STP 400: Rolling the Dice at Kansas Speedway Brings Heartache

If it were easy, everybody would do it. That's why racing at NASCAR's highest level is not for the faint of heart.

The highs can be like no other, but when a good day turns bad for a driver, the pain is tough to take.

Martin Truex Jr. dominated Sunday's race with his No. 56 NAPA Toyota, leading 173 laps, but his last set of tires likely cost him a win as he battled Denny Hamlin in the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Truex looked to be so close to getting a win for Michael Waltrip Racing after a winless streak of 174 races.

The look on his face after the race showed just how badly he wanted to win and how much the loss hurt, despite a second-place finish.

Kurt Busch maintained a top-10 position for most of the race in his plain red and white No. 51 Chevrolet. He was even running in the top five and looking pretty racy.

The car owned by Phoenix Racing did not display any sponsorship, emphasizing their invitation for a new sponsor to come on board.

Busch, like six or so other drivers, fell victim to engine problems late in the race and finished 17th.

The engine problems were possibly due to the lower gear, higher rpms and cooler than expected weather.

A.J. Allmendinger experienced the high of being on the pole for the STP 400 only to find himself one of those unlucky drivers who had engine problems with his No. 22 Penske Dodge.

Clint Bowyer used to drive by Kansas Speedway when it was being built, never thinking he would race there. He so wanted to win with his MWR Toyota, but he was out early in the race with engine problems.

For Bowyer and Carl Edwards, a win at Kansas Speedway would mean more than winning any other race. For them, it is their home track. Edwards, who is from nearby Columbia, Mo., finished ninth.

Once again, the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers were unable to bring the 200th Cup win to Rick Hendrick.

Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne finished third, seventh and eighth, respectively. Jeff Gordon continues with his lack of success this season, finishing 21st with engine problems.

Greg Biffle finished fifth with his Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 and remains atop the point standings for yet another week.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, basked in the thrill of Victory Lane for the second time this season. He joins Tony Stewart as the only other driver to have multiple wins this season.

Eight of the 26 races to the Chase are in the books. Points become more critical with each race and poor finishes may be hard to recover from without winning races.

Drivers rolled the dice with daring moves in the shadow of the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway. For Hamlin, it was a spectacular win, but for others the disappointment brought heartache.