Until Sunday, Ryan Newman had never finished out of the top 10 at New Hampshire. Credit: Autostock

Engine problem deals hit to Newman's title hopes

LOUDON, N.H. -- Ryan Newman's Nextel Cup championship hopes took a punch in the stomach Sunday, but Newman didn't walk out of New Hampshire International Speedway with his head down.

"Man, we went out on top," Newman said, smiling. "The bright side of the day is we ran as well as we did (but) the dark side of the day was we didn't make it to the end.

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"I'm disappointed in one respect, but I think the car was awesome. It was just something in the motor -- something in the bottom end, I think (because) I lost a few things I shouldn't have."

Newman started the Sylvania 300 in 10th position -- and 10th in the Chase for the Nextel Cup -- but had raced up to the lead, and seventh in the tentative standings, by lap 256 of 300.

Six laps later, Newman's No. 12 Dodge was being put up in its hauler, its broken engine steaming ominously. Newman walked out of his truck upbeat despite a 33rd-place finish.

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"We've struggled to have cars like that all year, and to come to the front was great for us," Newman said. "We'll keep smiling and keep on going."

Coming into the Sylvania 300, Newman was 45 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.

Leaving New Hampshire and heading to next weekend's MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway -- where Newman swept both races last season -- he's ninth, 136 points behind new leader Dale Earnhardt Jr.

With nine races to go in the Chase, Newman's not overly concerned, yet; after fellow contenders Jeremy Mayfield and Tony Stewart also had trouble and finished 35th and 39th, respectively.

"We've got to smile and go on," Newman said. "If we can do what we did today for the rest of the nine, then they better watch out.

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"We can make it up -- we had to make it up from the get-go with being in 10th (so) we'll go on. It hurts, but it doesn't kill us (so) we'll go on to Dover (and) we'll go there to win, just like we did today."

Late in the run to the cutoff to the Chase, which determined the 10 contenders for the championship playoff, Newman fell as far back as 13th with three races remaining, so he and his Penske Racing team know the drill.

"I guess the bottom line is, don't cry," Newman said. "You can stay negative about the situation, but unless you're positive you're not going to get anywhere.

"The team did a great job today -- they're not the ones who built the engines. We'll figure out what happened and go on."