DARLINGTON, S.C. – Brad Keselowski was in the right place at the right time to finally check winning at Darlington Raceway off his to-do list during Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200.
Keselowski inherited the race lead with 37 laps left after Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick tangled in turn two while battling for the top spot, then held off Cole Custer all the way to the finish to capture his third NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season.
Driving the No. 22 Snap-On Ford, Keselowski took control for good on the final restart of the day with 31 to go, using the outside groove to clear Custer and then managing traffic to perfection over the closing laps. He beat Custer to the finish line by .738 of a second.
Chastain was the driver to beat for most of the afternoon, starting from the pole in the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 and leading a race-high 90 laps, winning the first two stages of the race in the process.
Keselowski tried to pass Chastain for the lead at the start of the final stage with 51 to go, but couldn’t make the move stick. The 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion noted later in victory lane that while he won the race, he didn’t feel like he had the fastest car for most of the afternoon.
“We had a really great Snap-On Ford Mustang, and I could keep up with Ross, but I couldn’t pass him,” said Keselowski. “He was so fast today. I tried to make the move (to the inside) to get by him and couldn’t do it.
“I brushed the wall while I was racing him and Kevin got back by me, and then they had their issue off of (turn) two … I just got through there,” Keselowski continued. “You could see it coming, brewing there, and we were able to pounce on it and take advantage of the opportunity. It was a tough battle and I’m glad we came out on top. Sometimes you don’t come out ahead, so it makes you appreciate the times that you do.”
Saturday’s triumph also allowed Keselowski to break a tie with Carl Edwards for fourth on the series’ all-time wins list, but the Michigan native was more proud of the fact that he finally conquered the track dubbed ‘Too Tough to Tame’.
“Entering today, we had two tracks I had never won at on the NASCAR circuit: here and Sonoma. I really wanted to run this race for that reason,” noted Keselowski. “I haven’t run all that great here on the Cup level and I’ve been trying to get better. This is such a huge confidence booster and these have been world-class cars in a terrific season. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”
Custer was disappointed to end up as the bridesmaid, but noted that it’s “another step in the right direction” for he and his Stewart-Haas Racing team.
“It wasn’t a horrible day for us,” said Custer. “It was tough out there, for sure, but I’ve had worse days. I was trying to save a little bit and trying to stay in the rubber and have something left for a restart. We had a great car today and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year. This finish is good momentum.”
Tyler Reddick, defending race winner Denny Hamlin and Elliott Sadler completed the top five.
Notably, Christopher Bell crashed out at lap 66 after contact with Daniel Hemric in turns three and four that ultimately cut a tire on Bell’s No. 20 Toyota. He was credited with 34th in the final rundown.
