Keselowski starts last but wins Clash

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Brad Keselowski was comfortably in front of a multiple-car crash on the final lap and won Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash NASCAR exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway.

The win was Keselowski’s first in the 75-lap race that traditionally opens the NASCAR season. The results don’t count in the seasonal points standings.

Keselowski, who started last in the field of 17 pole winners from last season, led Team Penske teammate Joey Logano and Kurt Busch to the finish. Ryan Blaney was fourth in another Penske car, and Austin Dillon fifth.

The finishing order was scrambled by a big crash on the backstretch on the final lap. Racing a few spots behind the leaders, Kyle Larson bumped Jimmie Johnson. The impact sent Johnson’s Chevrolet into the outside wall. Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott also were involved in the wreck.

Team Penske drivers Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Logano were running 1-2-3 over the closing laps as the top group waited to see which driver would break out of the pack in an attempt to move toward the front.

Blaney drove to the inside from second place but didn’t get drafting help and fell back in the order. Kurt Busch started to drop low on the track as Larson accelerated and hit the rear of Johnson’s car, sparking the big crash.

Meanwhile, Logano said he was trying to be patient and wait for a shot at moving into first. It never developed. “For the last 20 laps, I was going crazy waiting for someone to make a move,” Logano said. “It was risk versus reward. It forced me to stay patient.”

Keselowski called the win “a great way to start the season. It’s the first time I’ve won anything in Speedweeks. It feels like I’ve choked all of them away.

“I hope I can repeat this in seven days in the Daytona 500.”