Brad Keselowski won Sunday’s Aarons 312 at Talladega Superspeedway after NASCAR had to sort out the finishing order!

Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

Just as Keselowski was making the pass for the lead, a massive ten car pile-up ended the race as the leaders were coming to the finish line. NASCAR had to watch a replay to determine who was the leader at the time the caution flag came out.

“Green-white checkereds at Talladega are crazy,” Keselowski said. “This was just amazing!”

Throughout much of the race, Kevin Harvick and Jamie McMurray drafted together. Just as they had earlier in the cup race. It seemed a likely possibility the two could finish 1-2 once again, but it didn’t go that way for McMurray. He bobbled after the final restart and caused the final “Big One”.

Keselowski was involved in one of the last multiple car accidents during the Sprint Cup Series race and finished 34th. Keselowski said in victory lane that he almost didn’t get cleared by the infield care center medical personnel to run in the Nationwide Series race, because he had high levels of carbon monoxide. Sam Hornish Jr. was on stand-by to drive for Keselowski if need be. After breathing in oxygen for about 30 minutes after the Cup race, Keselowski was cleared to drive.

“When they told me I wasn’t going to get to race at all, the care center wasn’t a pretty place to be,” Keselowski said. “They put me on oxygen. If the race had started five minutes earlier, I wouldn’t have been in it.”

All in all, it was a great day for Kevin Harvick. He led 51 of 120 laps and rode in the top-5 throughout the race. He would have been the first driver to win Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races in the same day at the same track, but ended up going home third.

“I’m not going to complain about getting a first and a third here and getting out of here with two cars rolling,” Harvick said. “I got up in front of the 88 (driven by Jamie McMurray for JR Motorsports) and blocked the top-line momentum, but they got around me.”

Jason Keller finished fourth followed by John Borneman III, Clint Bowyer, Tony Raines, Paul Menard, Brian Vickers and Brian Scott finishing in the top-10.

For the (unofficial) race results, click here (nascar.com)

There were 5 cautions for 16 laps. Three multi-car accidents marred the race.

There were 33 lead changes among 14 drivers:

K. Harvick 1-7; C. Edwards 8; K. Harvick 9-11; C. Edwards 12; J. McMurray 13-24; Brian Keselowski 25; K. Harvick 26-28; K. Busch 29; K. Harvick 30; J. McMurray 31-34; K. Busch 35; J. McMurray 36-38; Brad Keselowski 39-40; J. Logano 41-43; J. McMurray 44; Brad Keselowski 45-47; B. Gaughan 48; E. McClure 49-50; P. Sheltra 51-53; B. Scott # 54; Brad Keselowski 55-57; K. Harvick 58; J. McMurray 59; K. Busch 60-69; P. Menard 70-71; K. Busch 72-75; Brad Keselowski 76-77; P. Menard 78-80; K. Harvick 81-92; B. Gaughan 93; R. Richardson Jr. 94; S. Wimmer 95; K. Harvick
96-119; Brad Keselowski 120