Keselowski promised good result, delivers big win at Richmond

[September 14, 2020]  During a press conference on Thursday, a very confident Brad Keselowski said he expected to lead a lot of laps, be up front and potentially win his fourth NASCAR Cup Series race of the season on Saturday night.

Check, check and check.

The Team Penske driver led a race-best 192 of 400 laps, finished 2.5 seconds ahead of runner-up Martin Truex Jr. and captured that victory No. 4 of 2020 on Saturday night in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway.

"It was quite a race here for us," Keselowski said. "Man, this thing (his No. 2 Ford Mustang) was awesome."

It was so awesome that it cost him a shot at putting on a smoke show after the win.

Keselowski said it was the same car he used in his earlier victory in New Hampshire, so, he said, "I wanted to do a really cool burnout with it but I want this car for Phoenix (the mile track which will be the site of the season's championship deciding race). It's 2 for 2."

The victory gives Keselowski a guaranteed berth in the second round of the series playoffs where he will join Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing, who won last weekend's race at Darlington, and 10 others who will be determined next week.

The victory was his second at Richmond, with the other coming in 2016.

Truex never had a shot over the final laps at catching Keselowski.

"Never could get the balance right," Truex, who was looking to win his third straight at Richmond, said. "Slow in the short run early, slow in the long run late. We just couldn't put it all together. I was really surprised we were second after how it felt early in the race. I was like, 'Oh boy, this is going to be a long night.'

Finishing third at Richmond was Penske's Joey Logano.

Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing, who finished second a week ago, was fourth.

Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports came home fifth.

Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) races NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Dillon (13) during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

"We were way better than we've been here," said Elliott, who was wrecked by Truex while going for the win a week ago. "So I thought that was a big improvement for us because we really need it here. This has been a really tough track for us."

All the drivers who finished in the top-10 were playoffs qualifiers.

Saturday's race was the second of three in the first round of the playoffs. The field of 16 drivers will be trimmed down to 12 after next weekend's race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Defending series champion Kyle Busch had to start the race from the rear of the field after his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota twice failed pre-race inspections. Busch, who was slated to start in the sixth position, was looking for his first victory of the season.

In addition, Busch was without his regular crew chief Adam Stevens, who was suspended when officials found that their car finished the Darlington race down two lug nuts.

None of that mattered as Busch used a fast car and good pit stops to make his way up into the top five by the middle of the second stage. He wound up sixth.

Finding themselves below the cutline after Saturday were William Byron (3 points out of 12th), Cole Custer (8), Matt DiBenedetto (25) and Ryan Blaney (27).

Clint Bowyer is on the bubble heading to Bristol.

--Field Level Media

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