“God deletes that chapter for a reason”: When Ryan Newman gave a heartfelt account of his near-death ordeal 

Ryan Newman once recalled the horrific day when his potential 2020 Daytona 500 triumph turned into a devastating affair, becoming teary-eyed as he remembered his daughter’s words. The former NASCAR driver lunged for a late lead on the final lap but Ryan Blaney’s move sent the former’s #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford into the outside wall, resulting in a near-death experience.

Newman had disappointing seasons preceding the 2020 Daytona 500, with his last win coming from the 2017 Phoenix race. However, after capitalizing from Blaney’s final lap draft, the Roush Fenway Racing driver grabbed the lead, gunning for his maiden win in nearly four years.

But the Team Penske driver’s move over Newman proved costly as the latter’s Ford got nudged from the rear, brutally slamming into the outside wall. The momentum forced Newman’s car to violently flip on the track before Corey Lajoie’s final bang sent the #6 Ford screeching on the asphalt for a P9 finish, with sparks flying on the 2.5-mile oval.

Ryan Newman was knocked unconscious but was deemed safe upon examination by medical professionals. A year later, the 18-time Cup Series race winner recalled that he knew stories and conversations about the disaster but revealed that god deleted that moment from his memory.

“I’ve got stories, I’ve got conversations, but in my mind, it still doesn’t exist. And I don’t know how to answer that other than god deletes that chapter for a reason,” Newman said via NASCAR on FOX.

Newman became tear-eyed as he remembered his eldest daughter Brooklyn’s comment after the brutal Daytona blow.

“My oldest daughter, she made the comment of, ‘Daddy, you got to to keep living so that you know we can spend time together,’ and that was pretty special.”

With Newman’s crash, Denny Hamlin regained the lead to win his second consecutive Daytona 500. However, he wasn’t aware of the former’s misery until after he celebrated his triumph.

“It's not something you ever want to remember”: When Ryan Blaney reflected on wrecking Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman already had a Daytona 500 triumph in his arsenal, earned in 2008, after besting 190 of 200 laps and surging from a seventh-place start to a race-win. Ryan Blaney, on the other hand, was eyeing his career-first Daytona triumph.

The Team Penske driver had a poor qualifying and kicked off the 2020 season-opener race from 27th place. Still, the #12 Ford Mustang climbed among the race leaders, becoming primed for the win after bump-drafting Newman to overtake Denny Hamlin.

But the desire to outduel Ryan Newman took the better of Blaney and he spun the Roush driver out of the way. One year after the horrific crash stemmed from his Ford, Blaney expressed it was something he didn’t want to remember.

“It's not something you ever want to remember. It is hard to believe it was two years ago," Blaney said via First Coast News.

“That was a difficult time for him and everybody around because we're all family. We're fierce competitors and want to beat each other, but you never ever want to see anyone get hurt," he added.

Ryan Newman missed three races due to the accident and marked his return at the Darlington Raceway, finishing 15th.