While Gibbs was caught up in the moment, just about everyone else at Daytona was concerned about Ryan Newman. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Gibbs apologizes for celebrating Denny Hamlin’s Daytona 500 win

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 2/17/20

Joe Gibbs apologized on Monday night for celebrating Denny Hamlin’s Daytona 500 win, which looked inappropriate in light of Ryan Newman’s crash.

Newman crashed near the finish line of the race and his car flipped over and caught fire.

Gibbs, whose Joe Gibbs Racing team saw driver Denny Hamlin win “The Great American Race” for the second year in a row, celebrated the victory. He later apologized, saying they did not realize how serious the wreck was.

Joe Gibbs issues an apology for the Denny Hamlin team celebrating winning the #Daytona500 after the Ryan Newman wreck. Says they did not see the severity of it and are praying for him. Somber. pic.twitter.com/sjqf8SkNvQ

— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) February 18, 2020

Newman was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, with the racing world awaiting an update on his condition.

This was a strong start to the season for JGR. Their drivers finished 1-2-3 at last year’s Daytona 500 and Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Cup championship. Hamlin has now won the Daytona 500 three times.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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