Keselowski wins in overtime

TALLADEGA, ALA. >> Brad Keselowski made exactly the right final move this time, winning again at Talladega Superspeedway and demonstrating a painful lesson well learned.

Keselowski’s overtime victory made him the ninth driver to win through 10 NASCAR Cup races this season and avenged an embarrassing Team Penske gaffe in the season-opening Daytona 500. He and teammate Joey Logano triggered a last-lap crash as Keselowski tried to pass Logano for the victory.

“Daytona, that’s a big one. Oh man, it stings still,” Keselowski said. “But this is a good one. We’ll take it. Beggars can’t be choosers. I certainly learned some lessons from that race and I tried to apply them, and it all came together there at the end.

“Michael McDowell gave me a good push like he did at Daytona, and I was a little bit smarter with how I handled it.”

Keselowski led just one lap, the last one, in a race that featured 35 lead changes among 27 drivers.

“The whole race I had a couple opportunities to take the lead, but I just kept thinking, ‘Man, keep your car in one piece,’” Keselowski said.

Logano was involved in an airborne wreck and called on NASCAR to change the dangerous racing conditions at Daytona and Talladega.

“On one hand, I am mad about being in the crash and on the other, I am happy to be alive,” Logano said. “On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not OK.

“I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don’t feel like that is acceptable.”

Newman escaped serious injury racing for the win on the final lap of the 2020 Daytona 500.

All three Roger Penske drivers have now claimed spots in the 16-driver playoff field.