How did NASCAR driver Ryan Newman top the ‘most-searched athlete’ chart in 2020?
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Ryan Newman
Ryan Newman is one of the most respected racers in NASCAR. The “Rocket Man” competes in the SRX Camping World Series. Newman has won 18 cup races in his two-decade-long cup career and came close to winning the championship in 2014 only to lose it to Kevin Harvick in the season finale. He scored 18 cup victories and 268 top 10s from 725 starts. Newman started on the pole in 51 races in his career.
He has represented Penske Racing, SHR, RCR, and RFK Racing in the cup series. His most productive ruins came in under Penske and Childress. Ryan Newman’s fame peaked in the twilight of his career following a horror crash at the Daytona 500. Following the crash, he became the most searched athlete on google. Fans’ concern about his health was the primary cause of the searches.
The NASCAR veteran topping the list was a big surprise because the year 2020 witnessed some monumental incidents. The last four of the top 5 speak for themselves, and Newman is an outsider here. Basketball GOAT Michael Jordan came second. Boxing legend Tyson Fury came in third, and NFL great Tom Brady was in third after he made a high-profile switch to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike Tyson occupied the fifth spot.
Newman was chasing his second Daytona 500 victory and was in the lead in the 2020 season opener. But unfortunately, his car spun and caused a near-fatal accident. Newman attempt to block fellow leader Ryan Blaney sending him to the wall. The No:6 car rolled upside down and got to rest in the middle of the track. Corey LaJoie then slammed into the driver’s side of the Mustang, launching the car into the air and beyond the finish line. His car stopped in front of the Pit-stop exit.
Denny Hamlin won the race with a 0.014-second margin. Ryan Newman was hospitalized with severe injuries, but fortunately, none were life-threatening. He stayed in the hospital bed for two days. He later admitted that he still has no memory of the incident. He returned to racing after sitting out the next three season races.
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The crash transformed Ryan Newman into a better person
In an interview with NBC Sports in November of that year, Newman said that the crash changed him and became more spiritual. He said, “Probably more spiritual than I ever was. I’m more giving than I ever was. I’m more empathetic than I ever was. I’m probably a better dad. I’m a better person because I had that moment,”.
He claimed that the crash helped him to have a more positive outlook on life. He added, “So, I don’t think it’s changed me, but I think it’s exaggerated the positive things that could have been me in the past, and I appreciate that. It’s changed me only in the way that it’s made me a better person,”.
Newman has kept a grim souvenir of the wreck with him. “Not because it’s just a race car, but I tell people, how many chances do you have of a trophy of something that saved your life? And that’s how I look at it. That almost cost me my life, but it’s also the things that saved my life,” he said about why he still keeps it.
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Justin P Joy
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