Ryan Newman, who was seriously injured in a Daytona 500 crash, earned the nickname 'Rocket Man' when he was just 22
Newman was a star racer as a teenager and went on to receive an engineering degree from Purdue University.
Following his graduation from Purdue, Newman burst onto the NASCAR scene when he was 22, where he earned the nickname 'Rocket Man' and set a rookie record.
When Newman entered the NASCAR scene in 2002, he was quickly nicknamed "Rocket Man" thanks to a number of first-season pole positions — the spot given to the driver with the best qualifying time in trials.
He was 22 at the time, and set a rookie record with six pole wins.
Source: WFTV
Newman, now 42, is in his 19th full season with NASCAR.
He's also in his second season with Roush Fenway Racing, after five years with Richard Childress Racing.
Source: NASCAR
Newman is the father of two young girls.
Newman has two young daughters, named Brooklyn and Ashlyn. They're regularly seen at his racing events.
Newman and his wife, Krissie, are founders of an animal rescue nonprofit.
Newman and Krissie launched Rescue Ranch in 2012 on 87 acres in Statesville, North Carolina.
The animal welfare organization "promotes humane education by focusing on rescuing on a fundamental level through hands-on learning and care for animals," according to its website.
The ranch hopes to expand to create nature walks, education trails, a 24-hour emergency veterinarian clinic, and a rescue foster and adoption program.
Source: Rescue Ranch
Newman and his wife announced they were separating just days before the Daytona 500 crash.
Days before Monday's crash, Newman and his wife, Krissie, announced they were separating after 16 years of marriage.
The couple made the announcement last Thursday, just days before Newman's crash.
They described the split as amicable, saying they would still co-parent their daughters and continue their work at their nonprofit.
Krissie was not in Daytona when Newman was injured in the crash, but said hours before it started that she was "praying for a safe race."
Source: Business Insider
Newman has 18 career cup series wins, and once finished 2nd in a Cup Championship.
Over Newman's nearly 20 years in NASCAR, he's earned 18 Cup wins and 51 Cup poles — the top qualifying race position. Among his 18 Cup wins are the 2008 Daytona 500 and 2013 Brickyard 400.
His best Cup Championship finish was in 2014, when he placed 2nd.
In 2002, he beat out Jimmie Johnson to earn the title of Sunoco Rookie of the year.
His full career stats are listed here.
Source: NASCAR, Motor Racing Network
Newman is recovering from Monday's crash in a Daytona hospital.
Newman was taken to Halifax Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries on Monday night, said NASCAR executive Steve O'Donnell after the incident.
"We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that you respect the privacy of Ryan and his family at this time," O'Donnell said.
A statement published on Newman's Twitter said that updates would be released as they became available.
Both President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg expressed their support.
Source: Business Insider
Praying for Ryan Newman, a great and brave @NASCAR driver! #PrayingForRyan
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2020Praying for a son of South Bend tonight, as we all wish the best for @RyanJNewman and his family after today’s devastating accident. https://t.co/SCEMih5H8Y
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 18, 2020
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