Ryan Newman said he’s looking “forward to being back in the seat” and racing again following his fiery crash at the Daytona 500.
“I’m so excited and thankful, all at the same time,” the NASCAR driver shared Sunday with Fox News. (RELATED: President Trump To Attend Season-Opening Daytona 500)
“Excited to be healthy and at some point back in the racecar when the world starts turning again and thankful for all the people and support that I’ve got, friends, family, fans, you name it that have prayed for me and given me this multitude of miracles that has given me this opportunity to get back in the seat at some point,” he added.
When we go back racing, @RyanJNewman will be back behind the wheel of the No. 6 machine! pic.twitter.com/NVtTSklvnI
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 26, 2020
When pressed by the reporter if he will be racing this season once things start up again, the driver said “that’s the absolute plan for sure, yeah.” (RELATED: Trump Will Attend Daytona 500 As Grand Marshal, Plans To Take A Lap In Presidential Limo The ‘Beast’)
“I’m healthy, I’ve been blessed with another layer of this situation giving me more time to heal and look forward to being back in the seat for sure,” the 42-year-old driver explained.
NASCAR officials shared in a statement to the outlet that Newman has yet to be cleared by the series to return.
“We share Ryan’s enthusiasm in his return to the track,” the statement read. “We look forward to Ryan returning to racing as soon as he is medically cleared to race.”
In an interview with the “Today” show last month, Newman said it was “just a miracle” he came out of the fiery crash in February alive after sustaining a head injury.
“Just a miracle on so many levels, and thankful for so many people for prayers, for all the things that went into me being safer in that situation,” Newman shared.
“On so many levels, I feel so lucky,” he added. “You look at the crash, you think that’s spectacular in a bad way. You look at the car afterwards, you think about all the things of what happened right for me to be sitting here.”
As previously reported, Newman’s car slid across the finish line in a crumpled heap of metal after his car flipped and rolled during the final lap of the Daytona 500.
At this point, NASCAR is planning to have the season start without spectators as early as May 17.