10:47 AM PT -- EVEN MORE GREAT NEWS!!! Newman was just officially released from the hospital and walked out of the building with his 2 daughters by his side! Amazing!!!
2/19 -- MORE GREAT NEWS -- here's a pic of Ryan Newman SMILING with his daughters in his hospital room ... proof he continues to make great progress in his recovery after that scary Daytona 500 crash.
Also worth noting ... Newman appears to be STANDING in the photo -- which is another great sign.
"Ryan Newman continues to show great improvement after Monday night's last-lap accident at Daytona International Speedway," Roush Fenway Racing says.