Brad Keselowski scores his first Cup win at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Here’s what you need to know from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway Sunday:

WINNER: In his 15th career Cup Series start on NASCAR's smallest track, Brad Keselowski finally took the checkered flag. Keselowski held off last year's winner Kyle Busch Sunday to win the sixth race of the season after the former Cup Series champions contested a fierce battle up front in the latter stages of the race.

“Good job Paul! Helluva car,” Keselowski said over the radio after crossing the finish line. Crew chief Paul Wolfe was back atop the pit box this week after Team Penske lodged an appeal of the penalty NASCAR levied against the No. 2 team after the car failed post-race inspection at Phoenix Raceway.

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“This is a really special track,” Keselowski said. “Finally, we bring it home today. Tough competition all the way around. … He (Busch) had a great short-run car, all the long runs, we were the best car.”

Keselowski, who becomes the first driver with two victories this season after winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the second race of the year, scored Penske's first win at Martinsville in 13 years as Edsel Ford II congratulated Keselowski in victory lane. Ford timed his visit well, because he got to see a Ford in victory lane for the first time since 2002.

PHOTOS: BRAD KESELOWSKI THROUGH THE YEARS

Keselowski recovered from an early pit-road speeding penalty to work his way back to the front and earn his first Grandfather clock, which he pointed out are made in his home town of Rochester Hills, Mich. Busch finished second, followed by Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon. AJ Allmendinger finished sixth, with Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounding out the top 10.

Powerhouse teams Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports will have to wait another week to score their first wins of 2017. Busch lamented the last pit stop as his undoing.

“Just needed a normal set of tires,” Busch said. “We put on a set of tires at the end that were different. We just were hurting it really, really bad there. It’s just frustrating when you bolt a set of tires on it and it goes to junk.”

Elliottt, who won Saturday's Camping World Truck Series race, started second and was the top contender for a Hendrick team that has won 24 Cup races at Martinsville.

“Kyle and Brad were really fast, "Elliott said. "I was proud of our improvement here today. I hope that’s not a one-day event (on improvement)."

MANGLED MACHINES: The afternoon produced a series of accidents, resulting in crumpled fenders and angry drivers, neither of which is unusual at Martinsville. The day’s 13th caution flew on lap 418 when Denny Hamlin knocked Danica Patrick into the outside wall, sparking a crash that also collected Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Aric Almirola and others.

STAGE TWO: The second stage ended with edge-of-your-seat racing as Stenhouse, trying to stay on the lead lap as the end of the stage loomed, bumped leader Kyle Busch, allowing Elliott to sneak past and win the stage. Stenhouse successfully stayed on the lead lap. He also successfully irritated Busch.

STAGE ONE: Martin Truex Jr. won a frantic chase to the end of the first stage, leading the 130th lap and earning 10 points. Hamlin was second and Kyle Busch third as cars bumped and banged behind them, ultimately causing the fourth caution.

JUNIOR CAROUSEL: Earnhardt looped his Chevrolet driving off the second turn on lap 124, sparking the third caution.

21 INTO 48 INTO 1: A three-car incident on lap 99 led to Jamie McMurray parking his Chevrolet eight laps later. Ryan Blaney bumped into Jimmie Johnson, and Johnson slid into the left rear of McMurray’s car, damaging the fender and tire. Although the wreck caused a serious tire rub, McMurray stayed on the track, hoping for a caution before he pitted. Instead, he caused the caution as the tire exploded, sending McMurray hard into the outside wall. “If you stay out and blow a tire and you wreck, your day is done,” McMurray said. “If you pit here, you lose two or three laps, and I don't think you can get those back. We made the decision to stay out and ended up blowing a tire.”

STENHOUSE SPINS: Stenhouse brought out the race’s first caution when he spun out in turn three on lap 71 after contact with Paul Menard. Stenhouse’s Ford had right-front damage. It would be the start of a very adventurous afternoon for Stenhouse.

REMEMBERING ARD: Before Sunday’s race, officials held a moment of silence for Sam Ard, a two-time champion of what is now the Xfinity Series. Ard, 78, died Sunday morning. He won the series title in 1983 and 1984 and is remembered as one of the best short-track racers in NASCAR history.

PHOTOS: 2017 NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE WINNERS

STP 500 RESULTS

Sunday at the 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway (starting position in parentheses):

1. (4) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 500 laps, 0 rating, 55 points.

2. (10) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 500, 0, 52.

3. (2) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 50.

4. (5) Joey Logano, Ford, 500, 0, 33.

5. (20) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 34.

6. (30) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 31.

7. (8) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 500, 0, 31.

8. (11) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 29.

9. (25) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 500, 0, 32.

10. (24) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Ford, 500, 0, 27.

11. (33) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 26.

12. (15) Erik Jones, Toyota, 500, 0, 28.

13. (16) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 500, 0, 26.

14. (13) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 24.

15. (17) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 32.

16. (3) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota, 500, 0, 31.

17. (1) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 25.

18. (18) Aric Almirola, Ford, 500, 0, 19.

19. (22) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 500, 0, 18.

20. (9) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 500, 0, 17.

21. (31) Cole Whitt, Ford, 499, 0, 16.

22. (23) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 499, 0, 15.

23. (29) Danica Patrick, Ford, 499, 0, 14.

24. (34) David Ragan, Ford, 498, 0, 13.

25. (7) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 498, 0, 22.

26. (26) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 497, 0, 11.

27. (27) Landon Cassill, Ford, 497, 0, 10.

28. (35) Corey LaJoie, Toyota, 496, 0, 9.

29. (37) Gray Gaulding, Toyota, 495, 0, 8.

30. (12) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 493, 0, 16.

31. (32) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 492, 0, 6.

32. (19) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 489, 0, 5.

33. (38) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 486, 0, 0.

34. (21) Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, accident, 418, 0, 8.

35. (28) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, accident, 401, 0, 2.

36. (36) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, accident, 385, 0, 1.

37. (14) Kurt Busch, Ford, accident, 295, 0, 1.

38. (6) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, accident, 105, 0, 1.

———

Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 70.142 mph.

Time of Race: 3 hours, 44 minutes, 59 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 1.806 seconds.

Caution Flags: 14 for 95 laps.

Lead Changes: 18 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: K.Larson 1-23; B.Keselowski 24-71; J.Logano 72; M.Truex 73-88; D.Hamlin 89-108; Ky.Busch 109; M.Truex 110-135; Ky.Busch 136-144; C.Elliott 145-151; Ky.Busch 152-259; C.Elliott 260-272; Ky.Busch 273-336; D.Hamlin 337-340; Ky.Busch 341-405; B.Keselowski 406-415; Ky.Busch 416-428; B.Keselowski 429-443; Ky.Busch 444-457; B.Keselowski 458-500

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): Ky.Busch, 7 times for 267 laps; B.Keselowski, 4 times for 112 laps; M.Truex, 2 times for 40 laps; D.Hamlin, 2 times for 22 laps; K.Larson, 1 time for 22 laps; C.Elliott, 2 times for 18 laps; J.Logano, 1 time for 0 laps.

Wins: B.Keselowski, 2; Ku.Busch, 1; K.Larson, 1; R.Newman, 1; M.Truex, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. K.Larson, 268; 2. C.Elliott, 264; 3. M.Truex, 236; 4. B.Keselowski, 234; 5. J.Logano, 207; 6. Ky.Busch, 188; 7. R.Blaney, 179; 8. C.Bowyer, 174; 9. J.McMurray, 163; 10. K.Harvick, 154; 11. R.Newman, 152; 12. K.Kahne, 146; 13. E.Jones, 144; 14. J.Johnson, 141; 15. T.Bayne, 140; 16. D.Hamlin, 139.