Ryan Newman in serious condition after violent crash in last lap of Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR driver Ryan Newman was listed in serious condition and is being treated at a Daytona Beach hospital after suffering a horrific crash just as Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 Monday at Daytona International Speedway.
Newman's team, Roush Fenway Racing, issued a statement shortly after 10 p.m. ET with an update on Newman's condition.
"Ryan Newman is being treated at Halifax Medical Center," the statement read. "He is in serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life threatening.
"We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that you respect the privacy of Ryan and his family during this time. We appreciate your patience and cooperation and we will provide more information as it becomes available."
WHAT WE KNOW:Latest information on scary crash involving Ryan Newman at Daytona 500
Newman, 42, has won 18 NASCAR Cup races, including the 2008 Daytona 500, in 18 full-time seasons in the series. This is his second season driving the No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing.
"We're grateful for the news about Ryan," said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports, in a statement. "We had been waiting for information just like everyone else, so to hear some positive news tonight is a relief.
"Ryan has been an important part of the Roush Fenway and Ford NASCAR program this past year, and he is so respected for being a great competitor by everyone in the sport. The entire Ford family is sending positive thoughts for his recovery, but our first thoughts remain with his family and his team."
Newman surged to the lead on the last lap of the race — which was delayed from Sunday because of rain — with the help of Ford teammate Ryan Blaney. But Newman’s car turned and slammed into the wall after more contact from Blaney's No. 12 then flipped into the air before being hit hard again by Corey LaJoie’s Ford before landing on its roof and skidding across the track.
Fire and sparks shot out from the car as it slid from the track and onto pit road.
Rescue workers rushed to the car and worked for minutes to get it upright and get Newman out of the car. An ambulance departed Daytona’s frontstretch at 8:10 p.m. with its sirens on, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
“I hope he’s all right,” a noticeably shaken Blaney said on pit road after finishing second. “That looked really bad and not something you want to do. Definitely unintentional.
"I was just committing to pushing him to the win once he blocked a couple times, was kind of beat. Just hope Ryan’s all right. It sucks to lose a race, but you never want to see anyone get hurt.”
Hamlin won his second straight Daytona 500, while Chris Buescher finished third. Team owner Joe Gibbs repeatedly apologized for celebrating, saying the team did not realize the severity of Newman's wreck.
Going into the final lap, Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota was out front with Newman and Blaney right behind him, respectively. The two Ford drivers went to the bottom of the track, and Blaney gave Newman a huge push as they both passed Hamlin on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile track.
With Hamlin in third, he then gave Blaney a push as they chased Newman.
“A big run and [Hamlin] was pushing us pretty hard,” Blaney’s crew chief, Todd Gordon, told USA TODAY Sports and NASCAR.com. "Had a run and you gotta try to take it. Ryan pulled down in front of it, and Blaney tried to push him. And cars didn’t line up perfectly, and he spun.”
Blaney said he was trying to push Newman ahead of Hamlin to try to get a Ford to victory lane instead of the Toyota, but it “just kind of played out in [Hamlin’s] favor.”
“We were coming so fast it’s hard to make a quick move, especially with someone pushing you,” Blaney said.
“He blocked the top, and then he blocked the bottom too, and at that point when he blocked the bottom, I was just committed to pushing to win, try to get a Ford to win instead of [Hamlin].”
Concerned about Newman’s condition, Blaney reiterated that causing him to spin was unintentional.
“I would be [shaken up] too if I looked at that,” Gordon said about his driver. “Unfortunately, it’s a product of what this package is and how much of a run you make on everything. Hopefully, Ryan Newman’s all right.”
Contributing: The Daytona Beach News-Journal
