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Daytona run-in with NASCAR rival Hamlin a message, Keselowski says

Brad Keselowski believes his last-lap collision with Denny Hamlin as they fought for the NASCAR Clash lead sends a message to his rivals ahead of next weekend's Cup-opening Daytona 500

Keselowski surged forward with a push from Penske team-mate Joey Logano on the final lap of the non-championship curtain-raiser on Sunday and got among the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas that had dominated much of the event.

Logano ended up winning as contact between leader Hamlin and Keselowski sent the JGR car spinning and dropped Keselowski to sixth.

"Everything happens so fast here, he probably thought he was clear, I don't know," said Keselowski.

"We made a little contact there and I feel bad for everybody.

"It is the Clash, it's not the 500 and I guarantee he knows, and everyone else who is watching, that I'm going to make that move again.

"I had to make the move. I know all the other drivers are back watching and they know not to make that block on me again."

Hamlin admitted the contact was mainly a reason of his efforts to defend.

"[Keselowski] was coming with a huge run and I tried to do everything I could to block and cover the bottom before he got there, but he was coming at such a higher rate of speed I probably didn't get there in time," Hamlin said.

"There's really not much I could do differently at the end. Perhaps staying in the middle lane there through [Turns] 1 and 2 and trying to side draft.

"He had help from [Logano]. I was in a bad spot there.

"He was just coming so much faster than what I was. There's not much that I could have done to defend."

Keselowski, the 2012 Cup champion, has still to win at Daytona in either the Clash or a championship round.

"I had this one won. It's the story of my life here," he said.

"I think I've been in position to win it three or four times - in second or third in like the last two laps - and it kind of falls apart."

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