NASCAR clears Ryan Newman for return after Daytona crash

Ryan Newman has been granted medical clearance to return to racing once the 2020 Cup Series season resumes, NASCAR announced Monday.

Newman was involved in a horrific crash near the end of the Daytona 500 in February. The 42-year-old wound up being hospitalized for two days.

The No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing driver shared with fans that he was healthy and ready to return during the broadcast of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Talladega Superspeedway. However, NASCAR had to consult with medical experts before officially granting Newman the ability to return without any restrictions.

"That's the absolute plan, for sure," Newman said on the broadcast when asked about returning. "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."

Newman wound up missing three races following Daytona before the coronavirus pandemic forced the sport to shut down. The Ford driver accrued 36 points before being hospitalized and sits 128 points behind first-place Kevin Harvick.