Brad Keselowski wins 2016 Kobalt 400: Five takeaways from Las Vegas

Brad Keselowski won the 2016 Kobalt 400 and picked up the third spot in the Chase.

The 2016 Kobalt 400 didn’t get to start on time on Sunday, because of rain and wind, but when it did, NASCAR’s best were off and flying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kurt Busch started Sunday on the pole, and while he had a great start to Sunday’s race, he faced some serious adversity early.

Busch would be hit with a speeding penalty on pit road and he would have to serve a pass through penalty, which dropped him back in the pack, while Jimmie Johnson slowly navigated his way through the field to take a commanding lead in the middle of the race.

With the heavy gusts of wind at the Kobalt 400, it provided drivers even more challenges because of the constant debris on the track, which led to some drivers having plastic on the front ends of their car. After Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski took over the lead and Team Penske dominated up front, there was a brilliant pass by Kyle Busch to take the lead.

In the end, Busch didn’t have enough to hold of Keselowski, who was way too fast. Keselowski would lead the last few laps and would win the 2016 Kobalt 400.

Here are five takeaways from the 2016 Kobalt 400.

1. The wind made it tough for everyone

The start of the 2016 Kobalt 400 was halted by wind and rain on Sunday. Some gusts of wind reached up to 50 mph on the track and it was an absolute nightmare for drivers, as crews could barely keep the covers on the cars. On the track, it made the obstacles of driving even tougher.

Drivers had to constantly deal with debris and other things causing water temperature levels to rise on their cars and the winds made it hard for drivers to pass and keep control. Luckily, the rain passed quick, but the wind was an animal in itself.

2. Kurt Busch isn’t a fan of NASCAR’s pit road speeding rules

Kurt Busch jumped out to a commanding lead early on in the race on Sunday. He even overcame some issues with debris on his car. During the first competition caution of the day, Busch was a little fast down pit road and it resulted in a speeding penalty that left him frustrated.

It’s been said over and over, but pit road can make or break races just as much as the track can. Busch however, was able to fight through his adversity and work his way back to the front. Late in the race, Busch would spin in a multi-car wreck that involved several of NASCAR’s best drives on the track.

3. Team Penske bounced back at Las Vegas

During the first couple weeks of the season, the drivers of Team Penske, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, have had their fair share of issues on the track and with their vehicles. Logano has fared a little bit better than Keselowski, but they needed a big day at the Kobalt 400.

This week, Logano and Keselowski dominated the track together and ran in the top two positions together late in the race. They would be eventually overtaken by Kyle Busch, but Brad Keselowski would gain the speed that he needed late to win the race.

4. Carl Edwards‘ bad week ends with a wreck

Carl Edwards had a strange week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He had a fast car in practice leading up to qualifying and in qualifying, Edwards had a great first round before wrecking in the second round. In practice with a backup car, Edwards would be the fastest again.

On Sunday, he saw his chances of winning end with a wreck.

After Ryan Blaney got into the back of  Matt Kenseth, it began a chain reaction wreck, which ended up with Carl Edwards spinning out on the track. Edwards just could not avoid wrecks throughout the week and although he had a fast car, it didn’t end up mattering.

5. Brad Keselowski is going to the Chase

For much of the latter stages of the race, the Team Penske drivers would hold the lead. Kyle Busch would make a brilliant pass and it looked like he would be the one to lead Las Vegas. As Joey Logano tried to catch him, it was clear that Logano didn’t have the speed to catch up to Busch.

Luckily, Brad Keselowski did and it was like he was shot out of a cannon, as he quickly passed Busch and then increased his lead all the way to the end. With his win, Keselowski locked up the third spot in the Chase and will now be competing for his second Sprint Cup Championship.