NASCAR drivers haven't waited very long to roast jokester Ryan Newman after scary crash
Ryan Newman was released from the hospital less than 48 hours after a horrific crash on the last lap of Monday’s Daytona 500.
Although the specifics of any injuries he sustained are not public, Newman was “joking around” with his family and the hospital staff, according to a statement from his team, Roush Fenway Racing, which also said he remained true to his “jovial nature”.
Several NASCAR drivers who have talked with Newman since the accident were happy to say the No. 6 Ford driver’s sense of humor was still intact, and Ryan Blaney — who made contact with Newman, sparking the terrifying wreck — said it “brought a smile to my face.” Drivers have also taken some of the friendly jabs at Newman after learning he’s OK.
Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where NASCAR is racing this weekend, Martin Truex Jr., a good friend of Newman’s, said he saw the driver after he was released from the hospital, and “he’s good spirits.” Truex added:
“I just wanted him to know we were there for him if he needed anything. It was cool. It was good to see the good shape he was in. It was a little surprising as well. We’re planning fishing trips already, so it was a fun visit to hang out.”
Truex also called Newman “a tough son of a gun” but joked:
“He’s got no neck and a big hard head, so that helps for sure. I told him this week he’s lucky he’s such a hard-headed son of a gun.”
Friday at the Las Vegas track, Joey Logano said:
“I texted him and said, ‘I knew it wasn’t your neck that broke. I don’t think you could do that.’ We have a neck joke going back and forth because I’ve got a long one, and he’s got none. We had a good joke about that at least, so his sense of humor still seems to be there.”
Austin Dillon, Newman’s former teammate at Richard Childress Racing, said:
“I shot him a text. I said, ‘I’ve never been so glad to see a picture of you.'”
Corey LaJoie, who hit Newman head-on during the wreck, said he and Newman texted Wednesday night and shared a laugh about one time when they raced go-karts together. LaJoie told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday:
“We shared a couple laughs [about when] we went to that little slick track in Pocono called S&S [Speedways]. And for whatever reason, Newman and I always found each other, and his big ass looked like Bowser in that little go-kart.
“We’re sliding around and smashing into each other, and his head is so big he had to hold the roof up because his head was smashing into it.”
The specifics of Newman’s injuries remain unknown, but he will not be racing this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Ross Chastain is filling in for him in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400.