The finish of the famous Daytona 500 NASCAR car race was marred by a huge high-speed crash as leader Ryan Newman was sent flying into the air after hitting a wall and being hit by a car following him.
Key points:
- The Daytona 500 in Florida is one of NASCAR’s most famous races, taking place on a 2.5-mile oval track at the speedway that bears the race’s name.
- Ryan Newman was taken to hospital after his car crashed while leading on the final lap. His team later said he was in serious condition and not life-threatening.
- A crash at the same race in 2001 resulted in the death of motorsports legend Dale Earnhardt – the last death in a NASCAR event.
Denny Hamlin made history with a second straight Daytona 500 victory in a photo finish over Ryan Blaney, a celebration that quickly fell silent as news of Newman’s wreck spread.
“I think we sometimes take the safety of cars for granted,” Hamlin said. “But first, we pray for Ryan.“
About two hours after the crash, NASCAR read a statement from Roush Fenway Racing that Newman was in “serious condition, but doctors indicated his injuries were not life-threatening.”
Steve O’Donnell, executive vice president of NASCAR, said Newman was being treated at Halifax Medical Center.
“On behalf of (NASCAR), we are going to continue to work with the racing team and Ryan’s family to support them in any way we can,” O’Donnell said.
“We ask that you respect their privacy and in the future we will provide updates where possible.
“At this time, our thoughts are with Ryan and his family.”
NASCAR abandoned the traditional victory party for Hamlin’s third Daytona 500 victory, rocked by Newman’s crash, 19 years after Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
Earnhardt was the last driver killed in a NASCAR Cup Series race.
Newman had taken the lead on the final lap when Blaney’s bumper hit the back of his Ford and sent Newman hard into the wall.
His car flipped, rolled, was hit on the driver’s side by another car and ultimately skidded across the finish line in flames.
It took several minutes to get his car back on its wheels. The 2008 Daytona 500 winner was placed in a waiting ambulance and taken directly to the hospital.
The damage to his Mustang was significant. It seemed like the entire safety cage designed to protect his head had collapsed.
Drivers were struck with worry, including Corey LaJoie, the shaken driver who hit Newman’s car as it was turning over.
“Damn I hope Newman is okay,” he posted on Twitter. “This is the worst case scenario and I had nowhere to go but (into) the smoke.“
Denny Hamlin celebrated his third Daytona 500 victory in five years at Victory Lane after the race. (AP: John Raoux)
Hamlin is the first driver since Sterling Marlin in 1995 to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, but his celebration in victory lane was subdued.
Hamlin said he was unaware of Newman’s situation when he began his celebration. It wasn’t until Fox Sports told him they wouldn’t interview him in Part 1 after his burnout that Hamlin learned the Newman incident was serious.
“It’s a strange balance between excitement and happiness for yourself, but the health of someone and their family is more important than any victory in any sport,” he said. “We just hope for the best.”
Team owner Joe Gibbs apologized after the race for the winning team’s celebration.
“We didn’t know it until the win,” Gibbs said.
“I know for many of us, participating in sports and being in activities that involve risk, in some way, is what we’re passionate about.
“In racing we know what can happen, we just dream that it doesn’t happen. We are all praying now for the outcome of this case.“
Runner-up Blaney said the way the final lap played out, with Newman ahead of Hamlin, that Blaney received a push from Hamlin that locked him behind Newman in a trademark alliance move for Ford.
“We pushed Newman to the lead and then we had a push from the 11th…I was determined to push him to the win and have a Ford win it and have the bumpers wired wrong,” he said.
“It looked bad.”
Hamlin’s victory last year was a 1-2-3 for Joe Gibbs Racing and kicked off a year-long celebration in which Gibbs drivers won a record 19 races and the Cup championship.
Now his third Daytona 500 victory places him alongside six Hall of Fame drivers as winners of three or more Daytona 500s.
P.A.
