(WOMR file photo)
Notwithstanding the fact that Brad Keselowski’s #22 Discount Tire Mustang was experiencing electrical issues with the battery being depleted and unable to produce all the required electrics necessary to power all the electrical equipment after the restart on lap 168, there was enough power left in the battery to provide the necessary spark to the motor to keep it running til the checkered flag flew at LVMS. Keselowski had built up a large enough lead over Las Vegas native, Kyle Busch, to hold off the charge that Busch had mounted over the last few laps.
This was Keselowski’s first win of the season, his first at LVMS and the 28th of his career. However Brad K’s win left Busch, a Las Vegas native, Kyle Busch, frustrated in his 11th futile attempt to win a Nationwide Series race on home turf. Busch was runner-up for the second straight year and third time overall.
“Kyle’s one of the best in the business, and he deserves a win here, and he’s been real close, just like we have,” said Keselowski, who was leading on the final lap in 2011 before a blown tire knocked him back to third.
“These races aren’t getting any easier to win. I drove as hard as I could every lap, knowing that Kyle was coming there, especially at the end. We were having some troubles with the engine there, and I knew it was just a matter of time before he caught me. I was just trying to get through as much traffic as I could and extend that time and was counting down the laps. It felt good that everything worked out at the end.”
As the checkered flag flew at LVMS, Kyle Larson was third, in spite of his early misfortunes in the race of getting sideways and brushing the wall on three of the four corners of his race car. Following Larson was Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rookie Chase Elliott, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Matt Kenseth followed in sixth, Brian Scott seventh,Trevor Bayne eighth, Chris Buescher ninth, and Regan Smith completed the top 10.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
