Keselowski left Team Penske to become an owner-driver for the former Roush Fenway Racing team over the off-season, and got off to a winning start by passing former team-mate Ryan Blaney with four tours of the 60-lap race to go.
The 2012 Cup champion then held off his replacement in the #2 Penske Ford, Austin Cindric, to win the first of Thursday night’s two grid-setting qualifying races.
Blaney finished third, ahead of Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Ford) and Chase Elliott (Hendrick Chevrolet), while Daytona 500 poleman Kyle Larson finished seventh.
The victory means Keselowski will take third starting position in Sunday’s 500, behind reigning Cup champion Larson and his Hendrick Chevrolet team-mate Alex Bowman after they secured front row spots in qualifying on Wednesday.
“I felt pretty good about our car,” said Keselowski, who has never won the Daytona 500.
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