page_title: Ryan Newman (racing driver)
section_title: Roush Fenway Racing (2019–present)
hierarchical_section_title: Ryan Newman (racing driver) / NASCAR / Cup Series / Roush Fenway Racing (2019–present)
caption_attribution_description: English: NASCAR driver Ryan Newman flipping airborne during a huge crash in the 2020 Daytona 500.
context_page_description: Ryan Joseph Newman, nicknamed "Rocket Man", is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing. He currently tied for the longest-tenured active driver in the Cup Series with Kurt Busch – both made their first start in 2000.
  Newman made his racing debut in 1993 in the United Midget Auto Racing Association and the All-American Midget Series, winning both Rookie of the Year and the championship. His 100 feature wins and two titles have him in the Quarter Midget Hall of Fame. Moving to USAC in 1995 running the C.E. Lewis No. 39 Drinan Chassis powered Brayton Motor, he was ROTY again in both the Midget Series and the Silver Crown in 1996. In 1999, he was the first driver to win in all three divisions while being the Silver Bullet Series champion in the No. 14 Beast Chassis powered Chevy.
context_section_description: On September 22, 2018, it was announced that Newman would drive the No. 6 Ford Mustang GT full-time for Roush Fenway Racing starting in 2019. At the conclusion of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, Clint Bowyer chopped Newman's nose which sent Bowyer into the wall during the cool-down lap. Following the race, Bowyer attacked Newman on pit road. Both drivers were called to the NASCAR hauler, but neither was penalized for the incident. During an autograph session at a Bass Pro Shops store on May 23, a fan brought a pair of boxing gloves for both drivers to sign. Despite not winning a race, Newman stayed consistent enough to make the 2019 playoffs. He was eliminated in the Round of 16 after multiple incidents resulted in him finishing 32nd at the Charlotte Roval. He finished 15th in the final points standings with his best finish of 2nd coming at Talladega in October after losing the lead to Ryan Blaney in a photo-finish by .007 seconds, the 6th closest finish in NASCAR history.
  On February 17, 2020, when leading on the final corner of the final lap of the 2020 Daytona 500, Newman's car was tapped in the rear by Ryan Blaney who was running second. Newman's car veered across the track and bounced off the outside wall, rolling over onto its roof and turning the driver's side toward the oncoming Corey LaJoie's car. The collision caused Newman's car to roll over again and it slid upside down in a shower of sparks and flames across the finish line in ninth position, coming to a stop hundreds of yards away from the impact. LaJoie's car suffered hood damage and caught fire, but he appeared unhurt. It took nearly 15 minutes to extract Newman from the wreck and put him in an ambulance before he was taken to Halifax Medical Center. He sustained serious but non life-threatening injuries. Over the next two days, RFR provided updates on Newman's recovery, culminating in his release from the hospital on February 19, walking unaided. Ross Chastain replaced Newman in the No. 6 starting with the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas. On February 23, a statement was released detailing Newman's status, revealing that he suffered no broken bones but was recovering from an unspecified head injury. There was no timetable for Newman's return to resume his seat upon his hospital release, subject to his rehabilitation. Three weeks after the crash, Newman made an appearance at the Phoenix race, stating he believed his survival was a miracle having looked at the state of the wreck afterwards. Newman would later hold an interview with Today on March 11 where he discussed the crash, revealing he was knocked out and sustained a bruised brain. When asked about returning to racing, he stated "as soon as I possibly can".
  Newman announced on April 26 that he will return to the driver's seat when NASCAR's 2020 season restarts, as early as May 17. On April 27, 2020, it was announced that Newman was medically cleared to return to competition. In addition, NASCAR granted him a waiver for eligibility in the 2020 playoffs.
caption: Newman airborne at the 2020 Daytona 500
exif: {}