Associated Press
LAS VEGAS • +Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew he probably did not have enough fuel to finish. Being in Vegas, he decided to gamble anyway.
And when Earnhardt’s tank went bust on the final lap, Brad Keselowski was right there to clean up.
Keselowski surged ahead when Earnhardt ran out of fuel, claiming a dramatic victory Sunday in the +NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Earnhardt’s Chevy sputtered and slowed out of the second turn, and Keselowski roared past him on the backstretch in his Penske Ford for the first weekend sweep in his career. Keselowski followed up Saturday’s Nationwide Series victory with his first Las Vegas Cup win, doing it in exhilarating fashion against the friend and mentor who gave him his first big break in racing.
“That’s what you live for as a driver, at least I do,” Keselowski said. “Those moments where you’re side by side, and you lay it all out on the racetrack and bring back the car with the tires smoking, engine smoking, and you’re worn out inside because you gave it all you had. It was one of those races there at the end.”
Keselowski knew all about the fuel shortage faced by Earnhardt and +Carl Edwards, who both made their final pit stops about 10 laps before him. So Keselowski decided to force the issue, getting around Edwards and pushing for the lead so Earnhardt would be forced to abandon his conservative, fuel-saving lines.
“I felt like we could run him down,” Keselowski said about the driver who put him in his first Nationwide ride. “He was going to have to burn fuel to keep me behind him. At that point, it was just a matter of whether a yellow (flag) came out or not, because it was just a ticking time bomb. It worked in our favor today.”
Earnhardt finished second and didn’t regret it, secure in his overall position thanks to the new rules in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which puts increased emphasis on wins. Still, Earnhardt and his Hendrick Motorsports ride were just a few ounces of fuel shy of earning their second victory in three races to start the season.
When Earnhardt sat down for his post-race news conference in front of two cans of his sponsor’s energy drink, he picked up one can wistfully: “That’s all we needed, just 16 ounces.”
The Daytona 500 champion was disappointed but not discouraged after his spectacular start to the NASCAR season. He also finished second last week at Phoenix.
“We weren’t supposed to make it,” Earnhardt said. “We were trying to save as much as we can and make it work, but we knew we were short. We wouldn’t have finished second if we didn’t have that strategy.”
Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion, virtually assured himself of a spot in the Chase after missing it entirely last season.
“It’s just such a reliever for everyone on the team to get that win in early, and be able to enjoy the races and opportunities that we have instead of being stressed out about them,” Keselowski said. “You know, I think if anything it actually lends itself to better racing.”
With his wife due to give birth at any minute, Paul Menard finished third in his Richard Childress Racing Chevy in front of Keselowski’s teammate, pole-sitter +Joey Logano and Edwards was fifth in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
Results for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kobalt 400
RK DRIVER POINTS BEHIND
1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 133 — 1
2 Brad Keselowski 132 - 1
3 Kevin Harvick 83 - 50
4 Jimmie Johnson 117 - 16
5 Joey Logano 116 - 17
6 Jeff Gordon 115 - 18
7 Carl Edwards 105 - 28
7 Matt Kenseth 105 - 28
9 Denny Hamlin 101 - 32
*** Chase for the Sprint Cup cut-off ***
17 Casey Mears 80 - 53
LAS VEGAS • +Dale Earnhardt Jr. knew he probably did not have enough fuel to finish. Being in Vegas, he decided to gamble anyway.
And when Earnhardt’s tank went bust on the final lap, Brad Keselowski was right there to clean up.
Keselowski surged ahead when Earnhardt ran out of fuel, claiming a dramatic victory Sunday in the +NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
 |
| Brad Keselowski won Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas mid-way though the last lap. |
Earnhardt’s Chevy sputtered and slowed out of the second turn, and Keselowski roared past him on the backstretch in his Penske Ford for the first weekend sweep in his career. Keselowski followed up Saturday’s Nationwide Series victory with his first Las Vegas Cup win, doing it in exhilarating fashion against the friend and mentor who gave him his first big break in racing.
“That’s what you live for as a driver, at least I do,” Keselowski said. “Those moments where you’re side by side, and you lay it all out on the racetrack and bring back the car with the tires smoking, engine smoking, and you’re worn out inside because you gave it all you had. It was one of those races there at the end.”
Keselowski knew all about the fuel shortage faced by Earnhardt and +Carl Edwards, who both made their final pit stops about 10 laps before him. So Keselowski decided to force the issue, getting around Edwards and pushing for the lead so Earnhardt would be forced to abandon his conservative, fuel-saving lines.
“I felt like we could run him down,” Keselowski said about the driver who put him in his first Nationwide ride. “He was going to have to burn fuel to keep me behind him. At that point, it was just a matter of whether a yellow (flag) came out or not, because it was just a ticking time bomb. It worked in our favor today.”
Earnhardt finished second and didn’t regret it, secure in his overall position thanks to the new rules in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which puts increased emphasis on wins. Still, Earnhardt and his Hendrick Motorsports ride were just a few ounces of fuel shy of earning their second victory in three races to start the season.
When Earnhardt sat down for his post-race news conference in front of two cans of his sponsor’s energy drink, he picked up one can wistfully: “That’s all we needed, just 16 ounces.”
The Daytona 500 champion was disappointed but not discouraged after his spectacular start to the NASCAR season. He also finished second last week at Phoenix.
“We weren’t supposed to make it,” Earnhardt said. “We were trying to save as much as we can and make it work, but we knew we were short. We wouldn’t have finished second if we didn’t have that strategy.”
Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion, virtually assured himself of a spot in the Chase after missing it entirely last season.
“It’s just such a reliever for everyone on the team to get that win in early, and be able to enjoy the races and opportunities that we have instead of being stressed out about them,” Keselowski said. “You know, I think if anything it actually lends itself to better racing.”
With his wife due to give birth at any minute, Paul Menard finished third in his Richard Childress Racing Chevy in front of Keselowski’s teammate, pole-sitter +Joey Logano and Edwards was fifth in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford.
Results for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kobalt 400
(Las Vegas)
1 - Brad Keselowski
2 - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Standings following Las Vegas
1 - Brad Keselowski
2 - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3 - Paul Menard
4 - Joey Logano
5 - Carl Edwards
6 - Jimmie Johnson
7 - Ryan Newman
8 - Kasey Kahne
9 - Jeff Gordon
10 - Matt Kenseth
11 - Kyle BUsch
12 - Denny Hamlin
13 - Brian Vickers
14 - Martin Truex Jr.
15 - Jamie McMurray
16 - Austin Dillon
17 - Jeff Burton
18 - A.J. Allmendinger
19 - Kyle Larson
20 - Trevor Bayne
21 - Danica Patrick
22 - Greg Biffle
23 - Clint Bowyer
24 - Marcos Ambrose
25 - Aric Almirola
26 - Kurt Busch
27 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
28 - Casey Mears
29 - Michael Annett
30 - David Gilliland
31 - Justin Allgaier
32 - David Ragan
33 - Tony Stewart
34 - Reed Sorenson
35 - Ryan Truex
36 - Cole Whitt
37 - Alex Bowman
38 - Timmy Hill
39 - Travis Kvapil
40 - Parker Kligerman
41 - Kevin Harvick
42 - Josh Wise
43 - Michael McDowell
RK DRIVER POINTS BEHIND
1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 133 — 1
2 Brad Keselowski 132 - 1
3 Kevin Harvick 83 - 50
4 Jimmie Johnson 117 - 16
5 Joey Logano 116 - 17
6 Jeff Gordon 115 - 18
7 Carl Edwards 105 - 28
7 Matt Kenseth 105 - 28
9 Denny Hamlin 101 - 32
10 Ryan Newman 97 - 36
11 Kyle Busch 95 - 38
12 Jamie McMurray 93 - 40
13 Greg Biffle 86 - 47
11 Kyle Busch 95 - 38
12 Jamie McMurray 93 - 40
13 Greg Biffle 86 - 47
14 Austin Dillon 84 - 49
15 Kasey Kahne 83 - 50
16 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 80 - 53
15 Kasey Kahne 83 - 50
16 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 80 - 53
*** Chase for the Sprint Cup cut-off ***
17 Casey Mears 80 - 53
18 Paul Menard 76 - 57
19 Marcos Ambrose 69 - 64
20 Brian Vickers 64 - 69
21 AJ Allmendinger 63 - 70
22 Clint Bowyer 55 - 78
23 Kyle Larson 55 - 78
24 Aric Almirola 54 - 79
25 Martin Truex Jr. 53 - 80
26 Reed Sorenson 51 - 82
27 Tony Stewart 48 - 85
28 Kurt Busch 47 - 86
29 Justin Allgaier 45 - 88
30 Cole Whitt 41 - 92
31 David Ragan 38 - 95
32 David Gilliland 38 - 95
33 Danica Patrick 36 - 97
20 Brian Vickers 64 - 69
21 AJ Allmendinger 63 - 70
22 Clint Bowyer 55 - 78
23 Kyle Larson 55 - 78
24 Aric Almirola 54 - 79
25 Martin Truex Jr. 53 - 80
26 Reed Sorenson 51 - 82
27 Tony Stewart 48 - 85
28 Kurt Busch 47 - 86
29 Justin Allgaier 45 - 88
30 Cole Whitt 41 - 92
31 David Ragan 38 - 95
32 David Gilliland 38 - 95
33 Danica Patrick 36 - 97
34 Michael Annett 32 - 101
35 Alex Bowman 31 - 102
36 Bobby Labonte 29 - 104
37 Jeff Burton 27 - 106
35 Alex Bowman 31 - 102
36 Bobby Labonte 29 - 104
37 Jeff Burton 27 - 106
38 Terry Labonte 24 - 109
39 Josh Wise 22 - 111
40 Parker Kligerman 21 - 112
41 Ryan Truex 18 - 115
42 Michael McDowell 12 - 121
43 Travis Kvapil 11 - 122
44 Timmy Hill 6 - 127
45 Joe Nemechek 4 - 129
46 Michael Waltrip 4 - 129
39 Josh Wise 22 - 111
40 Parker Kligerman 21 - 112
41 Ryan Truex 18 - 115
42 Michael McDowell 12 - 121
43 Travis Kvapil 11 - 122
44 Timmy Hill 6 - 127
45 Joe Nemechek 4 - 129
46 Michael Waltrip 4 - 129
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