NASCAR Cup Series veteran Ryan Newman who was hospitalized following a last-lap wreck in the Daytona 500 in February announced Sunday afternoon prior to the virtual Geico 70 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway that he plans to return to the seat of his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang when NASCAR resumes competition.
Newman made the announcement during the broadcast of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Talladega, the fifth virtual event since real-world NASCAR action was put on hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s the absolute plan, for sure,” Newman told FOX Sports’ Mike Joy. “I’m healthy. I’ve been blessed with another layer of this situation giving me more time to heal and look forward to being back in the seat, for sure.”
NASCAR announced Monday evening that Newman has been medically cleared to return to competition by the sanctioning body.
Newman was battling Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin for the coveted Daytona 500 victory when Blaney and Newman made contact sending his car spinning before being hit by Corey LaJoie.
The 19-year Cup Series veteran spent less than two days in the hospital before his discharge from Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., with his two daughters by his side.
“I’m so excited and thankful to be healthy and at some point get back in the race car when the world starts turning again,” offered Newman. “I’m thankful for all the people and support that I’ve got – friends, family, you name it that have prayed for me and given me this multitude of miracles that has given me this opportunity to get back in the seat.”
Ross Chastain filled in for the next three races at Las Vegas, Auto Club (California) and Phoenix before racing was suspended.
In his first live interview since the accident, Newman explained on NBC’s TODAY Show last month that he was diagnosed with a bruised brain and was unconscious in his car for a period after the crash.
The South Bend, Ind. native is in his second year with Roush Fenway Racing, Last year, consistency propelled him into the Cup Series Playoffs but was eliminated after the first round.
Newman, 42, has 18 wins, 115 top-five and 262 top-10 finishes and despite missing three races he is 29th in the championship standings.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
