Keselowski wins the History 300
Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/HHP - Pool/Getty Images |
Charlotte Motor Speedway is known to be a fast track, and it’s been described by Jeff Gordon to be a temperature-sensitive track. In the heat of Saturday's sunny afternoon, Brad Keselowski won his first Nationwide race this season,
and it’s the second time he’s won here at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Choosing to stay out on the final caution put the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge in danger of running out of gas.
“We gambled, but I think it was a smart gamble,” Keselowski said. “Obviously it was a smart gamble; it paid off.”
“We gambled, but I think it was a smart gamble,” Keselowski said. “Obviously it was a smart gamble; it paid off.”
Joey Logano started
the 31st Annual History 300 race on the pole with Austin Dillon, the fastest qualifying rookie, in second
position. Logano led three times for 26 laps, finishing sixth, and Dillon's 11th place finish earned him the rookie of the race award.
Is Danica Patrick one of NASCAR's best drivers? This was her
third top-10 start in 11 races this season. However, she didn’t hold that spot very long. She fell out of the top ten early and never regained those positions.
Patrick finished 13th in her second trip to Charlotte. Tomorrow she has another chance at improving her finishes, she will be racing in the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time.
Another highly talked-about driver in the Nationwide series this season is former X-Games superstar Travis Pastrana who started this weekend in 43rd position because he spun out during qualifying. In addition, the first and
fourth cautions came out because he spun in Turn Four. He never hit anything, though, and Pastrana managed to finish in 24th.
During that first caution, Denny Hamlin had problems with the carburetor on his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 car. Hamlin seemed to struggle from then on. Finishing in 2nd, Hamlin also looks towards tomorrow's Cup race.
The second caution came out not long after the first because
Robert Richardson Jr. in the No. 23 North Texas Pipe Chevrolet slammed into
the wall on Turn One.
Perhaps it is a track where only the best do excel; Cup drivers
dominated the race by Lap 30. Kevin Harvick took the lead on Lap 23 and led four times for 92 laps total, the most of any driver. Stenhouse was the only Nationwide regular in the top five but unfortunately his luck changed.
“I think the U-joint between the driveshaft and the transmission broke first,” said Stenhouse Jr. “It was a new driveshaft, new everything, so it was a tough day.” He finished in 26th position, though he managed to hold his points lead over Elliott Sadler, who despite finishing fifth remains 13 points behind Stenhouse Jr.
The third caution was called on Lap 54 for oil on the track, after the engine to the No. 00 car blew up. Angela Cope was in the driver’s seat today making her first start of the season for Keystone Motorsports.
On Lap 138, Jason Bowles and Josh Richards collided on the banking of Turn 1, bringing out the sixth caution. The No. 81 car of Bowles was severely damaged. The hood was destroyed, and black smoke filled the air.
On Lap 138, Jason Bowles and Josh Richards collided on the banking of Turn 1, bringing out the sixth caution. The No. 81 car of Bowles was severely damaged. The hood was destroyed, and black smoke filled the air.
As the saying goes, cautions breed cautions and not long after the race re-started, while running in the top ten, Brian Scott and Cole
Whitt crashed in turn two, both cars badly damaged. The race went green from that point, though, and the No. 2 team's decision not to pit looked as if it might come back to haunt them, but Keselowski was able to milk 73 laps from the last tank of Sunoco fuel and gave Roger Penske what the Captain hopes will be the first of three wins this weekend.
Finishing order:
Finishing order:
1 | Brad Keselowski |
2 | Denny Hamlin |
3 | Kyle Busch |
4 | Kevin Harvick |
5 | Elliott Sadler |
6 | Joey Logano |
7 | James Buescher |
8 | Justin Allgaier |
9 | Sam Hornish, Jr. |
10 | Joey Coulter |
11 | Austin Dillon |
12 | Mike Bliss |
13 | Danica Patrick |
14 | Michael Annett |
15 | Mike Wallace |
16 | Reed Sorenson |
17 | Kasey Kahne |
18 | Jeremy Clements |
19 | Timmy Hill |
20 | Tayler Malsam |
21 | Casey Roderick |
22 | Johanna Long |
23 | Kyle Fowler |
24 | Travis Pastrana |
25 | Joey Gase |
26 | Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. |
27 | Erik Darnell |
28 | Cole Whitt |
29 | Joe Nemechek |
30 | T.J. Bell |
31 | Brian Scott |
32 | Jeff Green |
33 | Jason Bowles |
34 | Josh Richards |
35 | Danny Efland |
36 | Angela Cope |
37 | Morgan Shepherd |
38 | Mike Harmon |
39 | Robert Richardson |
40 | Chase Miller |
41 | Josh Wise |
42 | Scott Speed |
43 | Kevin Lepage |
Keselowski wins the History 300
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Rating: