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“I Get to Hit the Reset Button”: Bittersweet Memories for Ryan Newman Ahead of Daytona Return

Published 08/15/2020, 10:31 AM EDT

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When Ryan Newman arrives at the Daytona International Speedway, he will be experiencing plenty of flashbacks. This will be the first time he races at the venue since the last-lap accident that left him hospitalized.

At the time, Newman was on the verge of winning the season-opening race in February. Unfortunately, a push from Ryan Blaney unsettled his Ford and pitched him into the wall and upside down.

The drama didn’t stop there, as an unsuspecting Corey LaJoie slammed into an out-of-control Newman. By the time the car obeyed the laws of gravity, it slid across the finish line on its roof and stopped just before the exit of pit road.

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After more than 15 minutes, the marshals managed to extricate a shaken Newman and sent him to Halifax Medical Center. The good news was that he was able to walk away from the hospital.

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Speaking to NBC Sports, he said, “I’m just thankful for the opportunity to continue on. I get to hit the reset button in a roundabout way, not with my life, but the reality is just to continue to play on.”

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Regarding the severity of the injuries, Ryan Newman sustained a bruised brain. This cost him three races until the coronavirus pandemic jammed the pause button. Even though he was close to winning the Daytona 500, he is not dwelling on what could have been.

Following this weekend, the NASCAR paddock will be back again after two weeks. However, this will only be for the Cup and Xfinity teams on August 29, which heralds the end of the Cup regular season.

Unsurprisingly, Newman wants to back at least one win before the playoffs begin. The man is brimming with confidence because the team has made some huge improvements.

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He admitted that if he wanted to lead at least one lap, it should be the last lap. However, he cautioned against complacence, though Newman insisted that the target is winning races.

He concluded, “Leading a bunch of laps and finishing 35th isn’t going to cut it… It’s been a struggle for us, as many other teams, just the lack of track time, the lack of laps and getting the car dialed in. It’s been a challenge.”

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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