NASCAR: Brad Keselowski wins, Joey Logano flips car at Talladega

April 26 (UPI) -- Brad Keselowksi became the ninth Cup Series winner in 10 races this season when he picked up an overtime victory in his No. 2 Ford Mustang in an eventful 2021 Geico 500 at Talladega Motor Speedway.

Keselowski edged second-place William Byron by .102 seconds for the win Sunday in Talladega, Ala. Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick and Matt DiBenedetto rounded out the Top 5 finishers.

Betting favorite and Cup Series standings leader Denny Hamlin finished 32nd.

Keselowski's sixth win at Talladega ties him with racing legends Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the second-most victories in history at the 2.66-mile speedway.

"I would have never dreamed I'd tie Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. here," Keselowski told reporters. "That's something. Those guys are really legends.

"I'm just really proud of my team. We had an accident there early, and they recovered and got it fixed up to where I could keep running."

Byron led the first lap of the race. Logano took over the lead for lap Nos. 2 through 11. Bubba Wallace, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, DiBenedetto and Ryan Pearce each pushed their cars to the front of the order from lap Nos. 12 through 54, but DiBenedetto claimed the first stage.

Logano dropped out of contention with a scintillating wreck on the final lap of the first stage.

Rick Stenhouse Jr. forced Hamlin out of line on the lap. Hamlin's car hooked the left rear portion of Logano's car in the process. Logano's car then flipped into the air and landed on its roof. It then completed a full rotation and landed right-side up.

Keselowski's car also was damaged in the process, but he stayed in the race.

Wallace went on the claim the second stage, but gave up the lead to Ryan Newman on lap No. 122.

Harvick, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Erik Jones, DiBenedetto and Keselowski each held the lead down the stretch. DiBenedetto's No. 21 Ford held the lead during the white flag in overtime, which resulted in an additional three laps.

Keselowski passed DiBenedetto and pushed his way to the front on the final lap.

Hamlin led a race-high 43 laps. DiBenedetto led 28 laps. Wallace and Aric Almirola led 16 laps apiece.

The Cup Series season continues with the 2021 Buschy McBusch Race 400 at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.