NASCAR: Winners And Losers From Kansas

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May 7, 2016; Kansas City, KS, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (78) leads during the GoBowling.com 400 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Martin Truex Jr.

It was Martin Truex Jr.’s night. He had the car. He had the speed. He had the advantage.

Truex won the pole for the race with an obvious edge and it showed early on in the race as he zoomed out to a one, two, three and even four second lead over the rest of the pack. His 172 laps led was by far the most of the night, but disaster struck yet again for the No. 78 team.

With about 50 laps to go, Truex entered the pits for a critical stop and rolled out in an attempt to go secure his first victory of 2016…but something else stopped that from happening.

While making a lap around the track, Truex could tell that his right-front tire had an issue, as it was crooked. This forced him to come back down pit road yet again, eliminating his chances at a win. The runaway car for most of the race was suddenly deemed beatable as Truex found himself a lap down.

Though he eventually battled back for a 14th-place finish, Saturday night at Kansas should’ve been his night–and he knew that.

Next: Success Every Weekend

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