Many were shaken up upon hearing that Ryan Newman was involved in a terrifying car crash mere moments before he completed the Daytona 500. (NASCAR later reported that Newman was in “serious condition” following the incident, but that his injuries were “not life threatening.”) In light of the news of this incident, many on Twitter have flocked to a recent video posted by Newman in order to share some positive thoughts and prayers with the race car driver.
“Ryan, hope you’re ok buddy. Wrecked looked scary. Waiting for an update. Thoughts are with you and your family,” one fan commented on the video.
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“I really hope you are ok after that horrible crash,” another fan wrote.
🙏 praying for you tonight. #Prayers4Newman
— Gracie (@MayPatriot) February 18, 2020
“We love you big guy we are sending prayers. The whole world loves you #rocketman,” yet another fan wrote, whilst including a nod to Newman’s nickname, “Rocket Man.”
Newman’s crash originally occurred moments before he was set to cross the finish line in first place. While many fans initially feared the worst regarding Newman’s condition following the crash, NASCAR and Roush Fenway later released a statement about the race car driver.
“Ryan Newman is being treated at Halifax Medical Center. He is in serious condition, but doctors have indicated that his injuries are not life threatening,” the statement read. “We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that you respect the privacy of Ryan and his family during this time. We appreciate your patience and cooperation and we will provide more information as it becomes available.”
The Daytona 500 winner, Denny Hamlin, also commented on the news shortly after his win. Hamlin, as well as his team, came under a bit of fire by some NASCAR fans for celebrating his win in light of the accident. But, both Hamlin and Joe Gibbs, the owner of the eponymous Joe Gibbs Racing, have said that they were unaware of the severity of Newman’s condition when they did celebrate the win.
“Obviously I saw him cross the race track,” Hamlin began, noting that he learned what had happened to Newman as he was walking over to the victory lane. “I didn’t see the contact that the other car had when he was in the air. That’s kind of a worse case scenario you can possibly have.”
“We’re praying for the best,” Hamlin added.
