Keselowski wins Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

[July 05, 2016]  DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Brad Keselowski put together a dominating performance to win the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.

It was Keselowski's fifth career Sprint Cup Series restrictor-plate win but his first at Daytona. The win also was the 100th Cup win for owner Roger Penske in his 50th year of racing.

Kyle Busch finished second, Trevor Bayne third, Keselowski's Team Penske teammate Joey Logano fourth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fifth, respectively. Kurt Busch was running in the top-five on the final lap before wrecking en route to the checkered flag.

The yellow flag waved five times throughout the race, with the final caution coming with five laps to go in the scheduled 160-lap distance, sending the race into overtime for a two-lap, green-flag sprint to the finish with Keselowski and Kurt Busch on the front row and Logano and Kyle Busch behind them in row two.

After dominating the first half of the race, Keselowski lost the lead on pit road after a wreck on lap 20 that involved nearly half of the 40-car race field on lap 90. He got back to the lead on lap 105.

Keselowski again lost the lead on pit road during a lap-131 debris caution, restarting second to Kyle Busch. He got past Busch for the lead with 22 laps to go and didn't look back.

Hamlin was the leader at the halfway point, taking the position just before lap 80 of the 160-lap race.

Kyle Busch was second and Keselowski ran third.

Keselowski dominated the first half of the race. After Greg Biffle started on the pole, Keselowski took the lead early and led 13 laps by the time cars headed down pit road during a lap-20 caution.

Keselowski got off pit road first to maintain his lead. Biffle got out front temporarily on lap 28 and when Keselowski got back out front, Biffle challenged for a few laps before Keselowski retook command of the top spot.

Keselowski continued to lead until he was one of the first drivers to pit during a green-flag cycle of stops began on lap 66.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (R) celebrates after winning the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

After the cycle, Busch was the leader, with Logano and Keselowski trailing in second and third.

NOTES: Greg Biffle's pole for the Coke Zero 400 was his first pole in four years. His first-career Sprint Cup win came at Daytona International Speedway in 2003. ... Kyle Busch ran the race in a backup car after wrecking his primary car because of a cut tire during practice on Friday. ... Denny Hamlin is the most recent Sprint Cup winner at Daytona, winning the Daytona 500 in February. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. won last year's Coke Zero 400. ... Tony Stewart is the winningest active driver at Daytona with 19 victories across all NASCAR events at the track, including four in the Coke Zero 400. He's second behind Dale Earnhardt, who has 34. Stewart wore an Earnhardt tribute helmet in Saturday's race. ... Earnhardt Jr. leads active drivers in Sprint Cup points-paying restrictor plate wins with 10. Jeff Gordon is the leader with 12. ... Aric Almirola won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona on Friday night, beating Justin Allgaier in a photo finish when a caution ended the race.

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