Ryan Newman needs 'no fault insurance'

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Sometimes it is difficult to be a fan. In one afternoon I went from a kid on Christmas Eve to one who got coal in her stocking.

Ryan Newman's day looked promising; his WIX Chevrolet looked great at Phoenix International Raceway, one of his favorite tracks. He has seen some success at Phoenix. But not this time!

Newman and his team found speed and balance in what had mostly been an ill-handling race car. Then, just like at Daytona days earlier, while Newman was making his way into the top 10, he was taken out--collateral damage--caused by someone else. This time, Newman was on the outside, going around Carl Edwards who was on the inside. Edwards bobbled a little; it was just enough to hit Newman in the left rear quarter panel, sending him spinning hard into the wall.

Miraculously, Newman's #39 team repaired the car well enough to allow Newman to finish the race. He crossed the finish line in 21st place. It was certainly not what he wanted, nor was it fun to watch.

All is not lost however, as Newman actually rose two spots in the points--up to 18th--43 points behind the leader. With this being just the second race of the season, there is plenty of time to make up the deficit. Newman is as good as anyone at rising from the ashes. So, it is on to Las Vegas.