Ryan Newman Touted 'Walking Miracle' After Meeting With NASCAR Fans in First Public Photos Since Daytona 500

Ryan Newman got some praise from racing fans after a recent outing, one of his first since his devastating car crash at the Daytona 500 on Monday night. Instagram user Sunshine Staudt posted a trio of photos to the platform. Newman can be seen in the first two, and the third is a closeup of a photo he signed while out and about.

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A post shared by Sunshine Staudt (@sunnystaudt) on Feb 20, 2020 at 10:48am PST

"Ryan Newman stopped by the office today, Tripp was so excited," Staudt wrote in the caption, along with the hashtag 'walking miracle.'

Just seconds before the race was ending, Newman ended up flipping his car over. He was rushed to the hospital Monday night and released Wednesday. Newman also showed up in a photo with his family along with some of the Halifax Health staff, where he was treated for his injuries.

Fellow Daytona competitor Corey LaJoie told USA Today on Thursday that he and Newman have "shared a couple laughs" since he's been out of the hospital. During the in-between when Newman's condition was still unclear, LaJoie had called the crash the "worst-case scenario."

"I didn't know where I hit him. I didn't know who I hit," Lajoie told Fox & Friends. "I came to a halt and got out because my car was on fire, and the wind was knocked out of me, and I was trying to collect my thoughts and just figure out what happened. I think everybody in the NASCAR community would agree that Ryan is probably the toughest guy in the garage."

FOX Sports anchor Mike Joy, who was on the scene when Newman crashed along with co-anchor Jeff Gordon, said the incident should be a "wake-up call" for everyone involved.

"We've become so accustomed to cars flipping, sliding in a shower of sparks at these big tracks, then the drivers climb out and wave to the crowd... because THEY ALWAYS CAN," he tweeted on Wednesday. "Monday's finish was a jarring wakeup call to everyone who loves the sport."

It's unclear at this point when Newman will return to the driver's seat, although he will be replaced by Ross Chastain for the Pennzoil 400 this coming Sunday. Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark released a statement indicating that the "focus remains with Ryan and his family as he continues to recover."