Denny Hamlin wins 3rd Daytona 500; Ryan Newman hospitalized

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ryan Newman flipped across the finish line, his Ford planted upside down and on fire, a grim reminder of a sport steeped in danger that has stretched nearly two decades without a fatality. At the finish line, Denny Hamlin made history with a second straight Daytona 500 victory in an overtime photo finish over Ryan Blaney, a celebration that quickly became muted as drivers awaited an update on Newman’s condition. “But number one, we are praying for Ryan.” Roughly two hours after the crash, NASCAR read a statement from Roush Fenway Racing that said Newman is in “serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life threatening.” During the long wait for an update, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his concern. “He is so respected for being a great competitor by everyone in the sport.” NASCAR scrapped the traditional victory lane party for Hamlin’s third Daytona 500 victory, rocked by Newman’s accident 19 years after Dale Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. “That is worst case scenerio and I had nowhere to go but smoke.” Hamlin is the first driver since Sterling Marlin in 1995 to win consecutive Daytona 500’s, but his celebration in victory lane was subdued.