Ryan Newman came within a few hundred feet of winning the DAYTONA 500. Before he could reach the checkered flag, he was turned head on into the outside wall after contact with Ryan Blaney, and sent hurdling through the air. Corey LaJoie made contact with Newman’s driver-side door while the No. 6 car was upside down coming to the finish line.
The roof of Newman’s car buckled after contact, caving in towards the cockpit. The crowd fell silent and concerned grew for the Roush Fenway Racing driver, as the safety crew worked carefully to help Newman out of the racecar. After being transported to the Halifax Medical Center, the team reported that “He is in serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life threatening.”
Blaney stood visibly shaken on pitroad after last lap crash coming to the line. “I was committed to pushing him to the win, and have a Ford win it. Our bumpers hooked up wrong and turned him, I hope he’s alright that looked pretty bad,” said Blaney after the race.
“That’s the worst case scenario you could possibly have,” said Denny Hamlin in victory lane. “We’re praying for the best.”
While Hamlin celebrates his third DAYTONA 500 victory, all thoughts are with Newman and his family after last night’s vicious crash.
