On the ultimate lap of extra time, Keselowski and Matt DiBenedetto have been racing for the win when DiBenedetto went to the excessive aspect to dam and Keselowski went low.
With a shove from Michael McDowell, Keselowski cleared DiBenedetto and held on to the checkered flag to earn his first win of the season and sixth profession victory at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, regardless of Erik Jones and Ross Chastain wrecking behind him.
It was the one lap Keselowski led in a wild race which noticed 35 lead adjustments amongst 17 totally different drivers.
Keselowski, who has 35 profession wins, is the ninth totally different winner within the first 10 races of the 2021 season.
“What an superior day immediately. The entire race I had a pair alternatives to take the lead, however I simply saved pondering, ‘Man, preserve your automobile in a single piece,’” Keselowski mentioned. “We’ve been so shut right here and it simply didn’t appear to need to come collectively right here the previous few years and I’ve been on sort of a four-year drought right here, however it’s good to get quantity six (at Talladega).
“I might have by no means dreamed I’d tie Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. right here. That’s one thing. These guys are actually legends. I’m simply actually pleased with my staff. We had an accident there early and so they recovered and acquired it fastened as much as the place I might preserve working.
“My crew chief, Jeremy Bullins, had loads of confidence. I informed him him, ‘I need to are available and put 4 tires on this factor,’ and he mentioned, ‘Yep, go forward.’ And that basically helped a bunch on the finish.”
Requested about how the extra time performed out so effectively for him, Keselowski mentioned, “When you’re going to steer 187 and never lead the final one, that’s not so good. I believe I’ll take the final one and that’s precisely the way it labored out, main the final one.
“It opened up, the lane did. Matt went to dam (Blaney) and I simply barely acquired within him with an enormous run. I acquired an ideal push from Michael McDowell, which was actually useful and appreciated, so only a massive day.”
William Byron ended up second, McDowell third, Kevin Harvick fourth and DiBenedetto rounded out the top-five.
Finishing the top-10 have been Kaz Grala, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney and Cole Custer.
Stage three
Following the break between Phases 2 and three, all of the lead-lap vehicles pit with Blaney the primary off pit highway.
On the restart on Lap 127, Blaney was adopted by Aric Almirola, Bubba Wallace, McDowell and Kyle Busch.
On Lap 132, Blaney allowed Almirola to get round him for the lead as Blaney wanted to run behind a automobile to assist take away particles from his entrance grille.
With 40 laps remaining within the race, Chastain with a bunch of assist behind him used the decrease lane to get previous Almirola and take the lead. He was adopted by Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell and Harvick.
Harvick grabbed management of the race on Lap 151 on to see Chastain regain it on Lap 153 as groups started getting ready for his or her closing green-flag pit stops. Harvick moved again out entrance on Lap 154.
On Lap 155, a number of vehicles dropped to pit highway for his or her closing pit cease however Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun and hit the wall earlier than he made it to pit highway. The race remained inexperienced.
The ultimate group of vehicles pit on Lap 159 to tackle gasoline to make it to the end of the race. With the cycle of stops accomplished on Lap 160, Bell led the best way adopted by Chastain, Kyle Busch, Reddick and Jones.
Chastain acquired round Bell to reclaim the lead on Lap 162.
With 20 laps remaining, Chastain remained out entrance adopted by Kyle Busch, Jones, McDowell and Keselowski.
On Lap 170, Jones, with some assist from DiBenedetto, took the lead for the primary time as Wallace moved into third.
Quin Houff hit the wall in Flip 2 on Lap 172 to deliver out a warning, which put aside the gasoline worries many drivers had.
Many lead-lap vehicles elected to pit for gasoline however Jones stayed on the observe and remained within the lead when the race returned to inexperienced on Lap 177. He was adopted by DiBenedetto and Chastain.
DiBenedetto rapidly powered again to the lead after the restart.
NASCAR displayed the warning on Lap 186 for a tire carcass that got here off Martin Truex Jr.’s automobile and landed close to the beginning/end line.
Each Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch have been pressured to pit beneath the warning for gasoline and new tires.
When the race went into extra time, DiBenedetto led the best way adopted by Blaney, Keselowski, Harvick and McDowell.
Stage 2
Wallace picked up the Stage 2 victory beneath warning as a wreck erupted behind him with one lap remaining within the 60-lap phase.
Denny Hamlin appeared to float up in entrance of Truex, who then acquired behind Hamlin and turned him into the wall, which triggered one other multi-car accident.
Amongst these collected have been Byron, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott, who all have been pressured to drive by way of the infield grass.
Keselowski ended up second, McDowell, Kyle Busch and Blaney.
Following the break between Phases 1 and a couple of, a lot of the lead-lap vehicles pit however a number of stayed together with Elliott, who led the best way when the race returned to inexperienced on Lap 67.
With a shove from DiBenedetto, Hamlin moved again into the lead on the restart.
DiBenedetto acquired again round Hamlin to reclaim the lead on Lap 69 as Byron moved into second. Hamlin moved again out entrance on Lap 73.
A bunch of Chevrolet drivers hit pit highway on Lap 84 to start a spherical of green-flag pit stops.
Each Daniel Suarez and Chastain have been penalized for dashing on pit highway and each needed to serve a pass-thru penalty beneath inexperienced.
A bunch of Ford drivers pit on Lap 92 with the Toyotas following on Lap 93.
Harvick, Hamlin and Chris Buescher have been all penalized for dashing on pit highway and all three needed to serve pass-thru penalties beneath inexperienced.
Hamlin was penalized once more for dashing whereas serving his dashing penalty and needed to serve one other pass-thru penalty beneath inexperienced.
As soon as the cycle of green-flag stops was accomplished on Lap 84, Ryan Preece led the best way adopted by Byron and Kurt Busch.
Byron acquired round Preece to take over the race lead on Lap 101 adopted by Kurt Busch and DiBenedetto.
On Lap 103, NASCAR black-flagged Kurt Busch for smoke pouring from his No. 1 Chevrolet and a lap later a warning was displayed as Busch’s automobile leaked fluid on the observe.
A handful of drivers elected to pit and Harvick was penalized for having a crew member over the wall too quickly and needed to restart from the rear of the sector.
On the restart on Lap 110, Byron led the best way adopted by DiBenedetto, Keselowski, Preece and Bell.
Wallace labored his approach again to the entrance of the pack on Lap 112 regardless of struggling some injury from the wreck on the finish of Stage 1.
Stage 1
DiBenedetto took the Stage 1 win beneath warning when a multi-car wreck erupted on the backstretch that despatched Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford barrel-rolling down the observe.
Following a collection of bumping strikes, Logano appeared to get turned by Hamlin. Logano’s automobile veered left and made slight contact with Preece, which despatched Logano’s automobile airborne.
Wallace, Keselowski and Chase Briscoe additionally acquired caught up within the incident.
Logano began on the pole resulting from Hamlin having to begin from the rear however Byron acquired round him off Flip four to take the lead on Lap 1.
Kyle Larson was pressured to pit beneath inexperienced on Lap 2 with an overheating engine as Logano moved again into the lead.
On Lap 7, Larson returned to pit highway with smoke pouring from his No. 5 Chevrolet. His staff quickly pushed his automobile to the storage.
Wallace, who began from the again, made his approach round Logano to take the lead for the primary time on Lap 12.
With a shove from Keselowski, Harvick moved into the lead on Lap 15. Wallace powered again to the entrance on Lap 19.
Kyle Busch acquired a shove out to the lead on Lap 22 as Bell ran second and Truex third.
On Lap 26, NASCAR displayed a contest warning to permit groups to test on tire put on. The entire lead-lap vehicles pit with Hamlin the primary off pit highway.
Burton was penalized for eradicating tools (gasoline can), Truex was penalized for dashing on pit highway and Preece was penalized from a crew member over the wall too quickly so all three needed to restart from the rear of the sector.
When the race returned to inexperienced on Lap 31, Hamlin led the best way adopted by Kyle Busch, Blaney, Bell and Byron.
On Lap 39, Joey Gase spun coming off Flip four to deliver out the primary warning for an incident within the race. A handful of vehicles elected to pit however Hamlin remained on the observe and within the lead when the race returned to inexperienced on Lap 44.
Blaney acquired a shove to the entrance and grabbed the lead on Lap 49 for the primary time within the race.
DiBenedetto acquired round Blaney with a shove from Hamlin to take the lead on Lap 51 as Blaney and Logano fell in behind him.
With 5 laps to go within the stage, Preece had made his approach out entrance adopted by Buescher and DiBenedetto.
DiBenedetto returned to the lead on Lap 57.
Hamlin, Truex, Bell, Wallace and Harrison Burton all needed to begin the race from the rear resulting from unapproved changes earlier than the race.