Elliott and Logano collision pave the way for Keselowski to win at Bristol

The NASCAR Cup Series made its way to the Coliseum at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City Presents The Supermarket Heroes 500 Sunday afternoon. A pair of Fords led the field to the green flag as Brad Keselowski was the pole sitter with Aric Almirola beside him on the front row. Keselowski took the outside lane and Almirola the inside as the green flag was about the wave. Before the race got started, Ryan Preece and Greg Gaulding car’s failed inspection and started in the rear end of the field. NASCAR scheduled two competition cautions for laps 20 and 60.

The green flag is out, and we’re underway from @BMSupdates! pic.twitter.com/GP237y0ckv — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

Almirola did not get off to a good start in the first ten laps and dropped to sixth. In the meantime, the Penske cars were 1-2-3 with Keselowski leading, Joey Logano second, and Ryan Blaney third. On the seventh lap, Ryan Newman’s car spun, bringing on the first caution of the race. Keselowski led the field back to the green flag on lap 13 and would remain in the lead when the competition caution came out at lap 22.

Some of the lead lap cars, including Brad Keselowski, stayed out while Denny Hamlin, who pitted from sixth place only taking two tires while others took four. Keselowski once again led the field back to the green flag on lap 30. Thirteen laps into the restart, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into the back of Ryan Blaney, who was battling for the fifth position. Blaney had minor damage to his car. Keselowski continued to lead until the second competition caution came out at lap 62.

.@StenhouseJr makes contact with @Blaney entering the corner during Stage 1. #FoodCitySupermarketHeroes500 pic.twitter.com/Efck02qKCu — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

All of the lead lap cars except for Matt DiBenedetto pitted with Keselowski winning the race off of pit road to go into second place. DiBenedetto led the field back to the green flag on lap 68 and lost the lead to Brad Keselowski. Keselowski led sixteen laps at that point before Ryan Blaney challenged and successfully past Keselowski for the lead on lap 84.

NEW LEADER: @Blaney moves past @keselowski to take over the top spot at @BMSupdates. @FS1 | https://t.co/oWWAut6pxx pic.twitter.com/xBqurY1h1p — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

As Blaney was leading, another challenger emerged, and that was Chase Elliott. Blaney led 21 laps when Elliott made a move on the inside of turn one to take the lead on lap 105. Elliott pulled away from Blaney and went on to win stage one.

.@chaseelliott gets around @Blaney to take over the lead as Stage 1 winds down. #FoodCitySupermarketHeroes500 pic.twitter.com/RYTxzGpLzG — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

STAGE WINNER: @chaseelliott collects a #NASCARPlayoffs point with this stage victory at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/ozaC2SfJNl — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

All of the lead lap cars came down to pit road for four tires, and Elliott would come out second to Ryan Blaney. Alex Bowman, who pitted with the lead lap cars, had to come back in for loose lug nuts.

Blaney led the field back to the green flag on lap 137 while Chase Elliott fell to third place after Brad Keselowski passed him. On lap 170, Keselowski got by Blaney to take the lead. Unfortunately for Blaney, he would spin in turn two and get clipped by Ty Dillon, knocking out his radiator and putting him out of the race on lap 199 to bring out the fifth caution of the race.

Take a look at the crash involving @Blaney and @tydillon during Stage 2 at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/Xc6kU0du9w — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

Once again, the lead lap cars pitted with Chase Elliott coming out on top with Brad Keselowski second. Elliott led the field back to the green flag on lap 208 with Keselowski second, Hamlin third, and Harvick fourth. Elliott had only lead four laps before the sixth caution would fly when Joey Gase spun. Nobody came to pit road.

Elliott would lead the field back to the green flag, but Bayley Currey’s car stalled, and the caution was out again. The race would get back underway on lap 222 as Elliott led the field back to green with Harvick on the outside. Elliott was battling Joey Logano for the lead, and both made contact as Elliott held on to the lead.

A significant wreck happened on lap 229, which began when Jimmy Johnson tapped Ricky Stenhouse Jr. going into turn one. Stenhouse spun and collected a bunch of cars, including Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman, Cole Custer, Kurt Busch, Ryan Preece, and Matt DiBenedetto. The red flag was displayed and lasted over eleven minutes.

.@StenhouseJr slides across the track after contact from @JimmieJohnson and collects multiple contenders in this crash at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/SUDEmfpQrP — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

When the red flag lifted, some of the lead lap cars and those involved in the crash that were still running came to pit road. Elliott led the field back to the green flag on lap 236. The green flag run didn’t last long as three laps later, Ryan Preece got into the wall in between turns three and four to bring out the ninth caution of the race. For the final time in stage two, Elliott led the field back to the green flag on lap 244 and would go on to win stage two with Denny Hamlin in second place.

STAGE WINNER: @chaseelliott picks up another #NASCARPlayoffs point in 2020 by winning Stage 2 at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/zSIqImOpNO — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

Some of the lead lap cars pitted, including Elliott, while Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch stayed out. Hamlin and Busch led the field back to the green flag on lap 262. During the green flag run, both William Byron and Chris Buescher hit the wall. However, Buescher would hit the wall again and cut a tire to bring out the eleventh caution of the race. Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Ryan Preece, and Timmy Hill pitted while the rest of the field stayed out.

Denny Hamlin led the field back to the green flag on lap 275. Three laps later, Kyle Busch challenged Hamlin for the lead and successfully passed Hamlin to take the lead. During the run, Matt DiBenedetto pitted but was forced to retire from the race due to mechanical issues. Austin Dillon slowed on the track with a tire going down and would bring out the twelfth caution of the day.

.@KyleBusch makes the pass on @dennyhamlin for the lead on Lap 278! #FoodCitySupermarketHeroes500 pic.twitter.com/gKj1A6cDAh — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

All of the lead lap cars pitted for four tires, and Kyle Busch raced everyone off of pit road to remain in the lead. Busch led the field back to the green flag on lap 335. Twenty laps into the run, Ryan Newman spun out from 18th position and brought out another caution. Some of the lead lap cars pitted for four tires while others stayed out. Busch would lead the field back to green on lap 361 and would lose the lead to Denny Hamlin.

Less than 100 laps to go, and @KyleBusch goes back to the lead! Catch the action right now on @FS1 or stream it at https://t.co/oWWAut6pxx! pic.twitter.com/TBGFmnwHUN — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

Jimmie Johnson put pressure on Busch to challenge him for second place. Busch would get the lead back from Hamlin thanks to some lapped cars holding him up. Johnson was then challenging Hamlin for second place. Johnson would eventually get second from Hamlin.

Kevin Harvick and Erik Jones would make contact in turn one to bring out the fourteenth caution of the day. All of the lead lap cars pitted taking four tires with Hamlin winning the race off of pit road. Hamlin would lead the field back to the green flag with 60 laps to go. Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliott were battling for second place as Busch fell to fourth, while Johnson moved up to third and Elliott second.

With less than fifty laps to go, Greg Gaulding would hit the turn two wall and bring out the fifteenth caution of the day. Some of the lead lap cars pitted, including Brad Keselowski, who only took two left tires while the rest took four. Denny Hamlin led the field back to the green flag with Chase Elliott next to him on lap 464. Not long after the restart, another big collision exiting turn four involving Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell, and Timmy Hill, this would be the sixteenth caution of the day.

.@MartinTruex_Jr spins and other cars are collected in this incident late at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/DeGDnrDBY9 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

Hamlin would lead the field back to the green flag with less than thirty laps to go. Joey Logano quickly challenged him for the lead. Hamlin drifted up high in turn three, allowing Logano and Elliott to pass him. Logano then ended up going high, and Hamlin hit him from behind while Elliott took the lead. After hitting Logano, Hamlin spun exiting turn four to bring out the seventeenth caution.

A crazy sequence of events at @BMSupdates! @dennyhamlin goes from leading to spinning in a matter of moments. pic.twitter.com/DXUpJagx15 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

Chase Elliott and Joey Logano led the field back to the green flag with four laps to go. The two of them battled for the lead, but a lap later, Elliott and Logano make contact on the high side, allowing Brad Keselowski to pass both them and go on to win the Food City Presents The Supermarket Heroes 500.

Here's a look at what happened between @joeylogano and @chaseelliott with three laps to go at @BMSupdates. pic.twitter.com/aADnCUwFk4 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

Clint Bowyer would finish second place, Jimmie Johnson third, Kyle Busch fourth, Erik Jones fifth, Austin Dillon sixth, Kurt Busch seventh, William Byron eighth, Christopher Bell ninth, and Bubba Wallace tenth. After the race, Logano and Elliott had a heated conversation.

.@joeylogano shares his thoughts on the incident with @chaseelliott. pic.twitter.com/MKnt9PN41l — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

After a disappointing finish, @chaseelliott explains what happened with @joeylogano. pic.twitter.com/4rXOAutp9V — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 31, 2020

The Cup Series will now head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 next Sunday at 3 pm on FOX.

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