NASCAR
Brad Keselowski Pulls off Darlington Sweep in First Victories at The Track Too Tough to Tame
Prior to this weekend, Brad Keselowski had never won at Darlington Raceway, and his record at this track was far from stellar. However, the Penske driver was able to have luck play into his favor twice in both races at Darlington. As a result, the Michigan native now has 2 wins at the South Carolina track. He was able to complete a Darlington sweep in both races due to late incidents.
Tempers Flaring in Xfinity Series Begin Keselowski’s Darlington Sweep
Beginning in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, the day was dominated by Ross Chastain. The journeyman driver had a career-making opportunity in Chip Ganassi Racing’s 42 car. He started the day from the pole and led more laps than ever before. Chastain was able to sweep both stages, earning valuable points to help him make the Xfinity Series Playoffs. By all accounts, Ross was having a career day in Darlington. However, the miracle effort for the 42 would end on lap 112, when racing hard against Kevin Harvick for the lead.
Coming out of turn 2, the 98 of Harvick ducked underneath the 42 to take the top spot. The 42 was racing hard for the position, and barely left the 98 any room. The 98 slid up the track, forcing the 42 into the wall. Ross was not happy, as he would go on to spin the 98 out. Harvick would go on to make controversial comments about how he was raced, while Chastain continued to finish 25th.
From that point on, Brad Keselowski, who was running 3rd at the time, inherited the lead and never looked back. The 22 Penske Ford would lead the final 33 laps at Darlington. These would mark Brad’s first ever laps led here in the Xfinity Series. In victory lane on Saturday, Brad mentioned how this win gave him and his team confidence to achieve a Darlington sweep with a Southern 500 win.
Another Dominating Day Comes Up Short for Larson
Coming into the Southern 500, Kyle Larson was considered a prerace favorite. This was due to his habit of running the high line on most racetracks. While not nearly as fast as Homestead, Darlington does reward drivers who run inches from the wall. Larson quickly showed that he was the man to beat, winning both stages in dominating fashion. The 42 Ganassi Chevrolet would lead 284 of the race’s first 345 laps. At many points Larson’s lead was several seconds over the field. He won Stage 1 by over a 10 second margin, as he put over half the field a lap down. Larson was able to control each restart as the leader from the bottom lane, and clear the 2nd place runner by the time he hit turn 1. However, Larson would lose the lead under caution on lap 346.
Even though the 42 team looked unstoppable, they would fall to 2nd place after the final pit stop. Team Penske’s 2 Crew and Brad Keselowski narrowly edged Larson out of the pits. This would give Brad ultimate control of the restart and prime track position.
On the final restart on lap 349, Brad rocketed away from Larson in the superior inside line. Brad’s teammate Joey Logano would also pass Larson for 2nd, putting Penske drivers 1-2 in the closing laps. Shockingly, Penske had not won at Darlington since 1975 with Bobby Allison. Now, the team was facing a Darlington sweep with either of their drivers.
Closing Laps all About Team Penske
While the top 2 were not challenged for position in the closing laps, Larson had to fight off a charge from Kevin Harvick for 3rd. The 4 car was looking for his record 8th win of 2018, and 2nd at Darlington. However, the night belonged to Brad Keselowski after 500 grueling miles, his first triumph in the Southern 500 at Darlington.
The top 10 finishers from the Southern 500 were Keselowski, Logano, Larson, Harvick, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Jamie McMurray, and Denny Hamlin.
Significance of Darlington Sweep, Southern 500 win for Keselowski
In the spirit of Darlington Throwback Weekend, Keselowski’s number 2 Ford was painted in Rusty Wallace’s Miller Genuine Draft scheme from 1990. That was Wallace’s 1st season with Team Penske. To make the win even more special, Rusty Wallace himself was in Victory Lane celebrating. Wallace came to Victory Lane straight out of calling the race on MRN.
Brad’s victory in the Southern 500 marks the 25th of his Cup Series career, as well as his first Crown Jewel win. This is also his first win of 2018, erasing a 29-race winless streak that dated back to last fall at Talladega. With this win, Brad becomes the 10th different winner of 2018. He is also in the Playoffs for a 7th time. This win also marks Team Penske’s first at Darlington since Bobby Allison pulled off a Darlington sweep in 1975. Lastly, this is the second-straight season where a driver has achieved a Darlington sweep in both the Xfinity and Cup Series races. Denny Hamlin won both events a season ago.
How to Watch the Next Race
Up next for the Monster Energy Cup Series is another Crown Jewel Race, the Brickyard 400. But, this year’s 400 miles at Indianapolis has more significance than ever before, as it is the Regular Season finale. 2 Playoff spots remain for a new winner at Indy. Can someone outside of the top 16 win their way in? The Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard is next Sunday, September 9 at 2 PM EST. Coverage will be on NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Who will be the final 2 drivers in the NASCAR postseason? Tune in to find out!
