April 25, 2021 | By Lee Spencer

Keselowski's cool, conservative approach pays off with sixth Talladega win

After heartbreak in the 2021 Daytona 500, Brad Keselowski finally found Victory Lane again.

On Sunday, Keselowski was committed to keeping the No. 2 Team Penske Ford in one piece at Talladega Superspeedway. His strategy paid off.

Although he led a single lap—it was the one that mattered as Keselowski took the checkered flag in the Geico 500. His sixth Talladega victory tied Keselowski with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon for second-most wins at the 2.66-mile track. 

“What an awesome day today to bring the MoneyLion Ford Mustang into Victory Lane,” Keselowski said. “The whole race I had a couple of opportunities to take the lead, but I just kept thinking, ‘Man, keep your car in one piece.’ We’ve been so close here and it just didn’t seem to want to come together here the last few years and I’ve been on kind of a four-year drought here, but it’s nice to get number six. I would have never dreamed I’d tie Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. here. That’s something. Those guys are really legends.”

William Byron, Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick, Matt DiBenedetto, Kaz Grala, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney, and Cole Custer rounded out the top 10.

Keselowski became the third Team Penske driver to qualify for the postseason with his 35th career win. But the company didn’t leave the track unscathed as Joey Logano went airborne in the first multi-car wreck of the afternoon. Coming to the end of Stage 1 on Lap 60, the three-time Dega winner was running ahead of Denny Hamlin when the No. 11 became unstable after contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and clipped the No. 22 Ford Mustang. As Logano turned sideways, Stenhouse Jr. launched him into the air. Logano bounced on his hood and was then hit by Bubba Wallace.

“I guess I don't know exactly what to think,” said Logano, who finished 39th. “It is a product of this racing. On one hand, I am so proud to drive a Cup car that is safe, and that I can go through a crash like that and get out and speak about it. On one hand, I am made about being in the crash, and on the other, I am happy to be alive. On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not okay. I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don't feel like that is acceptable.

“A lot of it is the big spoiler and the big runs and all the pushing. It is nobody’s fault. Denny (Hamlin) is trying to go and the 47 is trying to go. It is a product of this racing. We have to fix it though. Someone already got hurt and we are still doing it, so that’s not real smart. At the same time, I am appreciative of driving a car that is this safe and what Team Penske has done for the safety of these cars so that I can live to talk about it and go again. I got lucky that I didn’t get hit while I was in the air. It is unfortunate for our Autotrader Mustang but we will go on but it won’t be a good starting spot next week.”

Keselowski and Chase Briscoe also received damage in the incident before DiBenedetto went on to win the first stage. Chase Elliott led the field to the start of Stage 2 on Lap 67. The Chevrolets were the first manufacturer to pit on Lap 84. Ford followed on Lap 92 and Harvick, who earlier led his first laps since Daytona, was busted for a speeding penalty along with Chris Buescher. When the Toyotas came in for service on the next lap, Hamlin was busted for speeding. He duplicated his mistake when he served his first of two penalties and dropped to 36th—one lap down.

While running second, Kurt Busch came over the radio and reported smoke coming into the cockpit from what he believed was an only line coming loose. NASCAR called the fourth caution for oil on the track and as Busch came to the pits, a fire broke out in the No. 1 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Byron retained the lead on the Lap 110 restart with DiBenedetto alongside. DiBenedetto moved to the point nine laps later followed by Bubba Wallace on Lap 112. As the laps wound down in the second stage, Keselowski moved up to the high line ahead of Hamlin. Very similar to the first multi-car wreck, Hamlin, who had a run, got sideways after contact with Martin Truex Jr.

Byron went low to avoid the accident and collected teammates Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott in the process. Wallace held on for his first stage win.

Blaney took the lead with Aric Almirola alongside to start the final stage on Lap 126 but a bear bond wrapper found his grille. As his water pressure rose, Blaney dropped back to allow Almirola to take the point and ease the debris off of the No. 12 Ford.

The drivers settled in for the final run as a conga line emerged with Ross Chastain at the point. Once again, the Chevrolets pitted first. As the drivers came towards pit road on Lap 155, Stenhouse was punted by Quinn Houff and hit the wall. The race remained green as the Fords followed four laps later. Blaney, who was running third, experienced a slow stop and dropped out of the top 20.

Erik Jones took the lead on Lap 170 before Houff triggered the sixth caution three laps later after hitting the wall in Turn 2. Jones, DiBenedetto, Chastain, Truex, Wallace, Kyle Busch, Reddick and Blaney remained on the track while the remaining lead-lap cars pitted. DiBenedetto moved back to the lead on the restart but four laps later, Truex developed a flat tire. NASCAR called the seventh and final caution with three laps remaining to send the race into overtime.

Keselowski gave DiBenedetto a push at the restart. But the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford moved up to the high lane and elected to block Blaney. That opened the door for Keselowski, who with a push from Michael McDowell, took the lead on the last lap and held on by .102-seconds over Byron at the line.

“It opened up, the lane did,” Keselowski said. “Matt went to block the 12 (Blaney) and I just barely got inside of him with a huge run. I got a great push from Michael McDowell, which was really helpful and appreciated, so just a big day.

“I’m just really proud of my team. We had an accident there early and they recovered and got it fixed up to where I could keep running. My crew chief, Jeremy Bullins, had a lot of confidence.  I told him, ‘I want to come in and put four tires on this thing,’ and he said, ‘Yep, go ahead.’  And that really helped a bunch at the end.

"Other than that, I’m just so excited. My daughters and my wife are here. They’re in the motorhome lot. I don’t know if they’ll get to come to Victory Lane, but if not, they got to see daddy win, so that’s pretty cool.”