Following a fiery crash at the Daytona 500 that left him hospitalized and with a “bruised brain,” NASCAR driver, Ryan Newman is getting in some therapy in the form of fishing alongside his daughter, Ashlyn, and loving every minute of it. In a snapshot shared to his Instagram just days after his TODAY Show interview after the harrowing crash, Newman posted a photo of himself Saturday afternoon enjoying the great outdoors and admittedly, getting the “best therapy” while partaking in catch and release fishing. Nonetheless, the image was a real winner with fans, who took to the comments section, applauding the driving champ’s Zen moment amid recovery.
“Ryan I love seeing you with your beautiful girls!! She looks just like you!! [heart emoji] Continued prayers [prayer hands emoji],” wrote one fan, as another added, “Nothing better! Enjoy creating the memories the girls will never forget.”
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While on the NBC morning show Wednesday, March 11, Newman also shared what exactly he told his daughters from the hospital bed after the very scary crash, recalling he started by simply telling them, “Daddy’s alright.”
“They seem to be completely fine with the fact that I’m still Daddy,” he recalled on TODAY. “I think it’d be totally different if something else would have happened. I’m 100 percent who I was, which they were good with.”
The photo with his daughter comes just days after another photo of Newman taking part in some fishing therapy, which also sparked a vibrant response among fans on his Instagram.
While Newman has since made a full recovery, the veteran driver is hoping to get back behind the wheel “as soon” as he can as he shared on TODAY. Newman addressed the lingering question on the minds of NASCAR fans regarding his return to the sport in his first interview since the accident, promising that while he doesn’t “know yet” when he will return, his team is “still working on it.”
Although Newman did not suffer any broken bones or internal injuries, the 42-year-old father-of-two did suffer a head injury, which he explained was “basically like a bruised brain” that “just takes time for it to heal.” During the crash, Newman reveals he was “knocked out” during the crash, and as a result of the injury, there was a point that he didn’t even “remember [being] a part of the race.”
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Newman’s team, Roush Fenway Racing made a short announcement of their driver’s condition, with a few details, alongside a photo of the 42-year-old South Bend, Indiana native walking out of Halifax Health Medical Center, holding the hands of his two daughters, Brooklyn Sage and Ashlyn Olivia, of whom he shares with recently separated, estranged wife, Krissie Newman.
In his own statement, Newman expressed his desire to return to racing sometime soon: “I’ve spoken with Jack Roush and he has assured me that the #6 car will be waiting and ready for my return. I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel and battling for another race win in the Roush Fenway Ford.”
Photo credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
