Darlington provided us with our fair share of adversity last weekend. We had an engine problem during Happy Hour on Friday and a gear problem early in the race Saturday to set us back. We finished in a disappointing 36th place.

	Sauter is currently 13th in the Busch points standings.

During qualifying Friday, we posted a fast lap of 167.419 mph and earned the 20th starting position. Then, later that day during the one-hour final practice session, I had just completed a 20-lap run and was getting set for another long run when the motor problem developed.

But it's better to happen in Happy Hour than 20 laps into the race. The Quality Farm and Country pit crew would have to change out engines prior to the race.

With the new engine installed, we were ready to tackle the track commonly labeled as "Too Tough to Tame." To be successful at Darlington, I realize you must race the track, not the competition. Our goal was to stay out of trouble and work our way toward the front, while focusing on the track.

The car felt strong from the wave of the green flag. We were able to gain several positions early on in the race. Then, while exiting Turn 4 on lap 44, I began to lose speed. I brought the car into the pits.

The problem was diagnosed in the gear, so the team worked feverishly to get the gear changed and get the car back out on the track. The car was still strong upon re-entering the race, but we were too far back to make-up ground. We would finish in the 36th position.

It's really unfortunate, because I had such a good car under me, we just some bad breaks. The car is in one piece, so it's not all bad. Darlington can be really tough, so to leave with our Quality Farm Stores Chevy in one piece is good.

The other good news is that we are still well within range of the top-10 in the overall Busch standings. The Quality Farm and Country team is currently in 13th position and only 49 points away from the top-10.

We as a team are still very confident and are looking forward to Bristol next weekend to begin another consistent string of top finishes.

Jay Sauter drives the No. 43 car in the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division and will be submitting a weekly diary to ESPN.com throughout the season.