“The Dog Ate It” – Ryan Newman Bashes NASCAR for Hiding Next-Gen Car’s Safety Reports

At the age of 43, Ryan Newman has seen a lot in his Cup Series career. During all these active years, he has often been outspoken about safety concerns of the drivers. So in the buildup to the 2022 season, the driver has raised similar questions about the Next Gen cars ahead of their debuts. To support his reservations, he even emphasized that he has not seen any data that indicates the Next Gen cars are safe to drive.

Showing his concern, Newman expressed, “I don’t feel it’s safe. I don’t, after having a career of 20-plus years. Want to go to a racetrack knowing I have a 9 and 10-year-old daughter and answer to myself that I jumped into a car just for the fun of it that wasn’t safe.”

According to him, the cars seem a lot stiffer and the tires lack any inner liners. So, his concerns revolve around the consequences of a blown tire, which largely stems from a lack of crash data.

To be honest, the 43-YO’s doubts hold some genuine weight, especially since he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering.

What has Ryan Newman so concerned about the cars?

Ryan’s prime concern here is the lack of data surrounding the cars. The Roush Fenway Racing driver thus criticized the governing body for not publishing the reports.

“Data is where the world is driven right now, and there’s none of that being offered to the teams or the drivers or anybody. The car was crash-tested; never saw the first thing about it. If it’s good, you show people, right? It’s like a report card. You get A’s? You go show people, You get C’s, D’s or F’s, You just hope the dog ate it or it never came in the mailbox, right? That’s where we’re at.”

On the contrary, NASCAR has insisted that they have presented the drivers with sufficient data, which has left them satisfied with the sport’s future. However, Newman had a different story to tell, though he did not mention whether he was part of any meetings.

READ MORE: “Making the Right Moves” – Ryan Newman on His NASCAR Cup Series Future