Keselowski has just enough to win in Charlotte
NASCAR Wire Service, Distributed By The Sports Xchange
CONCORD, N.C.-- Fuel miser Brad Keselowski got 73 laps out of his last tank of fuel and had just enough left in the tank to outrun Denny Hamlin in Saturday's History 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The victory was Keselowski's first in the series this year and the 18th of his career. Hamlin crossed the finish line .838 seconds behind the 2010 Nationwide champion. Kyle Busch ran third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler.
Keselowski pulled away after a caution for an accident off Turn 2 on Lap 147 of 200, when Brian Scott and Cole Whitt hit a patch of oil and slammed into the inside wall.
Polesitter Joey Logano took four tires during a pit stop on Lap 144, dropped from third to 15th when the rest of the contenders stopped for fuel only and came home sixth.
A broken driveshaft sidelined series leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on Lap 66, who spent 22 laps in the garage for repairs. Stenhouse finished 26th but retained his lead by 13 points over Sadler, with Austin Dillon (11th Saturday) in third place, 28 points back.
Danica Patrick finished 13th, despite falling a lap down when an early cycle of pit stops was interrupted by the third caution of the race for a blown engine in Angela Cope's Chevrolet.
