Image via WikipediaBrad Keselowski's fuel strategy paid off with a win in Sunday's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. Keselowski got 57 laps out of his final tank of gas and finished 2.813 seconds ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Just like last week's Sprint Cup race at Charlotte, a long green flag run at the end made it a fuel mileage race. And also like last week, Earnhardt came up on the wrong end of the fuel strategy game. Junior ran out of gas on the way to the win at Charlotte and coasted home with in seventh place. This week, he finished second waiting for Keselowski to run out.
It was Keselowski's second Cup win; he got his first win at Talladega in April 2009, sixty races ago. His previous best finish at Kansas Speedway was 13th in 2009.
Earnhardt should have had enough gas to move up and put some pressure on Keselowski. Earnhardt made his last stop on Lap 215, five laps later than Keselowski. But he was in fuel conservation mode at the end and didn't try to force the issue. The same was true of Denny Hamlin, who, like Earnhardt, also ran out of gas at Charlotte. Hamlin also had to conserve at the end and finished third.
Jeff Gordon finished fourth. Carl Edwards was fifth. They were the top finishers among those that had to top off with gas in the closing laps. (Race results)
Tony Stewart appeared to have the winning strategy. He pitted on the same lap as Keselowski and had a big lead, but his crew finally decided they didn't get enough gas in the car. He pitted for a splash in the closing laps and finished eighth.
Polesitter Kurt Busch dominated, leading 152 of the 267 laps, including most of the latter stage of the race. He didn't get the caution he was looking for, and his final splash of gas gave him a ninth-place finish.
Edwards's lead in the series points standings got four points larger. He now leads Jimmie Johnson by 40 points. Earnhardt moved into third place, just one point behind Johnson. After an eleventh-place finish, Kevin Harvick dropped two spots to fourth, 43 points behind Edwards. Kyle Busch is fifth, 60 points back.
Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman round out the Top Ten. Hamlin is eleventh, just one point behind Newman, and Greg Biffle is just five points out. Jeff Gordon could claim one wildcard spot in the Chase. Keselowski is now seven points behind Paul Menard to crack the Top Twenty; if so, Sunday's win would make him eligible for the other wildcard spot.
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