NASCAR Driver Ryan Newman: ‘God Was Involved’ in Recovery After Terrible Crash
NASCAR driver Ryan Newman is prepping for his first race since he was involved in a terrifying crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500 in February, a crash that he now says he can't remember.
In fact, the only thing he can recall of his entire hospitalization was when he saw his children for the first time following the accident.
"That tells me God was involved," Newman said Thursday (May 14) during a press conference as he readies to return to his race car this Sunday (May 17) at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. "I was blessed in more ways than one. I feel like a walking miracle."
On Feb. 17, Newman was involved in a crash that had his car careening into the outside retaining wall of Daytona International Speedway. The impact rolled his car onto its roof, and NASCAR driver Corey LaJoie's car then struck Newman's driver's side window. The impact sent the car flying back into the air, ultimately landing on its roof again. NASCAR fans watched with concern as emergency crews attempted to extricate the driver from his destroyed race car.
How Did Ryan Newman Even Survive?!
Fans will recall that Newman walked out of Halifax Health Medical Center two days after his accident, which left with him with a bruised brain. However, Newman says when he was initially rushed into the hospital, he was put into a medically induced coma and a PICC line was inserted into his chest to feed blood his heart.
"Everything aligned perfectly for me to be alive and here with you today," he said. "There were multiple miracles that aligned for me to walk out days later with my arms around my daughters."
And now he can’t wait to get back into the car.
"Sunday at Darlington is going to be a huge opportunity for us to reach millions of people," he said. "We are all going to work really hard to make the best of it. ... I'm hoping to do every lap and then one more after that."
Sunday's race at Darlington is set to air on Fox at 3:30PM ET, and it's the first of seven in 10 days at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. It marks NASCAR's first return since the coronavius (COVID-19) pandemic struck and required quarantine. There will be no fans on hand, and qualifying races and much of the usual pre-race ceremony will be eliminated to make each race a single-day event. Broadcast crews will also maintain social distancing.
Darius Rucker is set to deliver the national anthem before Sunday's race.
See 20 Pictures of Ryan Newman's Daytona 500 Crash: