Fans celebrated outside the hospital Ryan Newman was rushed to after word spread that, though he is in serious condition, his injuries were not life-threatening and that he was expected to live.
Newman was taken to the hospital after a terrible crash during the last lap of the Daytona 500 Monday night.
NASCAR tweeted the news around 10 p.m. By then, many fans were waiting outside Halifax Health Medical Center, just a few minutes away from the track, waiting for updates.
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Newman was taken to the hospital after a terrible crash during the last lap of the Daytona 500 Monday night.
Chris Fulk didn’t hide his excitement after word broke that Newman was expected to live, raising his hand to the air and yelling: “He’s the Rocket Man for a reason! Thank you Lord!”
“He’ll be all right, because he pulled through this,” Fulk told Channel 9. “This was a horrific wreck; he hit the wall at 200 mph, then got hit in the driver’s side at 200 mph, and he’s pulling through. So he’s the Rocket Man -- he’ll be back.”
One person said he witnessed Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s fatal crash during the Daytona 500 in 2001, and is hoping for a different outcome for Newman.
“We’re praying for him. We’re hoping they come out with good news,” he said.
See video of fans celebrating the good news below:
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Fans, celebrities and fellow racers took to social media to express their well wishes to Newman.