BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — After four rain delays and 11 extra laps, Matt Kenseth finally drove to victory lane.
It took him nine hours to get there Sunday at a water-logged Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kenseth snapped a 51-race losing streak by holding off Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on one final restart in NASCAR’s determined effort to stage a complete race.
Kenseth, a seven-race winner in his 2013 debut season with Joe Gibbs Racing, was winless all last year.
“It feels good to be back here. Not winning for as long as we did ... it wears on you a little bit,” Kenseth said. “We had such a good 2013, and last year there were some races we had some chances to win and just things wouldn’t line up for us.”
The start was delayed nearly 90 minutes because of rain and the race was stopped three more times, including one delay that lasted almost four hours.
Johnson slid past Gordon to take second place, and Gordon finished third.
“Heck, that’s Bristol, isn’t it?” Gordon said. “I’m sure I’ve had wackier nights and days at Bristol than this.”