Ryan Newman said he is fully recovered after his horrific final-lap crash at the Daytona 500 and will return to racing when NASCAR resumes. Newman led heading into turn four, but as he jockeyed for position with eventual champion Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney, he locked bumpers with Blaney which caused his car to flip.
Newman crossed the finish line with his car on its roof and on fire, and was transported to a local hospital. Newman was released from the hospital two days later and said he suffered a head injury. NASCAR, which is hoping to return to racing without spectators as early as May 17, issued a statement saying Newman still needs to be cleared.
Meanwhile, NASCAR’s iRacing series continued with a virtual race from Talladega, which Alex Bowman won by holding off Corey LaJoie and Ryan Preece in a two-lap overtime. The victory was the third straight for Hendrick Motorsports, with William Byron claiming the previous two virtual races at Richmond and Bristol. Retired Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon made his iRacing debut and finished 38th.