LAS VEGAS — Story by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR photo —
Brad Keselowski and crew chief Paul Wolfe rolled the dice on fuel Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The gamble ultimately paid off as the final run of the Kobalt 400 wore on, handing Keselowski his second career trip to victory lane in Sin City and a spot on the Chase Grid in a stunning late-race turn of fortunes at the front of the field.
Keselowski ran down hometown favorite Kyle Busch and powered past him in turn three at lap 262 of the 267-lap affair, leading the final six trips around the 1.5-mile oval for his 18th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory and first of the season.
Though Busch shot from sixth to first on one of several late-race restarts to assume command with 44 laps left, Keselowski dug deep and used incredible late-run speed — combined with a vibration that reared its head on Busch’s car in the laps 20 laps — to snatch the win away in thrilling fashion.
“Man, this rules package, I love it,” Keselowski said with a big grin in victory lane. “It’s so much fun — the cars can be really fast at the start or the end of the run — and we had awesome speed at the end of every run (today). We got that there at the end; the Miller Lite Ford started to finally take off with about 25 laps to go and we made it happen.”
“It’s such a good feeling to get back in victory lane,” added the Michigan native, who broke a 33-race winless drought dating back to March 22, 2015 at Auto Club Speedway. “I’m thrilled.”
With 40 mph wind gusts and sprinkles around the track causing a 20 minute delay, the star of the first stint of the race was polesitter Kurt Busch, who led the first 30 laps before NASCAR threw a competition caution due to overnight rain that had washed rubber off the 1.5-mile oval.
Entering pit road, however, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver was zinged with a speeding penalty in Sector 4, sending him to the back of the field and Denny Hamlin out front on an early two-tire call for the race’s first restart at lap 37. Hamlin would lead for seven laps after the restart, but once Joey Logano caught him and moved out front, the Team Penske driver would lead all the way until his green flag pit stop 83 laps into the event.
Though Kevin Harvick and Austin Dillon would lead laps during the exchange, it was Keselowski assuming the top spot by the time the cycle concluded at the 86th circuit — holding the point until the second caution of the day at lap 99 for debris and leading the frontrunners back down pit road for additional service.
Jimmie Johnson used a similar two-tire gambit as Hamlin had earlier on to assume the lead for a lap 105 restart. He took off out front by over a second within five laps of the green flag, while Logano and Harvick battled it out for second and third behind him.
Carl Edwards would be the biggest mover on the restart, charging from 13th to sixth in a hurry as Johnson paced the way, leading all but lap 132 when Logano edged ahead at the stripe before dropping to pit road during another green flag pit cycle at the 149th round. It wouldn’t be long, however, before Johnson returned to the front of the field — doing so by lap 155.
Slower traffic would wrest the lead away from Team 48 with 91 laps to go, though, as the Ford of Greg Biffle slowed Johnson’s momentum and allowed Logano to pounce through the middle with teammate Keselowski close behind. The next lap, the third caution of the race would fly for debris in turn one, seeing Keselowski drop to the rear after a speeding penalty and Logano lead the field back to green with 83 circuits remaining.
The order out front would remain the same through the race’s fourth yellow, which flew with 69 laps to go after A.J. Allmendinger shunted Kyle Larson into the backstretch wall, and tire strategy would put Matt Kenseth out in front at lap 200 for the first time all race long as both Keselowski and Logano made what would turn out to be their final stops for fuel.
Following the restart, Johnson would move out front on lap 210, but a crash involving Regan Smith and Larson off the exit of turn four drew the race’s fourth caution and put Logano, Keselowski and Austin Dillon out in front as they stayed out while the rest of the field pitted behind.
The lap 224 restart was when Busch rocketed forward, making a double three-wide maneuver to dispatch cars in both turns one and three and gain five spots to go to the lead — but the caution would fly moments later for a spinning Matt Kenseth in turn two, seeing Chase Elliott pile into the back of the wounded Toyota and multiple cars go spinning behind them.
Both Elliott and Kenseth were forced to the garage as a result, their days ended in a cloud of smoke and frustration.
From there, the race would run green to conclusion once the restart came down with 35 to go, and though Busch made a valiant run away from the field on fresh tires early, it was the ‘Blanco Deuce’ coming in late who ran by teammate Logano at the eight to go mark before taking control for good two laps later.
(Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR photo)
“I didn’t think there was any way we could make it on gas, but those yellows really did it for us,” Keselowski admitted. “I put everything I had into driving this car today and I’m glad we finished it off. Thanks to everyone at Team Penske, they came out with better stuff this week and it paid off.”
Logano hung on for second to give team owner Roger Penske a one-two finish in the Arizona desert.
“Brad was just able to turn so well,” Logano said of how his teammate was able to pull away late in the race. “He beat everyone on the bottom of three and four there late in the race. … We’ve finished second so many times this year — we wanna get (a win) so bad but I’m so proud of all these guys. We’ll go get em next week in Phoenix.”
Johnson, who led the most laps on the day at 76, edged out Busch at the line for third in a photo finish — while the hometown favorite ended up fourth after nearly having a weekend sweep (he won the XFINITY race on Saturday).
“We had a huge vibration on that last run; it just kept getting worse and worse,” Busch lamented. “I gave it everything I had but it just didn’t turn. I can’t say enough about these guys, though. They prepared a great car today — so even though it’s not a win, we got another top-five and that means the wins will come.”
Austin Dillon rounded out the top five and rookie Ryan Blaney ended up sixth in a stellar performance. Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne capped off the top 10.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action on March 13 at Phoenix International Raceway for race four of the 2016 season, the Good Sam 500.
RESULTS: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; Kobalt 400; Las Vegas Motor Speedway; March 6, 2016
- Brad Keselowski
- Joey Logano
- Jimmie Johnson
- Kyle Busch
- Austin Dillon
- Ryan Blaney
- Kevin Harvick
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Kurt Busch
- Kasey Kahne
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Ryan Newman
- AJ Allmendinger
- Paul Menard
- Jamie McMurray
- Trevor Bayne
- Carl Edwards
- Denny Hamlin
- Greg Biffle
- Danica Patrick
- Clint Bowyer
- Casey Mears
- Aric Almirola
- Regan Smith
- Chris Buescher
- Brian Scott
- Landon Cassill
- Michael McDowell
- Michael Annett
- Matt DiBenedetto
- David Ragan
- Jeffrey Earnhardt
- Kyle Larson
- Josh Wise
- Brian Vickers
- Matt Kenseth
- Chase Elliott
- Cole Whitt
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
Follow RCO on Twitter: @RaceChaserNews
