The first race in Nashville last weekend at the new superspeedway will be a race I will never forget. It was one of those races where, had it not been for a freak accident, we could have been celebrating in Victory Lane.

However, after picking up a piece of debris during a caution lap, the radiator was punctured and our day was quickly over.

	Jay Sauter had one of the cars to beat last week at Nashville Superspeedway.

Going into Nashville, there were only a few Busch drivers that had been able to test at the new track. On Thursday, it was a full open-test day for all the entries. It was our first chance to run laps with the Quality Farm Stores Chevy in efforts to prepare the car for the new track and its concrete surface.

Many teams voiced concerns over the difficulty in adapting to the new track, but Gene (Nead, crew chief) did a great job in adjusting the car to the track. On the first day, we posted lap times in the top five.

When it came time to qualify Friday afternoon, we were one of the cars everyone was watching. We posted a qualifying speed of 157.772 mph to earn the ninth starting position. It was the best qualifying effort for us thus far in the 2001 season.

At the start of the race, I realized quickly we had a strong enough car to challenge for the win. On lap 50, we were able to move into the third position, and gain ground on the race leaders.

During our first pit stop, the crew did a great job to get me out quickly. We moved into the second position after the stop.

On lap 78, we were able to take the lead of the race. However, the lead was only for one lap. A lapped car ahead of us hit the wall in Turn 2 and brought out a caution. As I maneuvered by the wreckage, a piece of debris from the accident came through the brake duct and into the side of the radiator. The water temperature rose quickly. The car eventually overheated and we were done for the day.

A possible challenge for our first Busch Series win was foiled by a piece of debris. It is unfortunate knowing the Quality Farm Stores Chevrolet was one of the cars to beat.

It's just bad luck. I really had a strong car, but sometimes strange things happen to end your day. I'm not upset because this was something that was not self-inflicted. Our entire team worked really hard and their work showed on the track. It's a tribute to our team to be strong right off the truck and get better all weekend. It's just tough luck.

The team now stands 14th in overall Busch Series points after eight races.

The next stop is Talladega Superspeedway. We ran very well there last year and I will be driving the same car we took to Daytona earlier this year, so I am looking forward to a competitive weekend. The Pontiacs will have a little advantage at Talladega, but I hope to be racing right with them. I'm sure we'll be racing three-wide most of the day, so it'll be exciting for the fans, I'm sure.

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.