MADISON, Ill. — Brad Keselowski won the NASCAR Nationwide Series 5-Hour Energy 250 on Saturday, rolling past Reed Sorenson with two laps remaining at Gateway International Raceway.
Keselowski, who has a large lead in the series standings, earned his sixth Nationwide victory of the season and No. 12 for his career.
Mike Bliss finished second, followed by pole-sitter Justin Allgaier.
Keselowski took on four tires during a pit stop with 10 laps remaining. The move paid off as he rallied from fifth place with five laps left.
The Nationwide stop likely was the final race at Gateway. Dover Motorsports, owner of the track, has put the property up for sale and has not requested any racing dates for 2011.
Keselowski has topped the series for 24 consecutive weeks. He has 26 top-10 finishes in 32 starts.
Keselowski finished 14th in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 on July 17 at Gateway. He led the race on the final lap but was bumped out of the way by eventual winner Carl Edwards just 200 yards from the finish line. The move created some ill will between the drivers at the time but Edwards shook Keselowski’s hand minutes after Saturday’s victory.
Danica Patrick finished 22nd. She spun into the wall after taking a slight bump from Steve Wallace on lap 190 of the 200-lap event, causing the yellow that allowed Keselowski and Bliss to go to the pits.
TRUCKS
Hornaday’s breakthrough
MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Ron Hornaday Jr. passed Kyle Busch with three laps to go and held him off in overtime to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday.
The victory was the first for the four-time truck series champion in 17 career starts on the 0.526-mile oval, and left him with tears in his eyes when he climbed from his truck.
“This is unbelievable. I won at Martinsville fair and square,” he said.
The victory is his serieshigh 47th in the series, but just his second this season.
Busch held on for second, and a grieving Todd Bodine was third. Bodine, the points leader, was racing hours after the death of his mother, and led much of the second half of the race.
Busch passed him with 25 laps to go in regulation, and Hornaday followed.
“It was a tough day for me,” Bodine said, speaking slowly and choking back tears. “I was good until coming down pit road, you know, and I know they were up there watching.”
He said staying to race after his mother died overnight proved a good move.
“I couldn’t walk 10 feet through the garage area today without somebody stopping me and hugging me, and that means more than anything,” he said. “You know, having good friends is important. That’s what life is about, family and friends.”
Sports, Pages 27 on 10/24/2010