TALLADEGA, Ala. — Brad Keselowski won a demolition derby of sorts at Talladega Superspeedway, where multiple wrecks caused two cars to go airborne and led to millions of dollars in damage to race teams.

Keselowski’s cruise to the checkered flag Sunday was ­anticlimactic compared with all the trouble on the track.

‘‘Racing has always been that balance of daredevils and chess players,’’ Keselowski said. “This has always been more of a daredevil-type track.’’

Chris Buescher’s car flipped three times in an early crash, and Matt Kenseth was turned upside down in the waning laps. In Kenseth’s accident, Danica Patrick hit hard into an energy-absorbing wall that seemed to buckle upon impact. She appeared shaken after the hit.

‘‘I would say that’s probably the most scared, trying to hop out of a car with the fire on the inside,’’ she said. “I haven’t had fire on the inside before.’’

There were 21- and 12-car pileups in the final 28 laps. And as Keselowski crossed the finish line, another wreck in the back of the pack punctuated the sloppy day. NASCAR’s box score showed 35 of the 40 cars were involved in some sort of accident.

Only 21 of the 40 cars finished on the lead lap, and 12 cars were ruled out of the race.

Second-place finisher Kyle Busch said he looked in his rearview mirror at one point and saw only four cars without some sort of damage

‘‘I hate it,’’ said Busch, the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion. “I’d much rather be at home. I’ve got a win. I don’t need to be here.’’

Austin Dillon, who finished third, said he enjoyed the race even though it was nerve-wracking. Dillon was in his own horrific crash at Daytona last July and said the style of racing at restrictor-plate tracks creates an atmosphere of danger.

‘‘We all have to do it,’’ he said. “I don’t know how many really love it. I know our moms, wives, and girlfriends don’t like it. We don’t like to be part of crashes. If people are cheering for crashes, man, it’s not a good thing.’’

The pace of Sunday’s race was up a tick because of potential rain that could have shortened the event from its scheduled 180 laps. Once the race hit the halfway point and was official, drivers began their charge to the front because they couldn’t avoid waiting and rain suddenly ending the event.