Brad Keselowski ends 3-year drought with win at Darlington

DARLINGTON, S.C. — There have been so many particular components of Brad Keselowski’s first NASCAR victory in three years, it was troublesome for him to say what meant essentially the most.

It was the thirty sixth of his profession and his second at Darlington Raceway, which he reveres as an final take a look at of drivers. It got here in entrance of his younger household with daughters Scarlett, who’ll flip 9 later this month, and 4-year-old Autumn becoming a member of him on the rostrum.

And it was his first since leaving the Penske group to turn out to be co-owner at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2022.

“There’s loads of issues to be enthusiastic about, do not know which one means essentially the most,” Keselowski mentioned with a smile.

He moved to the entrance when leaders Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick hit battling for first with 9 laps left, and he held on to win the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday.

“Hell of an effort by everybody,” Keselowski mentioned after crossing the end line.

It appeared Buescher, an worker of Keselowski at RFK, would get the win after he handed his boss and Reddick with 29 laps to go. However Buescher and Reddick then hit and fell again, opening the door for Keselowski’s satisfying victory.

“What a heck of a day,” he mentioned. “That battle on the market with my teammate and Tyler Reddick, we simply laid all of it on the road.”

Keselowski acknowledged the chance he took when he left Penske. Followers received on him when Austin Cindric gained the 2022 Daytona 500, saying it may have been him, and when Penske drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney gained the previous two NASCAR Cup Collection crowns.

However Keselowski couldn’t be happier along with his selection and the path RFK is headed.

“I feel you guys know, I’ll do issues my very own means,” he mentioned.

Ty Gibbs was second, Josh Berry third and Denny Hamlin fourth. Chase Briscoe was fifth, adopted by William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Justin Haley and Michael McDowell.

It was one other close to miss for Buescher, who misplaced by 0.001 seconds to Kyle Larson at Kansas within the closest end in NASCAR historical past.

Buescher slid to thirtieth and Reddick thirty second.

Buescher confronted Reddick when each received out of their vehicles. Reddick took full blame for the incident.

“That is two weeks in a row we had a shot to win races,” Buescher mentioned. “One, I’ll relive in my head eternally at what I’d’ve accomplished completely different [at Kansas]. The opposite, I would like another person to be extra mature about it.”

Larson was within the high 10 when he spun out with 40 laps left and couldn’t return.

One slip-up additionally ended the probabilities of two NASCAR champions. Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr. and Byron have been three large on Lap 128 when Byron tagged Truex, who pushed into Blaney and despatched him towards the wall in Flip 2.

The crew for Blaney, the defending Cup Collection champion, couldn’t restore the injury and his day was accomplished. He rode up alongside Byron to sign his displeasure with Byron’s transfer.

“He used a little bit bit extra race observe than I believed, so I’ve each proper to be mad and he will get away scot-free,” mentioned Blaney, who wound up final in thirty sixth place.

Truex, the 2017 sequence champion, dropped from the highest 10 and completed twenty fifth.

The Related Press contributed to this story.