The image of NASCAR driver Ryan Newman leaving the hospital with daughters Brooklyn Sage and Ashlyn Olivi following his Daytona 500 crash is still drawing plenty of reactions from fans, including Piers Morgan. The Good Morning Britain co-presenter took to Twitter shortly after the image was released, writing that it was “a great picture.”
BREAKING: Ryan Newman walks out of hospital with his daughters, 2 days after that horror crash.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 19, 2020
What a great picture. #Daytona pic.twitter.com/a1vWpn0k4n
Newman walked out of the hospital on Wednesday with his two daughters at his side, just 48 hours after horrified Daytona 500 viewers watched as his No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing endured a brutal crash that left the vehicle in flames. Following the accident, which drew comparisons to Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash in 2001, Newman was transported and treated at Halifax Medical Center, where a first update on his health said he was in “serious condition.”
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Although Newman – who won the Daytona 500 back in 2008 and had been in the lead when his vehicle was bumped from behind by Ryan Blaney’s car during the final lap of the Monday race – did not suffer life-threatening injuries, there is currently “no timetable” for his return to racing. On Wednesday, it was announced that Ross Chastain will serve as Newman’s substitute driver behind the wheel of Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 Ford at the second race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“First and foremost, our focus remains with Ryan and his family as he continues to recover,” Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark said in a statement. “We also want to express our sincere gratitude to all of those who have offered support and taken the time to send their thoughts and prayers to Ryan, his family and everyone at Roush Fenway Racing.”
“The NASCAR community has long prided itself on being a close-knit family,” Newmark added. “That is never more evident than during these types of moments, and we want to express our appreciation to everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing as well as Kaulig Racing for allowing Ross to fill in for Ryan in the No. 6 on such short notice.”
The statement added that “additional updates will be provided as they become available.”
Meanwhile, in the wake of Newman’s crash, there have been increased calls for NASCAR to debut new and stricter safety measures to ensure drivers’ safety. Newman’s vehicle was even transported to NASCAR’s Research and Development facility in North Carolina for an investigation, which Newman himself is anticipated to be a part of.
