Darlington hosted NASCAR Throwback Weekend and we even had a throwback driver on the track in Ryan Newman, but he was worse for wear after the race. Darlington can leave you feeling beat up. Newman told his team he may have broken some ribs after he spun out during the Goodyear 400. He kept reporting rib pain after a wreck caused by Erik Jones.
The 45-year-old driver has been out of the game for a couple of years now. He’s never driven in the Next Gen car. So, it was a learning experience. Even the pain that he experienced was part of learning, I guess.
While Ryan Newman reported his rib pain after spinning out during the race, that might not be the cause for concern. Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported on Twitter that Newman was uncomfortable from his seat.
Ryan Newman struggles in first Next Gen experience
As for the race itself, Ryan Newman didn’t have much luck. He couldn’t really find his footing, which is to be expected. On top of that, Newman had no experience besides simulator tests, I assume. It is a challenge for sure.
The good news is, Newman finished the race. He came home P28 overall, but he was able to get it across the finish line. I’m sure getting out of that seat felt like a massive relief to the veteran racecar driver.
Let’s hope the next time out is a better experience for Newman. When retired drivers do these return races it is fun.
Thankfully, Ryan Newman didn’t get into a really hard wreck. It doesn’t sound like it would have felt too great for the already hurt driver.
