Brad Keselowski begins to avenge Daytona 500 loss with victory at Talladega
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
TALLADEGA, Ala. – It was a full day for Team Penske at Talladega Superspeedway, as Joey Logano was involved in a dramatic flipping crash early in the race Sunday afternoon and Brad Keselowski emerged as the victor for the sixth time at NASCAR’s biggest track.
Keselowski passed another Penske driver – Matt DiBenedetto, who drives for Penske affiliate Wood Brothers Racing and sought his first career Cup win – on the final lap and held off a surge from William Byron and Michael McDowell in the final yards.
Keselowski became the ninth winner in 10 races this year. He is tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon for the second-most wins at Talladega.
"We’ve been so close here, and it just didn’t seem to want to come together here the last few years," said Keselowski, whose most recent Talladega win came in 2017. "I’ve been on kind of a four-year drought here, but it’s nice to get No. 6. ... To be on the same list [as those drivers] is pretty cool."
Here are my takeaways from Talladega:
Keselowski makes up for Daytona
On the final lap of the Daytona 500, Keselowski tried to pass Logano for the lead, and Logano threw a block (trying to get a push from Keselowski and stay ahead of him). They made contact, which resulted in a massive crash at the end of the race.
The Daytona 500 is the most prestigious race, so that ending will gnaw at Keselowski, but this maybe took a little bit of the sting away, as he was able to execute the move to win.
"Daytona is a big one – oh man, it stings still," Keselowski said. "This is a good one. We’ll take it. Beggars can’t be choosers.
"I certainly learned some lessons from that race and tried to apply them, and they all came together there at the end. Michael McDowell gave me a great push – kind of like he did at Daytona, and I was a little bit smarter with how I handled it."
Roger Penske talked to his drivers earlier this week and told them not to wreck all the cars while racing in the final lap.
"We talked a little bit about staying in line at the end of the race and all that kind of stuff, but no real consensus on that," Keselowski said. "With respect to him, I was glad we were able to win and not wreck all his cars."
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Logano ends up crashed again
Logano went airborne after he was hit by Denny Hamlin, who was hit by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in an accordion-type accident that happens at Talladega as drivers are running bumper-to-bumper in big packs.
Ending his flip by being turned back on all four tires after getting hit by a couple of other cars, Logano was OK but frustrated after the accident.
"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," Logano said. "On one hand, I am mad 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."
Logano’s roof caved into his car more than he thought it should've, and he indicated that he was close to being seriously hurt, like Ryan Newman was in the 2020 Daytona 500.
"I got a roll bar in my head – that is not OK," Logano said. "I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don't feel like that is acceptable."
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DiBenedetto comes up short ... again
For the second consecutive race at Talladega, DiBenedetto was leading going into the final lap, only to come up short.
As Keselowski got a push in the inside lane from Daytona 500 winner McDowell, the top lane with DiBenedetto and teammate Ryan Blaney broke apart on the final lap, resulting in DiBenedetto settling for fifth.
"Our day will come," DiBenedetto said. "I’m just lucky to drive this thing. ... I’m so close in so many of these things."
The leader is often considered not in the best position on the final lap because other drivers get runs. But if there is a wreck on the final lap, the race can end under caution with no time left for anyone behind to make a move — handing the victory to the leader.
"I’m 50-50 on that," DiBenedetto said. "Being the leader is tough. I never feel good at Talladega until we cross the line. So much can happen. ... It is what it is."
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!
