Kansas NASCAR Cup: Keselowski beats Bowman after a late wave – NASCAR

Penske's Brad Keselowski survived the overtime period to clinch victory in the NASCAR Cup Series race in Kansas.

After failing in the top 10 in the first two stages of the race, Keselowski was propelled into contention for the end of the last stage when a caution was issued with 28 of the remaining 267 laps.

Keselowski was one of five drivers to take new tires and jumped into the peloton at the resumption to compete with race leader Alex Bowman.

Despite a tough defense of Bowman driver Hendrick Motorsports, Keselowski overtook car # 88 around the outside with seven laps to go.

Matt DiBenedetto suffered a puncture a few moments later, which plunged the race into overtime, but Keselowski cleared the championship at the last stop to control the checkered flag race.

Bowman sealed a new unfortunate record, becoming the first driver to finish three consecutive races in second place without winning a career victory.

He inherited the lead of the race when Kevin Harvick, the winner of the first leg, suspected having a right front wheel loose early in the last leg.

The Stewart-Haas Racing rider made the mistake and the team pulled a large piece of plastic out of the front of his Ford, as well as tires on the right.

Harvick finally got back on top, using a late free pass, but finished 13th.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Erik Jones finished third with an aggressive position defense against Clint Bowyer in his Ford SHR on the final lap.

Bowyer, who had to loosen the throttle to avoid toppling Jones into the wall, claimed that he "should have finished second" without Jones' block.

Instead, Bowyer crossed the finish line in fifth place.

Chase Elliott fought back at the back of the field after being one of 11 cars to have failed at the technical inspection before the race. He climbed to second place at the end of the first leg, before overtaking Harvick in the last 20 laps of the second leg to win that victory.

However, Elliott lost ground in the pits at the start of the third leg and returned to fifth place. He struggled to regain his position on the track and failed to lead a lap for the rest of the race, although he finished ahead of Bowyer in fourth.

Jimmie Johnson, his teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, finished sixth using the same refueling strategy as Keselowski and Jones to gain ground in the final laps.

Tyler Reddick, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, finished ninth for Richard Childress Racing, finishing third.

Kyle Busch's record of 11 consecutive wins at the start of a cup season ended with a 30th place finish.

The JGR driver challenged the win, battling Bowman for first place midway through the third leg, but lost his reason for being due to a pitlane and penalty. subsequent contact with Bowyer and Jones which resulted in tire friction.

Race result