Newman Goes Out On Top -- Engine Troubles at NHIS

Yeah, Ryan had a damn good car all day on Sunday, making his way up to second place late in the race. After leader Kurt Busch pitted, Ryan took the lead and gain his 5-bonus points for leading a lap, but then when his crew was telling him to come into pit lane for gas and fresh tires, his engine started to sputter and Ryan said over the radio, "It's going to blow any second."

Instant depression for me -- I was pretty much pissed. Besides other guys in "The Chase" like Tony Stewart and Jeremy Mayfield who were caught up in an accident early on in the race, they all took a hit in the points. Ryan ended up finishing 33rd.

Ryan actually moved up from 10th place to 9th, but his points total took the major hit. Only nine races remain in the season for the championship, but during Ryan's post-race interview, he still has great confidence in his cars and his team and who knows, maybe he'll get back up there in contention.

Here's the standings are Race 1:

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5210
2. Kurt Busch 5210
3. Jeff Gordon 5201
4. Matt Kenseth 5200
5. Jimmie Johnson 5180
6. Elliott Sadler 5172
7. Mark Martin 5139
8. Tony Stewart 5086
9. Ryan Newman 5074
10. Jeremy Mayfield 5068

Next up is Dover -- the race that Ryan won last year. The wild card has to be Talladega, which is the week after Dover. If you're not a race fan but want to get caught up into the NASCAR scene, watch the Talladega race. You might see "The Big One," a huge accident that usually involves 20+ cars. Exciting shit!