USA TODAY International Edition
Keselowski prevails in Talladega OT
Brad Keselowski led an uncharacteristic one lap Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, but it was the one that mattered.
Keselowski took the lead on the final lap of the Geico 500 at the Alabama racetrack with a push in the bottom lane from Ford teammate Michael McDowell. The door opened for Keselowski when leader Matt DiBenedetto went from the bottom to the top at the white flag to block a run by Ryan Blaney. The finish was determined in overtime, with Keselowski holding off William Byron and McDowell as Erik Jones and Ross Chastain crashed back in the pack.
“Merry Christmas,” Keselowski said of seeing the bottom lane open. “What an awesome day today to bring the MoneyLion Ford Mustang into victory lane. The whole race, I had a couple opportunities to take the lead, but I just kept thinking, ‘ Man, keep your car in one piece.’ We’ve been so close here, and it just didn’t seem to want to come together here the last few years, and I’ve been on kind of a four- year drought here, but it’s nice to get ( win) number six. I would have never dreamed I’d tie Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. here. That’s something. ...
“I’m just really proud of my team. We had an accident there early and they recovered and got it fixed up to where I could keep running. My crew chief, Jeremy Bullins, had a lot of confidence. I told him, ‘ I want to come in and put four tires on this thing,’ and he said, ‘ Yep, go ahead.’ And that really helped a bunch at the end.”
Keselowski is the active wins leader at Talladega Superspeedway. Dale Earnhardt Sr. is the all- time leader with 10.
Joey Logano said “we have to fix” superspeedway racing after going for a wild ride Sunday. On the final lap of the first stage, lap 60, Logano ran third in the outside lane behind his Ford teammates DiBenedetto and Blaney when he was tagged in the left rear by Denny Hamlin. Hamlin had been pushed out of line after a bump by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and when Stenhouse hit Hamlin again, it sent Hamlin into Logano.
The No. 22 Ford spun to the inside, and when Stenhouse hit Logano, it sent his car flipping. When Logano landed, his car slid over the roof of Bubba Wallace Jr.’ s car.
“I don’t know what to think,” Logano said. “It’s a product of this racing, and on the one hand, I’m so proud to drive a Cup car that is safe that can go through a crash like that, and ( I) can get out and speak about it. On the one hand, I’m mad about being in the crash, and on the other hand, I’m just happy I’m alive. On another hand I think, when are we going to stop? Because this is dangerous doing what we’re doing. I’ve got a roll bar on my head. That’s not OK. ... I just don’t think that’s acceptable. A lot of it’s due to this big spoiler and big runs, the pushing, and all that. It’s no one’s fault; Denny’s trying to go, and the 47’ s trying to go. It’s a product of this racing. We have to fix it, though, because someone already got hurt, and we’re still doing it. So, that’s not real smart.”
Kevin Harvick finished fourth, and DiBenedetto finished fifth.
DiBenedetto was leading when the final caution flew with four laps to go in regulation. A flat tire off Martin Truex Jr.’ s car reshuffled the field. For the overtime restart, DiBenedetto took the inside lane with Keselowski behind him as Blaney restarted on the outside with Harvick behind him.