Almost three months ago, Roush Fenway Racing driver of the number six, Ryan Newman, was in the most frightening wreck NASCAR has seen in a long time. On the final lap of the 2020 Daytona 500, Newman was tagged from the right rear corner. This sent him hard into the outside wall and the number six Ford Mustang then flipped into the air. He got hit in the driver’s side window and was sent airborne again. It then slid down the banking on its top before finally coming to a stop and bursting into flames.
Newman’s fellow competitors and everyone who watched the terrifying accident unfold feared the worst. Hours later we received the news we prayed for. Newman remained at the hospital but suffered no life-threatening injuries. Less than 48 hours later he walked out of Halifax Medical Center with his two daughters by his side. Ryan Newman later told us that he did suffer a brain bruise but was feeling good.
Thoughts on Newman and Safety
I talked to drivers from my home of Southwest Virginia and surrounding areas to get their thoughts on the safety improvements in racecars.
Karl Budzevski, driver of the number 26 limited late model said:
“the cars, seats, neck restraints and more is a testament to how safe those cars really are”.
Safety improvements made over the years include better seat belts, roof flaps, safety barriers, and a more complex roll cage. Newman has been a big advocate in the safety of the racecars. One part of the roll cage is even called the “Newman bar”Ryan is extremely lucky to survive that wreck and NASCAR is doing a great job at improving safety” says John Songer, driver of the number seven Honda Prelude who races at Franklin County Speedway.
Chad Finchum who competes in the Xfinity Series for MBM Motorsports says;
“We are very very fortunate to not have an accident like that in our sport in a long time”. Finchum had just got back home from Daytona and said: “to hear that Ryan is going to be ok and that there are no life-threatening injuries was a tremendous blessing”.
Return to Racing
The country is currently in the middle of a pandemic and besides iRacing there is no on-track action. Shortly before the NASCAR Pro Invitational at Talladega on Sunday, Ryan Newman announced that he plans to be back in the car when NASCAR returns to racing.
Ross Chastain, who drove the no 6 car while Newman was recovering, tweeted this on Monday afternoon:
NASCAR plans to return to racing on May 17th at Darlington Raceway without fans in attendance.
Stay tuned to Belly Up Sports for any future racing news and more!
About the Author
From Christiansburg, Virginia, Brittany Reed has always had a passion for racing. In 2018, she combined her talent of writing with that passion by starting a racing blog, FueledUp. She is now a sports analyst for Wingman Sports. Along with that she is involved with other groups and is attending college to earn a degree in sports management. Follow her at FueledUp / Wingman Sports on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
