CONCORD, N.C. – Brad Keselowski, in a contract year and trying to increase his value as a potential free agent, gave team owner Roger Penske a victory on what should have been the most celebrated day in motorsports but was instead just a six-plus hour NASCAR show.
Keselowski extended Jimmie Johnson‘s losing streak to 102 races by holding off the seven-time Cup Series champion in overtime early Monday to win the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR schedule.
It was the first win for Keselowski this season, his first Coca-Cola 600 victory and the first win at this event for Ford since 2002. The 2012 Cup Series champ celebrated his 31st victory on the elite circuit as he usually does, waving a giant American flag out his window during his victory burnouts on the front stretch of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
When he first got out of the car for his network interview, the silence at the track was a downer.
“I was kind of bummed. I wanted to win the 600 my whole life and wanted to win in front of everybody,” Keselowski said. “But that’s not always how it works. I know there are fans that wish they could be in the stands.”