After a rain delay on Sunday, the 500 was held yesterday afternoon in front 100,000 people. The final lap the race was shaping up to be a classic as Ryan Blaney, Ryan Newman, and Denny Hamlin were all pushing for the win. Coming f the last turn and into the tri-oval, Newman was leading the race when he was spun out by Blaney who was simply trying to get in behind the leader. Newman’s car eventually hit the wall and flipped over before being hit in the driver’s side by Corey Lajoie who had no room to move.
Newman’s car came to a stop on its ro and the safety crew immediately made its way to the scene. The crew cut his car open from the site and eventually extracted him before taking the veteran driver to the hospital. It was later revealed by NASCAR and Newman’s team that the driver was in serious condition and had suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The news came as a relief to many NASCAR fans as some had feared the worst. Newman’s condition has yet to be updated as fans are hoping he will be okay in the long term.
Denny Hamlin ended up winning the race and ended up commenting on the situation saying “We’re praying for the best. Ryan’s … a tough guy. We’re hoping that he comes out this good.”