Newman on Daytona Crash: “It’s Not In My Memory”

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One year ago, NASCAR fans didn’t know what was ahead for Ryan Newman after a devastating wreck during the Daytona 500. However, Newman defied logic and escaped the unthinkable. One year later, Newman returned to Daytona in his Number 6 Ford and feeling good as he told DA on CBS Sports Radio.

“Just to be competitive, and obviously we led it one point there, actually in the same corner that we got crashed at several laps later but…. the ending was definitely better this year but not good in anyway, so we'll go back and try it again this next weekend.”

Newman overcame the odds to return to Daytona. It leaves him with some perspective of that day. “When I was unable to remember all those things, it kind of makes it easier to make that next step of getting back in the race car and doing what I love… It's not in my memory and it's just makes it easier, and I mean I've always known that there's danger out there on the racetrack and off the race track but would we choose to ignore or accept that every day doing what we love to do?”

It’s back to Daytona for another cup race on Sunday for Roush Fenway Racing. Newman and company want to rebound. “We've spent a lot of time in the offseason trying to prep ourselves for what we need to be more competitive and we won't know if we've done all the right things until the checkered flags drop…we did get to the Busch clash in and we showed some signs of improvement from where we were last year at the road course. So that's one thing. But the real season started when the Daytona 500 started… our next race at the road course in Daytona will be a real testament of all the effort that's going into our Roush Fenway listings.”