The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Keselowski wins playoff opener in Vegas
Brad Keselowski raced to his third consecutive Cup series victory Sunday, securing 500th win for Penske.
LAS VEGAS » Brad Keselowski nailed the final restart and roared away from the field in the scorching Vegas heat.
With another huge performance in his late-season surge, Keselowski finished up front again — and he’s got NASCAR’s Big Three drivers looking over their shoulders.
Keselowski raced to his third consecutive Cup series victory Sunday, opening the playoffs by persevering through a wreckfilled afternoonand taking charge of overtime.
He also secured team owner Roger Penske’s 500th victory across all competitions with his resourceful performance amid 99-degree conditions and constant stop-and-start late drama of a race featuring 12 cautions and several wrecks.
“I didn’t think it was ever going to end,” Keselowski said after his 27th career victory and third in Las Vegas. “I was worried about running out of gas there at the end.”
Keselowski had plenty of worries with just two laps to go while he sat in his stationary car and waited for the cleanup of MichaelMcDowell’swreckwith Kurt Busch. But after the red-flag stop ended, nobody could keep upwith Keselowski’s Team Penske Ford.
The victory extended an extraordinary late-season run for Keselowski, who won at Darlington and the Brickyard in consecutive weeks before Vegas. Keselowski credited his pit crew’s efficiency for the latest win in his improbable surge, which has added some intrigue to a NASCAR season largely dominated by the Big Three of Truex, Harvick and Kyle Busch.
“We have not been the best car the last three weeks,” Keselowski said. “We put everything together
when it counted, and we kind of stole it today. Same scenario the last twoweeks. ... I feel like we stole the last three races. We’re not complaining, but we still have a lot of work to do to go out there and win heads-up without those issues.”
Penske was not in attendance for his landmark victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, instead watching from Sonoma at the IndyCar season finale. He formed Team Penske in 1966, and it has fielded 50 winning drivers across 14 race series during the ensuing 52 years.
The owner pumped his fist on the timing stand in Sonoma after Keselowski won.
“We did it, boss!” Keselowski shouted. “That’s quite a number, right? It’s really great to be a part of that, and to get the last one to get us there, that’s pretty great.”
Kyle Larson was second, and defending Cup series champion Martin Truex Jr. came in third. Keselowski’s rivals are very aware of his surge against stiff odds.
“Brad clearly found the horseshoe,” Truex said. “Three races in a row he’s won, (and) he has not had the best car. ... He hasn’t led the most laps in any of those races, and he showed up at the end with good pit stops and good shortrun speed. I think clearly, it’s pretty obvious how it worked out. He’s hot right now. He’s on a streak. That’s the way it goes. We finished third with the best car.”