NASCAR driver Ryan Newman, seriously injured in a horrific wreck during Monday’s Daytona 500, is awake and speaking with family and doctors, Roush Fenway Racing said Tuesday.
Newman, 42, remains at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. His injuries have not been detailed.
“Ryan and his family have expressed their appreciation for the concern and heartfelt messages from across the country,” Roush Fenway Racing said in a statement.
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“They are grateful for the unwavering support of the NASCAR community and beyond,” the team said.
Among those who expressed well wishes to Newman were President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Newman was born in South Bend, Indiana, where Buttigieg was mayor for eight years. Newman now lives in Statesville, North Carolina.
The crash occurred on the race’s final lap, with Newman in the lead and another driver, Ryan Blaney, right behind him.
Blaney’s bumper caught the back of Newman’s car, which barreled into a wall and flipped before it was struck by another vehicle.
Denny Hamlin won the race. “I think we take for granted sometimes how safe the cars are, and No. 1 , we are praying for Ryan,” Hamlin said.
After the crash, Hamlin in a tweet offered well wishes and prayers to Newman and saying that he had no idea of the severity of the crash until he got into the victory lane.
Roush Fenway Racing on Monday night said that Newman was in serious condition, but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. Newman won the 2008 Daytona 500.
