Ross Chastain has been chosen to drive the No. 6 Ford at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while Ryan Newman recovers from injuries sustained during his last-lap wreck in Monday’s Daytona 500.
In a statement earlier Wednesday, Roush Fenway Racing announced that Newman had left Halifax Medical Center after being treated and released.
In the release to announce Chastain’s hiring “starting at Las Vegas,” the team said “there is no timetable for Newman’s return. Additional updates will be provided as they become available.”
Chastain has enjoyed success at Las Vegas, earning his first career victory in the Xfinity Series at the 1.5-mile track on Sept. 15, 2018. He is slated to drive a full-time season in Xfinity this year with Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Chevrolet and will be pulling double-duty in Cup and Xfinity at Las Vegas.
“The NASCAR community has long prided itself on being a close-knit family,” Roush Fenway Racing president Steve Newmark said in the release. “That is never more evident than during these types of moments, and we want to express our appreciation to everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing as well as Kaulig Racing for allowing Ross to fill in for Ryan in the No. 6 on such short notice.”
No one could ever take the place of Ryan Newman on the track, and I can’t wait to have him back. As we continue to pray for a full and speedy recovery, I’ll do my best to make him and everyone at Roush Fenway Racing proud. #RocketMan https://t.co/Y26pb3rEr2
— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) February 19, 2020
Former Roush Fenway driver David Ragan, who finished fourth in the Daytona 500, also seemed a likely candidate for the ride. But Ragan indicated in a humorous tweet Wednesday morning that he was committed to remaining retired after announcing last year that 2019 would be his last full-time season.
The family and I have big plans on Saturday to stop by the local flea market. So I am out. https://t.co/ra9axsP0gj
— David Ragan (@DavidRagan) February 19, 2020