DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 08: Ryan Newman, driver of the #6 Koch Industries Ford, practices for the NASCAR Cup Series 62nd Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 08, 2020 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Ryan Newman talks more on his injuries from NASCAR crash; ‘Miracle’ survival
Shane Walters
Ryan Newman: “His car actually hit my seat.”
In the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series season, Ryan Newman was heading to victory. Just a few hundred feet shy of winning the race, he was turned after throwing a block on Ryan Blaney.
Newman was turned into the outside wall at 190mph. He bounced off the wall, rolled and was stuck by Corey LaJoie at 190mph.
Newman was unconscious after the crash. Black tarps surrounded the car and the scene was looking horrific as the Daytona 500 telecast went off the air.
Since the Daytona 500 crash, there’s been a lot of details left up to speculation. Much of that speculation surrounds the injury itself.
Newman has been up and about. For the first time, he returned to a NASCAR track, last week at Phoenix Raceway.
Today, Ryan Newman explained his injury as a bruised brain.
He sat down on national tv to speak in depth about the crash. Overall, Newman is just thankful to be alive.
The 42-year-old NASCAR veteran driver has spoken very little on the incident. As of this morning, he opened up a lot more…
Ryan Newman speaks on the crash and miracle survival
“(It’s) still humbling to watch it and know that I’m sitting here without a headache, which is amazing,” Newman said on TODAY Wednesday.
“Just a miracle on so many levels, and thankful for so many people for prayers, for all the things that went into me being safer in that situation.”
“It’s basically a bruised brain. It takes time for it to heal. I was knocked out. There’s a part where I don’t remember a part of the race.”
“Realistically, I just feel so lucky. On so many levels. If you look at the crash, you think, ‘that’s spectacular, in a bad way.’ If you look at the car afterwards, you think about all the things that happened right, for me to be sitting here.”
“I’m humbled for the opportunity to continue my life. Hopefully, make something of it, enjoy life with my daughters.”
“The cage was compromised. All those welds held together. I got hit from behind by a car going 190mph. He pushed me back but then his car actually pushed me forward. Like, his car actually hit my seat.”
“Lots of things that aligned.”
Newman has run full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2002. For the first time since his full-time career began, he been forced to sit out of the car.
Ross Chastain has been sitting in as the replacement driver. Newman is still working on his recovery and hopes to return to the car as soon as possible.
“It’s been a little bit painful to be out of the race car. I started racing when I was 4 years old. It’s just kinda who I am.”