WEST ALLIS, Wis. ? Jason Keller won the GNC Live Well 250 under a yellow flag Sunday for his first Busch series victory of the season.

Keller went back and forth for the lead with teammate Scott Riggs for about six laps before taking the lead for good on the 231st lap at The Milwaukee Mile.

Keller, who drove the No. 57 Albertsons Ford, said neither he nor Riggs wanted to harm each other.

“It was the first time I ever had to battle my teammate like that for the win, and it was pretty nerve-racking,” Keller said. “I knew I had a better race car, but I couldn’t just go up there and drive by because I didn’t want to rough him up.”

Brian Vickers finished second, and David Stremme was third. Riggs dropped off to seventh place.

Riggs said the race for first was exciting because the drivers were friends.

“We were still driving aggressively,” Riggs said. “That’s how respectable drivers are supposed to race.”

Vickers, who led for 43 laps, also had his best finish of the season. He said he couldn’t overtake Keller before the final caution because he was forced to conserve fuel.

“We did what we needed to do and we came home second,” Vickers said. “That win would have been really nice after leading so much today.”

Jason Keller celebrates after winning the GNC Live Well 250. Keller outdueled teammate Scott Riggs for the victory Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis.

Pole-sitter Johnny Sauter, of Necedah, failed to become the first Wisconsin native to win the GNC Live Well 250.

He finished in 13th place.

Rain canceled qualifying Saturday, so drivers had just an hour to practice before the race. The field was set by car owner points.

Keller, who started in the seventh spot, said his experience last year might have given him the edge.

“With limited practice, we really just had to go off what we learned last year,” Keller said. “We didn’t put the same exact setup, but we had a good baseline.”

Keller has five top-five finishes this season, but was slumping before his last three races, he said.

The 13-year veteran said it was a relief to finally earn his first win in the fifth month of the season.

“I knew if we started running consistently in the top five we could get a win,” he said.

Keller said he didn’t know what caused his slow start this season, but said improved pit stops helped him win Sunday.

“Our pit stops haven’t been bad this year, but they haven’t been able to keep us up where we were running,” Keller said. “We’d come in losing a position or two.

“Today, the first stop we went out the same, the second stop we gained a position. That’s what it takes.”