NASCAR Champ Kevin Harvick 'So Darn Happy' for Ryan Newman's Recovery Following Daytona 500 Crash

Kevin Harvick is the latest NASCAR champ to throw his support behind Ryan Newman. Monday night, [...]

By Christian Long

Kevin Harvick is the latest NASCAR champ to throw his support behind Ryan Newman. Monday night, just before crossing the finish line of the Daytona 500, Newman was part of a devastating crash that caused his vehicle to flip over several times and briefly catch fire. While Newman was rushed to the hospital that night, he was released on Wednesday to much online acclaim. Now, Harvick has taken to Twitter to proclaim he's "so darn happy" with Newman's recovery.

Harvick had quote-tweeted Newman's estranged wife, Krissie, who had posted a photo of Newman still sporting a hospital gown with his daughters. In 2014, Harvick won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and has racked up 47 wins in the Xfinity Series, the third-most wins of any competitor. Naturally, his own fans were quick to join him in the replies.

"Rocketman is tuff as a hammer," tweeted one user. "No cast, no bandages, not even a limp. Amazingly awesome. Best news I've heard all week!"

"Tough as a $2 steak," wrote another. "Other than what looks like some skinned up arms and a little hitch in his giddyup, Rocketman will race again! Thank you NASCAR safety innovations!"

On Thursday, Newman made a surprise appearance in a fan's Instagram feed, who called him a "walking miracle" in the caption. Naturally, the comments section on the post were soon overflowing with well-wishes for the driver.

In response to the crash, FOX Sports anchor Mike Joy, who was covering the Daytona 500 with Jeff Gordon when the crash occurred, tweeted that the incident should be a "wake-up call" for everyone in the racing community.

"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 wrote. "Monday's finish was a jarring wakeup call to everyone who loves the sport."

Newman himself had addressed these safety issues to NBC Sports back in April last year, calling speeds that exceed 200 mph "way too fast."

"We've established that over the last 10 years. That's when cars get airborne. They raised the back of the cars up an inch and it just packs more air underneath them. I hope we keep them on the ground and get lucky because I don't think they've done a good job of keeping them on the ground or making an effort to keep them on the ground."

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