Brad Keselowski, driver of the #22 Discount Tire Ford, talks to crew members on pit road during a rain delay for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Feed The Children 300 at Kentucky Speedway on June 28, 2013
Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
Typically burnouts are not done when its raining, but that didn’t keep Brad Keselowski from trying, after winning the Feed the Children 300 at Kentucky Speedway on Friday night.
After a rain delay, NASCAR declared Brad Keselowski the winner, 30 laps short of the scheduled finish. And despite the rain, Keselowski did donuts on a wet slippery frontstretch without the usual smoke cloud signaling his victory celebration.
Keselowski’s car was clearly the class of the field throughout the race and on lap 156, took the lead just seven laps before NASCAR called the last caution for rain.
The Kentucky win is Keselowski’s second series win for the season and 22nd of his career.
“I didn’t want to end this way, but we had a great car,” Keselowski said. “This is the type of car you get like once a year – if you’re lucky. In driving this car I felt like Jimmie Johnson. This is a rocket.”
Completing the top-five are Elliott Sadler in second, followed by Matt Crafton, making his Nationwide Series début. Brian Vickers ran fourth, with Kyle Busch finishing fifth.
Carl Long’s spin in turn four brought out a caution on lap 141, giving lead-lap cars a chance to pit for enough fuel to finish the race. Varying tire strategies scrambled the field for the restart on lap 146. Matt Crafton took fuel only and led the field to green, but it was Elliott Sadler, who took only right-side tires on pit road, who quickly took the lead.
Then, on four fresh tires and eleven laps into the run, Keselowski passed Sadler for the top spot. Kyle Busch lost ten positions on pit road after sliding through his pit stall under the same caution.
The fifth caution of the race came out on lap 163 for a brief rain shower and after seven laps under caution, the rain intensified and NASCAR rallied the cars to pit road and red flagged the race after lap 170 – 30 laps short of the scheduled finish – at 9:44 p.m.
“I don’t want to win a rain race – I want to race!” Keselowski proclaimed during red flag conditions.
Keselowski didn’t get his wish, but he did get the win.
Series’ points leader Regan Smith had suspension issues and lost 18 laps during repairs in the garage. Smith’s 28-point lead over Justin Allgaier, entering the race, is now at just an eight-point advantage over Sam Hornish Jr, who finished the race in ninth place.
Elliott Sadler, Brian Vickers, polesitter Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson, the top-finishing NNS regulars, qualified for the Nationwide Dash 4 Cash, that starts next week at Daytona.
