First-Time Winners — Making just his fifth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start on Sunday, Brad Keselowski (No. 09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevrolet) was the surprise winner in a wild finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

The victory, Keselowski’s first in NASCAR’s premier racing series, qualifies him as a driver for next month’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“Talladega is such a crapshoot,” Keselowski said shortly after his landmark victory. “You can’t expect anything. You can’t expect to win; you can’t expect not to win. I was here today to win and I’ve got no other reason to be here than to win and put these guys in Victory Lane.”

The win was also a first in the NSCS for team owner James Finch, an independent owner who runs a construction business in Panama City, Fla. While this was his team’s 105th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, it was a win for the ages for the affable Finch.

“I guess I’m one of the only independents to race on a regular basis,” said Finch early Sunday evening, still soaking in the victory. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a trophy and I thank God I got one here.”

Finch’s Phoenix Racing shop in Spartanburg, S.C., employs about 25 people and fields cars in both NASCAR and ARCA. Finch entered his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race in 1989 and made his NSCS debut a year later, but generally has raced more in the NNS, with 476 starts and 11 victories in that series. Several well-known veteran drivers, including Sterling Marlin, Jimmy Spencer, Martin Truex Jr. and Geoffrey Bodine have driven cars for Finch.