Brad Keselowski holds off Jimmie Johnson in OT to win Coca-Cola 600 in NASCAR's longest race

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brad Keselowski extended Jimmie Johnson’s winless streak to 102 races, holding off the seven-time NASCAR champion in overtime early Monday in the Coca-Cola 600.

Keselowski started in the back of the field, worked his way to the front at Charlotte Motor Speedway and gambled in not pitting when a caution with two laps remaining stopped Chase Elliott from winning.

Elliott pitted and Keselowski led a train of eight cars that stayed on the track. He lined up in front of Alex Bowman on the inside line with Johnson – retiring from Cup racing at the end of the season – on the bottom ahead of Keselowski's Penske teammate Ryan Blaney.

Keselowski got the push to get into clean air and denied Johnson a victory. Keselowski celebrated as he usually does by waving a giant American flag out his window during his victory burnouts.

COCA-COLA 600:Brad Keselowski on winning iconic race: 'I'm tickled to death'

"I'm so happy for my team," Keselowski said after climbing out his car on the start-finish line. "I wish my wife was here. I wish my daughters were here.

"We might not have been the fastest car today, but man did we just grind this one out.  I'm tickled to death. It's a little overwhelming to be honest."

It is the first win for Keselowski this season, his first Coca-Cola 600 victory and the first win at this event for Ford since 2002. In earning his 31st career win, the 2012 Cup Series champion was also able to tick off another box.

"It's a major. It's the Coke 600. That only leaves one major left for me -- the Daytona 500. So we're checking them off," Keselowski said.

Johnson finished second, one spot ahead of devastated Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, as Chevrolet is still seeking its first win in the three Cup races since NASCAR resumed. But almost two hours after the race, NASCAR disqualified Johnson because his Chevrolet failed post-race inspection.

“We think something must’ve broken, but won’t know until we get it back to the shop,” said Johnson crew chief Cliff Daniels. “Tough news after a strong night.”

Elliott had a comfortable lead and was coasting to the win when Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron spun with a tire problem.

“That’s got to be a joke,” Elliott said over his radio. He was wrecked by Kyle Busch last week trying to race for the win at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday night. 

Joey Logano won the third stage after a bold call by his crew chief. Logano opted to stay out when most of the field came down pit road for tires followig a caution on Lap 275 for Matt Kenseth.

Martin Truex Jr., who was leading at the time of the yellow flag, won the race off pit road, but last year's Coca-Cola 600 winner started behind Logano, Kevin Harvick and Elliott, who also opted not to get fresh tires.

On the restart, Logano got a push from Truex to clear Harvick and then held off Truex over the final 19 laps.

Bowman won the first two stages, dominating the first half of the race after pole sitter Kurt Busch led the opening 50 laps before rain halted the race for a little more than a hour.

Bowman led nearly every lap of the second segment — other than those during green-flag pit stops — and won the stage by more than six seconds over Truex.

The first stage ended under caution when Clint Bowyer crashed with three laps remaining. Bowyer, who was running 11th at the time, hit the outside wall hard in Turn 2, destroying his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

It pretty well sucks," Bowyer said of his crash after exiting the infield care center. "It knocked the wind out of me there.  I mean, we’re 100 laps into a 400-lap race and to be out already, you talk about a helpless feeling.

"We’ll get ready for next Wednesday and we’ll be back at it.  I’m gonna go somewhere and take this thing off and find somewhere where I can find a cold beer. " 

Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin had his shot at winning another crown jewel event Sunday night destroyed before the Coca-Cola 600 even began.

A piece of tungsten flew off of Hamlin’s car during the pace laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Hamlin had to return to pit road to have the weight put back into his Toyota.

Hamlin, who won Wednesday night's race at Darlington Raceway, was eight laps down when he was finally able to join the race. The penalty for tungsten coming off a car is a four-race suspension for the crew chief, according to NASCAR’s rule book.

Sunday from the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway (starting position in parentheses):

1. (9) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 405.

2. (2) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 405. (disqualified post-race)

3. (3) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 405.

4. (26) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 405.

5. (11) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 405.

6. (22) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 405.

7. (8) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 405.

8. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 405.

9. (5) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 405.

10. (15) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 405.

11. (19) Chris Buescher, Ford, 405.

12. (14) Erik Jones, Toyota, 405.

13. (28) Cole Custer, Ford, 405.

14. (7) Joey Logano, Ford, 405.

15. (6) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 405.

16. (40) Aric Almirola, Ford, 405.

17. (25) John Hunter Nemechek, Ford, 405.

18. (33) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 405.

19. (27) Michael McDowell, Ford, 405.

20. (12) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 405.

21. (10) William Byron, Chevrolet, 404.

22. (21) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 403.

23. (29) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 403.

24. (24) Corey LaJoie, Ford, 403.

25. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 402.

26. (16) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 401.

27. (4) Matt Kenseth, Chevrolet, 401.

28. (18) Ryan Newman, Ford, 400.

29. (37) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 399.

30. (13) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 398.

31. (35) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 398.

32. (31) Gray Gaulding, Ford, 397.

33. (36) BJ McLeod(i), Ford, 393.

34. (38) Garrett Smithley(i), Chevrolet, 391.

35. (32) Timmy Hill(i), Toyota, 390.

36. (30) Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 390.

37. (39) Joey Gase(i), Ford, 385.

38. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Chevrolet, DVP, 251.

39. (23) Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, Vibration, 164.

40. (20) Clint Bowyer, Ford, Accident, 96.

–––

Race Statistics

Average Speed of Race Winner: 135.042 mph.

Time of Race: 4 Hrs, 29 Mins, 55 Secs.

Margin of Victory: .293 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 8 for 52 laps.

Lead Changes: 20 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders: K. Busch 1-54;A. Bowman 55-159;J. Johnson 160-162;J. Nemechek ‥ 163;R. Preece 164;R. Stenhouse Jr. 165;A. Bowman 166-223;M. Truex Jr. 224-255;B. Keselowski 256-262;M. Truex Jr. 263-277;J. Logano 278-302;A. Bowman 303;M. DiBenedetto 304-306;J. Logano 307;M. Truex Jr. 308;M. DiBenedetto 309-311;M. Truex Jr. 312-350;J. Johnson 351-353;B. Keselowski 354-362;C. Elliott 363-400;B. Keselowski 401-405.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Alex Bowman 3 times for 164 laps; Martin Truex Jr. 4 times for 87 laps; Kurt Busch 1 time for 54 laps; Chase Elliott 1 time for 38 laps; Joey Logano 2 times for 26 laps; Brad Keselowski 3 times for 21 laps; Matt DiBenedetto 2 times for 6 laps; Jimmie Johnson 2 times for 6 laps; Ryan Preece 1 time for 1 lap; John Hunter Nemechek ‥ 1 time for 1 lap; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1 time for 1 lap.