Keselowski bests Busch in first series race at Iowa

NEWTON, Iowa -- Brad Keselowski passed Kyle Busch with eight laps remaining and went on to win the inaugural Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway.

Busch had pitted for two tires under the race's 10th caution, while Keselowski chose to keep his No. 88 Chevrolet on the track. The race went green on Lap 219 of 250, and Busch needed six laps to pass Keselowski.

U.S. Cellular 250

Results

Pos.	Driver	Make
1.	Brad Keselowski	Chevrolet
2.	Kyle Busch	Toyota
3.	Jason Leffler	Toyota
4.	Carl Edwards	Ford
5.	Kelly Bires	Toyota
6.	Jason Keller	Ford
7.	Kenny Wallace	Chevrolet
8.	Michael McDowell	Dodge
9.	Scott Lagasse Jr.	Toyota
10.	Stephen Leicht	Chevrolet

• Complete Results | Photos

Race Video

• Victory Lane: Keselowski
• Final Laps: Iowa Speedway
• Post-Race Reactions
• Wreck sets up final restart
• Top-10-running cars crash
• Spin takes out two others

But after another caution, Keselowski stormed back to take the lead and earn his second win of the season. And with the victory, Keselowski won an extra $75,000 via Nationwide Insurance's Dash 4 Cash program, honoring full-time Nationwide drivers who win select races, with Iowa being one of the four.

"It sure means a lot to win this race," Keselowski said. "The Dash 4 Cash program that Nationwide has, to be the guy that wins that ... and to be a full-time Nationwide guy that wins it that doesn't run full time in the Cup Series, it kind of feels like you stake a claim for the series by winning that.

"The inaugural race here at Iowa for the Nationwide Series and, really, for NASCAR, and to win here in front of a crowd we had here [Saturday], that's pretty awesome.

"And it was a good race, too. Just everything about [Saturday], I couldn't ask for more. I couldn't ask for a better finish."

Keselowski ended up leading four times for 121 laps.

Busch, who started at the back after spending the morning in Pennsylvania practicing for the Sprint Cup race Sunday at Pocono, finished second after leading 84 laps. He has nine consecutive top-two finishes, tying the series record set by Jack Ingram in 1983.

"I wish they were all first," Busch said. "That'd certainly be nice, and then we'd have broken another record -- we'd have the most wins in a single season. Man, I should be so grateful and so happy to finish second, but I am not. ... Whether it's me, the car, I have no idea. But I put all the pressure on myself to come out here and win these things, and when I don't get the job done, I feel like I let my team down."

Busch did increase his series point lead to 207 over Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards, who finished fourth.

Jason Leffler finished third and Kelly Bires fifth.

Sixth through 10th were Jason Keller, Kenny Wallace, Michael McDowell, Scott Lagasse Jr. and Stephen Leicht.

Nationwide rookies Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Justin Allgaier posted identical qualifying times earlier Saturday, but Stenhouse was awarded the pole on owners' points. Allgaier grabbed the early lead and kept it for 35 laps, by far the most of his young Nationwide career, but he was bumped on pit row and Keselowski surged ahead.

It didn't take long for Busch to catch the leaders. Busch quickly vaulted from 43rd to fourth, and he grabbed the high groove and zipped past Darnell for the lead about a third of the way through the race.

Though a few other drivers threatened from time to time, Keselowski and Busch combined to lead all but 45 of the 250 laps.

This was a very important weekend for the Iowa Speedway, which in just its third full season landed IndyCar, Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series races, and it couldn't have had better weather or crowds.

The temporary stands erected for Saturday's race were full, pushing attendance to more than 56,000, and temperatures in the mid 70s greeted fans who've waited a long time to see a major NASCAR event in their backyard.

According to NASCAR records, it was the highest-level NASCAR points race run in Iowa since Herb Thomas won at Davenport Speedway in 1953.

But the .875-mile Rusty Wallace-designed oval was new to most of the drivers. That unfamiliarity contributed to 12 yellow flags and 56 laps under caution.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.