Keselowski holds off Johnson to win the Coca-Cola 600

On this Memorial Day weekend, NASCAR held it’s traditional Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. This year was different; there wasn’t a Formula One Grand Prix of Monaco, or the Indianapolis 500 before NASCAR closed out the racing day with the 600. Earlier in the day, Kurt Busch won the pole and led the field to the green flag.

Before the wave of the green flag, during the pace laps, Denny Hamlin’s ballast dropped onto the track, and the NASCAR officials told his team that he had to come in to replace it. This set him back many laps as Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson led the field to the green flag while Hamlin sat on pit road. When Hamlin would finally leave pit road, he was already eight laps down.

Early trouble before the green flag flies for @dennyhamlin. #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/fTPsFsiwZL — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 24, 2020

The competition caution would wave at lap 23, and all lead lap cars pitted with Kurt Busch winning the race off of pit road. Not long after the race resume, the skies opened up, and it started raining, forcing NASCAR to wave the red flag. The delay lasted an hour and eight minutes before the drivers headed back to their cars to resume the race.

Rain is falling at @CLTMotorSpdwy. The red flag is displayed after 50 laps in the #CocaCola600 on FOX. pic.twitter.com/eK1ItrK95f — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 24, 2020

All of the lead lap cars made a pit stop, and Alex Bowman won the race off of pit road and led the field along with Martin Truex Jr. to the green flag at lap 58.

We're back racing at @CLTMotorSpdwy! Stage 1 in the #CocaCola600 is green again on FOX! pic.twitter.com/EYzc1A8FEr — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

Bowman dominated on the restart and pulled away from the field. He would go on to win stage one under caution after Clint Bowyer’s car hit the wall at turn one hard and smoke was coming out of the car. Bowyer would climb out of the car and walk away.

.@ClintBowyer walked away under his own power after this accident in the #CocaCola600. pic.twitter.com/sTcKoK2okY — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

All of the lead lap cars pitted under caution on lap 102, and once again, Bowman would beat everyone off of pit road while Kyle Busch came out second. As the race resumed, Bowman dominated stage two. Martin Truex Jr. had a close call on lap 194 as Ross Chastain got into the back of him, almost causing a wreck. Bowman would go on to win stage two.

STAGE WINNER: @AlexBowman88 makes a statement in the #CocaCola600 by dominating Stage 2 at @CLTMotorSpdwy. pic.twitter.com/GsVNtYEOm1 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

Bowman led the lead lap cars to pit road and would win coming off of pit road with Kyle Busch second. However, Busch was caught speeding and had to go to the rear of the field. In honor of our fallen heroes, a new tradition that NASCAR has started is to have all of the drivers came down to pit road for a moment of silence to honor them their sacrifice.

As Stage 2 concludes, we take a moment to honor those who sacrificed everything. #NASCARSalutes pic.twitter.com/ky89abzDUJ — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

Bowman would lead the field back to the green flag on lap 209, and by lap 224, Martin Truex Jr. passed Bowman on the outside to take the lead.

NEW LEADER: @MartinTruex_Jr makes a bold move on @AlexBowman88 to take over the top spot! Catch the action right now on FOX or stream it at https://t.co/oWWAut6pxx! pic.twitter.com/QYIiIz6j6X — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

As the lead lap cars began to pit on scheduled green-flag stops, some drivers stayed out for an extra lap or two, including Brad Keselowski. Keselowski would pit on lap 263, and Truex Jr. resumed the lead. Thirteen laps later, Matt Kenseth’s car got into the wall bringing out the sixth caution of the day. Some of the lead lap cars hit pit road; some were mixing tire strategy. Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, and Chase Elliot elected to stay out for track position.

Trouble for Matt Kenseth.#CocaCola600 | @CLTMotorSpdwy pic.twitter.com/k1xuW3v9yW — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 25, 2020

Logano would lead the field back to the green flag on lap 282. Harvick dropped quickly, going from second to fourteenth place in a matter of three laps. The call to stay out helped Logano win stage three; however, it didn’t help Harvick or Elliot.

STAGE WINNER: @joeylogano elects not to pit and capitalizes late in Stage 3! He earns a #NASCARPlayoffs point with this stage victory. pic.twitter.com/1ZW5yaS1CL — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

All of the lead lap cars came down pit road taken on four tires; however, Matt DiBenedetto only changed two tires to win the race off of pit road. While DiBenedetto led the field back to the green flag on lap 308, the gamble backfired as Martin Truex Jr. passed him to retake the lead. The two traded places again as DiBenedetto passed Truex for the lead; however, Truex would get it back three laps later.

It's getting crazy out there, folks! Catch the final stage of the #CocaCola600 right now on FOX or stream it at https://t.co/oWWAut6pxx! pic.twitter.com/EbWMnp9hwL — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

On lap 348, Joey Gase’s car spun, bringing out the caution for the seventh time. All of the lead lap cars made pit stops with Jimmie Johnson winning exiting off of pit road with Brad Keselowski second. Keselowski would eventually get the lead while Chase Elliott moved into second place and Johnson to third place. Elliott stormed past Keselowski to take the lead on lap 363.

NEW LEADER: No. 9️⃣! @chaseelliott drives past @keselowski in the closing stages of the #CocaCola600! (📺: FOX) pic.twitter.com/UK1sWmb9Xz — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

Elliott was just a couple of laps shy of winning the race until his teammate William Byron lost his left rear tire to bring out the eighth caution of the race, which meant we were heading for overtime. Pit strategies were vital in this last pit stop. Elliott opted to pit while Keselowski, Johnson, Bowman, Blaney, Dillon, Reddick, DiBenedetto, and Erik Jones stayed out. Elliott made a four-tire pit stop and would restart in eleventh place.

Just when you thought it was over … @WilliamByron spins and brings out the yellow with less than five to go. #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/pqC1r7gPaV — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson led the field back to the green flag. Both drivers broke off from the rest, and it was just down to them. Keselowski would go on to hold off Johnson to win his first-ever Coca-Cola 600 win. Jimmie Johnson came in second place, Chase Elliott third, Ryan Blaney fourth, Kyle Busch fifth, Kevin Harvick sixth, Martin Truex Jr. seventh, Kurt Busch eighth, Tyler Reddick ninth, and Christopher Bell finished tenth.

BRAD GETS IT DONE! Retweet to congratulate @keselowski for winning the #CocaCola600! pic.twitter.com/nUf6rSzqYQ — NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

After the race, Jimmie Johnson’s car failed post-race inspection and would drop to fortieth place. There was a total of eight cautions and twenty lead changes. With Johnson’s disqualification, here was the final finishing order.

Johnson failed the postrace alignment numbers in the rulebook. — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 25, 2020

Updated results with the Johnson DQ: #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/jbX9WhOH3Q — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 25, 2020

The Cup Series will be back in action on Wednesday night from Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Alsco Uniforms 500 that starts at 7:30 pm on FS1.

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