NASCAR race at Bristol: Brad Keselowski gets victory in crazy finish

Short-track racing commenced Sunday afternoon as NASCAR Cup drivers take to Bristol Motor Speedway. No fans were permitted at the event in accordance with NASCAR’s coronavirus protocol.

Joey Logano and Chase Elliott were running up front with three laps to go when Elliott got loose and pushed the pair into the wall. That allowed Brad Keselowski to race to the front and take the victory.

Here are the results

Here are the rest of the live updates from the race at Bristol.

Stage 3

7:13 p.m., LAP 470: Hamlin still up front heading into final stretch

A couple of cautions mixed up the field some, but Hamilin is still in the lead. He is followed by Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. Jimmie Johnson has dropped to seventh.

6:45 p.m, LAP 404: Hamlin battling Kyle Busch

The drivers have finally gotten on a longer run, without a caution, and are running fast. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch have been battling for the front from some time, although there are other cars on the track that are currently running faster lap by lap. Busch seems to have a better car than Hamlin, and at this point has got to be considered the favorite to win, but Hamlin has been able to stay near the top. At this point, pit strategy is starting to come into the equation. Teams will soon have to start making some decisions in that regard. Jimmie Johnson has been running third.

6:18 PM, LAP 330: CAUTION

A caution comes out for Austin Dillon, who is slow getting to pit road with what looks like a tire issue. Laps are winding down as the field pits. Dillon, Keselowski, Logano and Wallace all get penalties for speeding on pit road. DiBenedetto re-enters the race 43 laps down. 20 cars on on the lead lap as the race returns to green on Lap 335 with Busch in the lead.

6:14 PM, LAP 314: BUSCH LEADS

Ky. Busch holds the lead over Hamlin and Johnson, who have worked their way up to P2 and P3, respectively, after the caution. Byron and Truex Jr. have the freshest tires after pitting under the last caution. Truex is in 12th and Byron is 16th. DiBenedetto heads to the garage with a mechanical issue to make repairs.

6:00 PM, LAP 269: BACK UNDER CAUTION

Byron and Buescher touch the wall, but the race stays green. A few laps later though, Buescher hits the wall rounding Turn 2 to bring out the 11th yellow flag of the race. Buescher’s right front tire is down and he heads to pit road. Meanwhile, DiBenedetto gets the free pass.

STAGE 2

5:50 PM, LAP 250: ELLIOTT SWEEPS STAGES

Elliott wins Stage 2. Then it’s Hamlin, Harvick, Logano, Ky. Busch, Bowyer, Byron, Jones, Keselowski and Buescher, who earned stage points in that order.

Busch came up very fast off the last restart though. He was able to drive from P8 up to P4 with six laps to go, and finished P5. He could be a late-lap contender based on the timing of the cautions. The top-11 drivers (Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Johnson, A. Dillon, Kenseth, Bell, Newman, Wallace, McDowell, Almirola and Suárez) all stay out. Elliott comes off of pit road first.

5:43 PM, LAP 240: CAUTION FOR PREECE

Preece gets loose between Turns 2 and 3 and hits the wall running in the back. During the last cuation, 15 drivers pitted. There are now 10 laps left in the stage with Elliott, Hamlin and Logano running in 1, 2, 3. Daniel Suárez gets the free pass.

5:15 PM, LAP 230: BIG WRECK, RED FLAG

After some light contact between leaders Logano and Elliott, followed by a Hamlin and Keselwoski running side-by-side up front, the red flag comes out for a major crash in the middle of the pack. Rounding Turn 2, Kenseth wiggled and Johnson behind him adjusted slightly, tapping the back end of Stenhouse. The contact sent Stenhouse spinning to the inside wall. Ku. Busch was able to get by with some damage, but Bowman, Custer and Reddick are all caught up in the wreck.

“One of those days where everything was going wrong and finish it off,” Bowman told FOX Sports after exiting.

5:15, LAP 212: CAUTION

The sixth caution of the race is called for Joey Gase, who spins at the back of the field. Drivers up front are frustrated with Gase, who has been warned by NASCAR to make the minimum speed.one shot to make minimum speed. Busch called him a “(expletive) road block” on his radio earlier in the race.

Just as the race resumes after the caution, the caution comes back out on the straightaway for Currey’s car, which has stalled out on pit road.

5:05 PM, LAP 200: BLANEY GET BUSTED

CAUTION for Ryan Blaney. Blaney gets loose rounding Turn 2, and spins to the outside lane. He is able to gain control of the car and avoid contact until Ty Dillon, who had committed to the outside lane, hits the front-end of Blaney, who was running in P2. Both Blaney (radiator damage) and Dillon (car damage) exit the race. Elliot is then first off pit road, followed by Harvick after the pit stop. Bubba Wallace gets a speeding penalty.

4:57 PM, LAP 171: KESELOWSKI TO P1

Keselowski resumes the lead, passing teammate Blaney. Earlier, rookie Nemechek moved past Ky. Busch for P13, but is eventually passed by William Byron, who has been able to move 11 spots after the restart.

4:49 PM, LAP 122: BLANEY BACK TO THE LEAD

Nine speeding penalties have been issued so far, the latest of which goes to DiBenedetto, who drops to the back on the restart. Blaney’s team has a fast pit stop, putting him ahead of Elliott. He takes the high lane in P1, followed by Keselowski in second. Elliott drops into third, with Logano and Almirola rounding out the top-five.

STAGE 1

4:39 PM, LAP 100: ELLIOTT ON A ROLL

Elliott carries his winning ways to Bristol. After coming off a victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the No. 9 car rolls to a Stage 1 win. He is followed by Blaney, Keselowski, Almirola, Logano, Harvick, DiBenedetto, Hamlin, Stenhouse and Johnson for stage points. Hamlin sneaks into that eighth place spot at the flag. The field then heads to pit road for tires.

4:35 PM, LAP 78: BLANEY THEN ELLIOTT TO THE LEAD

Blaney moves inside teammate Keselowski to gain the lead spot and remain there for over 15 laps. A battle ensures between him and Elliott, but Elliott is patient waiting for his moment. He then moves inside Blaney, who gives him room to pass. Elliott then moves to run on the outside lane. He is followed by Blaney, Keselowski, Almirola and Logano.

4:21 PM, LAP 64: NOW THEY PIT

At the second competition caution, the rest of the field in the lead pits. The order pitting is Keselowski, Almirola, Logano, Ky. Busch and Blaney in the top five. Off pit road, Logano and Ky Busch jump in front of Blaney, but Busch gets a penalty for speeding and drops to the back. The green flag comes back out on Lap 67. DiBenedetto, who does not pit from the middle of the pack, moves to the front off pit road.

4:14 PM, LAP 48: LEADERS STAY OUT

Almirola, previously in P4, jumps to P2 off the caution on Lap 31. The leading 16 drivers did not take the necessary pit stop, so Keselowski, Almirola, Logano, Ky. Busch and Blaney quickly fall in line as the top-five. Stenhouse Jr. makes contact with the back of Blaney, but no major movement occurs. Meanwhile, Truex Jr. dropped from second to eighth in 10 laps after the green flag.

4:02 PM, LAP 20: COMPETITION CAUTION

Martin Truex Jr. moves to second place off the restart from the first caution. He follows Keselowski, in first. Blaney is in third place. Many teams are commenting on their radios that there is a lack of grip on the track due to the PJ1 compound. Drivers are sticking to the outside lane early. Corey LaJoie gets sent to the rear for driving too fast on pit road.

3:58 PM, LAP 8: GREEN FLAG! FOLLOWED BY A CAUTION

Cars immediately get into the wall in the first two laps with drivers jumping to the outside lane. Keselowski leads the first seven laps before a caution is called on Lap 8 for Ryan Newman, who spins but doesn’t appear to make contact with the wall. Team Penske drivers Blaney and Logano follow Keselowski. The green flag comes out on Lap 12.

Pre-Race

3:36 PM: PRE-RACE CEREMONIES

At the track, teams and rivers prepare to race. The invocation is delivered, and singer/songwriter Edwin McCain performs the national anthem virtually. Tennessee governor Bill Lee gives drivers the command to start engines (also virtually).

No practice or qualifying laps are taken before today’s race. Drivers said they expect the track surface to change quickly as the PJ1 compound wears off. There will be seven pace laps, according to FOX Sports. Stages end on laps 125, 250 and 500.

3:00 PM: NASCAR FINALLY SEES SUN

The skies are smiling on NASCAR today in Bristol, TN. It is currently sunny and 69 degrees, with a high of 74 degrees later this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. That is a welcome change for the sport that suffered multiple rain delays and postponements last week. It is finally looking like a good day to go racing.

This story was originally published May 31, 2020 at 3:03 PM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription