When NASCAR driver Ryan Newman crashed at the end of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, there were immediate questions about his ability to recover from any injuries. Some fans also felt that he would be forced to retire. Months later, Newman has recovered from a “bruised brain” and is eyeing his return to the track. Although the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in the NASCAR season being postponed until at least early May.
Appearing with radio host Claire B. Lang on “Jack’s Garage,” Newman spoke about the coronavirus and its impact on NASCAR. Lang asked the veteran driver during this conversation if he will be able to immediately get back behind the wheel and take part in multiple races. Newman couldn’t say that he will be “100 percent” when this decision is made, but he also isn’t sure if other drivers will be 100 percent either. What he does know, however, is that he will be ready for the opportunity when it arises.
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After the #Daytona500, people wondered if @RyanNewman would return this season. But now, with the current break, he has had time to heal. @ClaireBLang was able to ask Newman if he’d be able to make up all of the races with @roushfenway, when the season resumes.#JacksGarage 🏎️🏁 pic.twitter.com/I9pM6RvvGx
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) April 9, 2020
Newman doesn’t know when the Cup Series season will make its highly-anticipated return, but he would like it to “happen yesterday.” Although he recognizes that this timeline is not realistic considering the health and safety concerns. He isn’t tuning into CNN every single day for the latest updates about the pandemic, but he is aware of the potential issues with making a return to the track.
As Newman explained, any green light given to NASCAR will not be universal due to the sheer number of tracks and states involved. Every location will likely have different restrictions in place for fan attendance and other factors due to the coronavirus. No matter what happens, however, Newman will embrace the return of “some normality” in the drivers’ lives.
While Newman has not been able to take part in any races due to recovery and the coronavirus, he has been finding more unique ways to spend his time. One example was a day spent with his two daughters. He posted photos on Instagram that showed them working on a model of Bill Elliott’s No. 9 Ford Thunderbird.
His post showed that there was some concern about the amount of glue required to put the model together. Newman believed that it was entirely possible that he would be separating his daughters’ fingers later in the day. Although he later posted a project update that showed a considerable amount of progress being made.
