Brad Keselowski entered Sunday aiming to do what he did one year ago: win at Darlington. The defending race winner rolled off 20th and immediately displayed long-run speed. Steadily, the Castrol Seven Critical Areas Ford climbed through the field. By the end of Stage One, he had become an obvious contender, gaining 14 positions to finish that segment 6th.

With one of the fastest cars he has had this year, Keselowski opened Stage Two strong, continuing to run with the top-10. At lap 132, green flag pit stops occurred. Shortly after that 4-tire stop, the right rear wheel began to vibrate, leading to a spin and flat tire. Keselowski was forced to battle from two laps down.

As the race wore on, the No. 6 team raced hard, seeking opportunities to get laps back. The team continued to adjust on the car, and Keselowski kept running fast laps, but the rhythm of the race did not provide chances to get free passes, and Keselowski was forced to settle for a 33rd place finish. He now heads to Bristol Motor Speedway, where he is a three-time winner.