NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Brad Keselowski held off the charging Michael McDowell on Saturday night to win the NASCAR Nationwide race at Iowa Speedway. Keselowski, the Sprint Cup driver commuting from Pocono in Pennsylvania, led 146 of 250 laps for his third Nationwide victory of the season and second in two starts. Trevor Bayne was third, followed by Sam Hornish Junior and Ty Dillon.

Keselowski was set to cruise to an easy win when James Buescher’s crash erased his lead. But Keselowski went high to overtake McDowell and held on for his 30th series victory. Keselowski won for the third time at the track. He won the inaugural race five years ago and topped Hornish last season.

Keselowski’s success on Iowa’s short track — along with a front-row spot next to Bayne and six consecutive top-three finishes in NASCAR’s second-tier series — had him pegged as the heavy favorite from the moment the green flag dropped.