Nearly one week following Ryan Newman‘s wreck in the Daytona 500, NASCAR fans are wondering what his future holds. Will the 42-year-old take part in future races, or will he retire and spend time with his daughters? Newman provided an answer on Sunday with a statement to the media.
“I’ve spoken with Jack Roush and he has assured me that the #6 car will be waiting and ready for my return,” Newman said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel and battling for another race win in the Roush Fenway Ford.”
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Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark read Newman’s statement to the media and revealed that the veteran driver had suffered a head injury during the wreck but had avoided damage to internal organs, as well as broken bones. Newmark also clarified that Newman wanted to race again in 2020 and win a Cup Series championship.
Adding further evidence to his racing goal was some context provided by Newmark. The Roush Fenway president said that Newman has every intention of returning to action in 2020 and winning a championship for his team.
“Ryan’s objectives have not changed this year. His goal is to win the 2020 Cup Championship,” Newmark said during his media availability on Sunday. The timeline for Newman’s return is not known, but he is anticipating getting the green light from his doctors.
“Ryan wants to figure out how he can get back here, get that waiver, win a race and get into the playoffs,” Newmark said on Sunday.
While he may not be able to get behind the wheel yet, Newman has continued to provide support for his team. He has reportedly been on the phone and helping with the direction of the racing team. This involves calls to interim driver Ross Chastain, the man tasked with replacing Newman while he recovers from the head injury.
While Newman continues to get treatment, Roush Fenway will forge ahead with Chastain taking the role of interim driver. His first race in the No. 6 Ford will be Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas.
The future is not yet determined, but Newman has hopes of racing yet again. He wants to secure a Cup Series Championship for Roush Fenway Racing while repaying the engineers that built the life-saving car. Whether this happens in 2020 remains to be seen. Newman certainly has no plans of shutting it down for the year and waiting until 2021.
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