Keselowski Rises Late To Win Chase Opener At Chicago

Joliet, Ill. Sept. 16-For much of Sunday’s Geico 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase Opening event at the Chicagoland Speedway, it appeared to be business as usual for Jimmie Johnson as he thoroughly dominated the race only to have young upstart Brad Keselowski rise up late in the going and snatch the victory away from the five-time series champion.

Brad Keselowski in victory lane at Chicagoland after winning the opening Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship race. [Russ Lake Photo]

While Johnson charged from his pole starting position to lead 172 of the 267 laps that made up the Geico 400, Keselowski kept him in his sights, content with quietly stalking Johnson for the lead until the crucial final round of green flag pit stops when he placed his No.2 Dodge ahead of Johnson’s No.48 Chevrolet with 35 laps remaining. When the lead cars cycled through their required pit service, Keselowski had the lead and he paced the final 26 laps, pulling away to a 3.171 second victory over Johnson.

“It feels like Round One of a heavyweight title bout,” a determined Keselowski stated from victory lane referring to the ten race stretch that makes up the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, “It’s a ten round bout and this is just week one, there’s nine more rounds to go.”

Johnson was forced to settle for a second place finish despite driving what appeared to be the best car all day and slightly questioned the timing of Keselowski’s crossing of the blend-in line off pit road on the final stops that allowed him to slide into the lead in front of Johnson who was charging hard off the second turn in an effort to pass Keselowski.

“He did cut up early and it did impede my progress,” Johnson said afterward, “but it didn’t affect the outcome. I’m not sure I could have held him off.”

NASCAR reviewed situation and no penalities were issued over it as Keselowski pulled away from Johnson over the final laps.

Fellow Chase competitor Kasey Kahne, who made the top 12 driver list via a wild card entry, also ran a strong race throughout the day and finished third, advancing his way up several positions in the championship standings from eleventh to fifth while non-Chase drivers Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman completed the top five finishers. Defending Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart finished in sixth place and now sits third in the standings behind Keselowski and Johnson while Joey Logano took the checkered flag in seventh place ahead of Chase drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., and Clint Bowyer in eighth through tenth respectively.

Among the other championship contenders, Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle struggled to twelfth and thirteenth place finishes while Denny Hamlin lost seven positions and valuable points as he fell from ninth to sixteenth after running out of fuel on the final lap. Matt Kenseth salvaged an eighteenth place result after a shock absorber fell off his car during one of the four caution periods and the crew hastily made repairs to keep from losing a lap while Jeff Gordon challenged the front runners early before a problem with the throttle on his Chevrolet sent him hard into the turn one wall on lap 189. Gordon returned to the speedway after repairs were made and finished in a disappointing 35th place, seriously damaging his chances to secure his fifth series title.

Dan Margetta

Related Posts

• 
  Motorsports Minute: Kyle Busch
• 
  Motorsports Minute: Chase Elliott
• 
  Motorsports Minute: Chase Elliott