Ryan Newman: Ross Chastain Responds After Being Named NASCAR Driver's Replacement by Roush Fenway

After Roush Fenway Racing announced Ross Chastain as Ryan Newman's replacement behind the wheel of Ford No. 6, Chastain made it clear that he plans on doing his best for Newman during his recovery from the fiery crash of the final lap of Monday's Daytona 500. Chastain took to Twitter to make his statement.

"No one could ever take the place of Ryan Newman on the track, and I can't wait to have him back. As we continue to pray for a full and speedy recovery, I'll do my best to make him and everyone at Roush Fenway Racing proud," the 27-year-old driver tweeted, adding the hashtag for Newman's nickname: "#RocketMan."

On Wednesday, Roush Fenway announced that Chastain would replace Newman starting Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Pennzoil 400.

"First and foremost, our focus remains with Ryan and his family as he continues to recover," said Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark. "We also want to express our sincere gratitude to all of those who have offered support and taken the time to send their thoughts and prayers to Ryan, his family and everyone at Roush Fenway Racing."

"The NASCAR community has long prided itself on being a close-knit family," Newmark continued. "That is never more evident than during these types of moments, and we want to express our appreciation to everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing as well as Kaulig Racing for allowing Ross to fill in for Ryan in the No. 6 on such short notice."

Chastain has made 72 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, finishing within the top 10 in the 2019 Daytona 500.

Roush Fenway also announced that there is "no timetable" for Newman's return. The 42-year-old was released from Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, with a photo of him and his daughters exiting the facility going viral.

Newman was in the lead during the final lap of overtime at the Daytona 500 on Monday when his No. 6 Ford Mustang was bumped from behind by Ryan Blaney, sending Newman's car spinning into the wall. From there, it collided with Corey LaJoie's car and flipped airborne, landing and skidding on its roof across the finish line. Safety crews worked to quickly extinguish the flames that had ignited on Newman's car, then flipped it right side up in order to extract him from the vehicle.

He was loaded into an ambulance and taken straight to the hospital, where he remained from Monday night until Wednesday. His estranged wife, Krissie Newman — who announced last week that the couple would be separating after 16 years of marriage — shared a video clip of Ryan and their two daughters leaving the hospital.

"Best sight ever!!!" she captioned the clip.

Photo credit: Jonathan Ferrey / Stringer / Getty