NASCAR: Ryan Newman has already been back in a Cup car
By Asher Fair
Ryan Newman has reportedly already been back behind the wheel of a NASCAR Cup Series car following his horrifying crash at Daytona International Speedway.
Roush Fenway Racing NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Newman confirmed Sunday during the live broadcast of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Talladega Superspeedway on Fox and Fox Sports 1 that he plans to return to Cup Series action as soon as the 2020 season resumes.
Newman last competed in a race back on Monday, February 17. Leading the Daytona 500 on the final lap of the race, he was involved in a massive wreck that left him with a brain bruise.
He missed the next three races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, with Ross Chastain serving as his replacement.
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But after the race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8, the season was suspended indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and there have not been any races contested since that date.
Following Newman’s announcement, NASCAR has medically cleared him to return to racing, meaning that he will likely end up missing only three races instead of nine, given that six races would have taken place from the time the season was put on hold up until now had the threat of COVID-19 not been in existence.
However, as it turns out, the 41-year-old South Bend, Indiana native has reportedly already been back behind the wheel of a Cup car, and long before making this announcement.
.@RyanJNewman ran a private test at Darlington Raceway in mid March, just before the coronavirus pandemic touched off, per sources.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) April 27, 2020
➖ Newman is expected to return to the No. 6 as soon as May 17th at Darlington. pic.twitter.com/zevSQM9i3g
NASCAR suspended the 2020 season on Friday, March 13, two days before the scheduled race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, meaning that it has likely been a month and a half before this reported test took place at the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) Darlington Raceway oval in Darlington, South Carolina.
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Darlington Raceway has been rumored as the possible return venue for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season on Sunday, May 17 with a previously non-scheduled event. As of now, the season is scheduled to resume on Sunday, May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but that is subject to change. Regardless, expect Ryan Newman to be back behind the wheel of the #6 Ford whenever the green flag flies again.