Brad Keselowski and Elliott Sadler survived and won at Dega Crash Fest

  • Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR Xfinity Series

Brad Keselowski and Elliott Sadler are the winners of two wreck-filled races at Talladega Superspeedway. On Sunday, Keselowski won Geico 500 and claimed his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at the 2.66-mile race track. A day earlier, Elliott Sadler was declared winner of the Sparks Energy 300 Xfinity Series race, which finished under caution because of big wreck few hundred feets before the finish line.

Video: Recap of Geico 500

19th career victory for Keselowski

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski closed the crash-filled Sunday passing the finish line ahead of Kyle Busch with a bunch of cars behind them wrecking and causing the one more caution for a few seconds. It was Keselowski’s 19th Sprint Cup victory in a career and he became the fourth two-time winner in the Sprint Cup series this season, after Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson.

Kyle Busch finished in second place and Austin Dillon crossed the finish line third. Jamie McMurray ran fourth, one spot ahead of polesitter Chase Elliott. Ty Dillon finished sixth ahead of  Clint Bowyer, who scored his best result so far this year.

Video: One of Sunday’s crashes

Ten caution periods, including three Big Ones

As typical Talladega race, Geico 500 featured 10 cautions with more than half of the field wrecked. There wasn’t just one “Big One, there were three massive wrecks at Talladega on Sunday. The biggest one, on Lap 161, involved 21 cars. On Lap 181, a 12-car chain-reaction incident took out Matt Kenseth, who had led 39 laps. Earlier, on Lap 96, Chris Buescher rolled three times after a seven-car crash.

“You know, it’s just Talladega,” Kyle Busch said.


Check the full results of Geico 500 race at Talladega


Poole first on the line, but Sadler was the winner

The situation was similar in the Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, which also finished under the caution because of massive wreck few seconds before the chequered flag. Elliott Sadler was also involved and he didn’t cross the finish line first, but in the moment when caution lights was on, he was in the lead and officials declared him a winner. This victory was the best possible present for his 41st birthday.

Sadler was fighting for a win against Joey Logano, who lost control in the closing yards and went into the outside wall. Sadler slowed down and Brennan Poole got to the finish line first and thought he had won the race. After officials reviewed the video of the finish they gave a victory to Sadler. The victory was Sadler’s second in the series at Talladega and the 11th of his career.

Video: Recap of the Xfinity Series race at Talladega

Sadler and Suarez in the NXS lead

Sadler’s JR Motorsports got an unexpected double victory because Justin Allgaier‘s Chevrolet was ahead of Brennan Poole when the caution flew and he took the second place. Disappointed Poole was declared third.

Jeremy Clements finished a career-best fourth, with Brendan Gaughan fifth and Austin Dillon sixth. Daniel Suarez finished seventh and now he and Sadler are tied in the Xfinity Series lead.


Check the full results of Sparks Energy 300 race at Talladega


Photo: nascar.com

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