On Feb. 16, the NASCAR’s Daytona 500 ended in catastrophe as driver Ryan Newman, who was battling for first place, was involved in a near-fatal crash. During the final lap of the event, Ryan Blaney’s front bumper connected with Newman’s rear bumper causing Newman to swerve into the wall then flip head-on into another driver going upwards of 200 mph. Newman’s car was set ablaze as it slid upside down hundreds of yards and actually crossed the finish line.
Blaney explained that he and Newman, “just got bumpers hooked up wrong and turned,” an accident that happens often in NASCAR. Although the crash was horrific, Newman was released from the hospital in a mere four days due to NASCAR’s incredible safety precautions inside the car. Blaney explained later. “I don’t want to say, ‘Those things happen.’ I feel really bad about it, man, but close one. I hope Ryan is alright.”
Newman’s recovery was remarkable, to say the least, but just how many more crashes do there need to be for NASCAR to stop such a dangerous sport. Along with 28 different drivers dying since NASCAR was established in 1948, it’s viewership has dropped tremendously throughout the 21st century.
Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark read a statement from Newman, which read “I’m sorry that I can’t be at the track in person, but I asked Steve to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for all the support that was shown last week to both me and my family. The outpouring of emotion from not only the NASCAR community, but across the country has been truly humbling.”
Though the Daytona 500 in 2020 had a little bump in viewership, the past three to four years has shown a major drop in both ratings and viewership. According to an article in Forbes, NASCAR saw an 18% drop in ratings and a 20% drop in viewership which is almost unheard of in any major league sport. In 2017, those numbers dropped even more tremendously to 42% in ratings and 38% in viewership overall. However, NASCAR relies on its sponsors much more than its viewers and ratings to support its business, so its demise is not in the near future.
Ryan Newman’s crash gave NASCAR fans a look back at the incredibly sad Dale Earnhardt death in 2001, making many realize that the sport is not only dangerous but deadly. Viewership and ratings may drop or increase due to the crash, but the NASCAR rating will never be what it used to. Many viewers have admitted to only going to NASCAR races on the off chance that there may be a crash which is like going to a baseball game expecting a player to get hit in the face with a pitch.
According to Fox analyst Jeff Gordon “Safety has come a long way in this sport. Sometimes we are reminded that it is a very dangerous sport. Thoughts and prayers are with Ryan Newman.”
The General Manager of Front Row Motors, Jerry Freeze, was asked about sponsorship for NASCAR and said, “The beginning of my time in NASCAR, we would have one sponsor that would sponsor the car for the whole year. And now the car has a different look each week, depending on who the partners are. So you’re left scrambling to get decals produced and putting them on the car before the next race.”
NASCAR is an accident waiting to happen. Ryan Newman and the 28 others who have died on the track are just an example of what might go wrong on the racetrack.
