Brad Keselowski sweeps stage wins at Bristol Motor Speedway
Staff Report
Robert Laberge | Getty Images
Brad Keselowski won both stages and did it in a span of over two days in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Keselowski won an eventful opening stage Sunday, taking the top spot when teammate Ryan Blaney crashed to lead the way at the quarter mark of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Then, he took the second stage when the race resumed Monday because of inclement weather.
In Stage 1, Keselowski's Team Penske No. 2 Ford led just eight of the 125 laps, which featured a handful of crashes and a pair of red flags. Keselowski's stage win was his second of the season, earning him a playoff point to bank for the postseason.
RELATED: Stage 1 results | Blaney involved in wreck late in Stage 1
Ryan Newman surged to second place, and Clint Bowyer, AJ Allmendinger and Kyle Larson completed the top five on the .533-mile track.
Blaney's No. 12 Ford led 100 laps before sustaining race-ending damage to the front end during a Lap 117 pile-up. Chris Buescher and Trevor Bayne tangled on the backstraight, collecting Jamie McMurray, Harrison Rhodes and Blaney in their wake.
The race was slowed by two caution periods before the third yellow flag flew because of rain. The first was the largest, a multicar stack-up triggered by Michael McDowell's spin off Turn 4 on Lap 4. McDowell's No. 34 Ford collected the cars of Chase Elliott, William Byron, Allmendinger, Martin Truex Jr. and others on the frontstretch.
A solo spin by Allmendinger brought out the second caution. The third yellow flag (which developed into a 25-minute, 25-second red flag for rain) also served as a scheduled competition caution period.
Finish
Driver
Team
Race points
1
Brad Keselowski
Team Penske
10
2
Ryan Newman
Richard Childress Racing
9
3
Clint Bowyer
Stewart-Haas Racing
8
4
AJ Allmendinger
JTG-Daugherty Racing
7
5
Kyle Larson
Chip Ganassi Racing
6
6
Erik Jones
Joe Gibbs Racing
5
7
Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports
4
8
Aric Almirola
Stewart-Haas Racing
3
9
Kurt Busch
Stewart-Haas Racing
2
10
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Roush Fenway Racing
1
STAGE 2
Keselowski rolled to a Stage 2 victory, his third of the season, Monday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway, leading at the halfway point of the Food City 500.
Keselowski swept past second-stage dominator Kyle Larson with six laps left in the 125-lap stage to collect his third stage win of the season. The eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the year is scheduled for 500 laps.
RELATED: Stage 2 results | At-track photos
Pole-starter Kyle Busch took second place at the drop of the green-checkered flag. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Larson completed the top five.
The stage took place over two days, as intermittent rain Sunday afternoon suspended the race until Monday with 204 laps complete. Larson was leader at that point, having led 74 consecutive laps.