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Keselowski Takes Overtime Win at Talladega

Brad 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, winning again at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday afternoon. 

 

He and teammate Joey Logano triggered a last-lap crash as Keselowski tried to pass Logano for the victory.

 

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

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

 

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

 

The victory, Keselowski’s sixth at Talladega, came after team owner Roger Penske pulled the three Team Penske drivers and affiliate Matt DiBenedetto onto a call this week to discuss his expectations on how they should race Sunday. Penske refused to accept another Daytona disaster when Logano or Keselowski should have won the race but instead of working together the two triggered a fiery crash that also collected a third Penske car.

 

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

 

William Byron was second, Daytona 500 winner McDowell — the beneficiary of that February blunder — took third and Kevin Harvick a season-high fourth.

 

DiBenedetto, who led 28 laps, finished fifth but gave away the win with a late lane change that allowed Keselowski to surge to the front.

 

Ford drivers took four of the top five spots.

 

Kaz Grala finished a career-best sixth and was followed by Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon in a trio of Chevrolets.

 

Ford drivers took spots nine through 13 and the highest finishing Toyota driver was Christopher Bell in 17th.

 

Keselowski tied Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon with six wins each at Talladega. But it was his first since the fall race in 2017.

 

The series heads to Kansas Speedway, where Denny Hamlin has won the last two races.

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