Atlanta NASCAR: Keselowski holds on to give new Mustang first Cup win – NASCAR

Brad Keselowski overcame illness to win the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta, claiming a first regular season victory for Ford’s new Mustang.

The Penske driver, who sat out much of practice, held off a charging Martin Truex Jr in the final laps of the race to claim his 28th Cup series win and become the most successful driver in Penske’s history, eclipsing Mark Donohue’s previous record of 59 wins for the squad.

Keselowski took the lead on lap 293 of the 325 when he passed team-mate Joey Logano, whose hopes of victory – and Penske’s of a one-two finish – were dashed 10 laps later when he was forced to pit under green-flag conditions after earlier reporting a loose wheel.

With Logano’s late, unplanned stop, Truex moved into second and began to take several tenths out of Keselowski’s lead each lap, setting himself up to challenge for the win until lapped traffic halted his charge.

Kurt Busch led one lap and finished third in what was his 650th start.

The Ganassi driver took the lead during the only proper caution period towards the end of the race when he and Logano were the only two drivers not to pit prior to a yellow flag, which was brought out after a bizarre pitlane collision between Ryan Preece and BJ McLeod.

Kevin Harvick finished in fourth place despite winning the second stage and leading 45 laps. The Stewart-Haas driver had to contend with handling issues after his Mustang’s splitter wore away throughout the race.

The 2014 series champion was one spot ahead of team-mate Clint Bowyer and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, who started the race from the rear of the field in his back-up car after a crash in final practice.

Erik Jones, polesitter Aric Almirola, Chris Buescher and Daniel Suarez completed the top 10.

Kyle Larson, who won the opening stage and led a race high 142 laps, could only finish 12th after suffering a pitlane issue in stage two.

It was a similar story for third Penske driver Ryan Blaney, who led 41 laps but finished 22nd after overshooting his pitbox while stopping during the final caution period.

Blaney finished one spot ahead of Logano, whose late stop dropped him well out of the top 10.

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson spent much of the race outside of the top 20 in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and finished 24th.

Result – 325 laps