving the Koch Industries Ford into Victory Lane at Daytona.”
