Brad Keselowski won Stage 1 of NASCAR’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, taking advantage of a pit road issue for Tyler Reddick late in the opening run.
Reddick showed early speed and ran near the front through much of the stage, but a slow stop on pit road cost him track position at a critical moment.
Keselowski capitalized, moving into the lead and holding on through the end of the stage.
Stage 1 Top 10 at Darlington
- Brad Keselowski
- Tyler Reddick
- Ryan Blaney
- Bubba Wallace
- Kyle Larson
- Chris Buescher
- Chase Elliott
- Austin Cindric
- Daniel Suárez
- William Byron
Pit Road Proves Costly for Reddick
Reddick’s issue on pit road shifted the balance late in the stage. While he still managed to recover to a second-place finish, the loss of track position opened the door for Keselowski to take control.
At Darlington, even small mistakes can have an outsized impact, especially with how difficult it is to pass in traffic.
Clean Start Sets Tone Early
Stage 1 ran clean at the front of the field, with no major incidents impacting the leaders.
That sets up a more strategic race heading into Stage 2, where pit cycles and long-run handling are expected to play a bigger role as conditions evolve.
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