The 2018 Alsco 300 was the 17th stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and the 18th iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, July 13, 2018, in Sparta, Kentucky, at Kentucky Speedway, a 1.5-mile (2.41 km) tri-oval speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would come back from a spin early in the race to win his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his second of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing and Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 17 of 33 of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | July 13, 2018 | ||
| Official name | 18th Annual Alsco 300 | ||
| Location | Sparta, Kentucky, Kentucky Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.41 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 300 mi (482.803 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 300 mi (482.803 km) | ||
| Average speed | 131.884 miles per hour (212.247 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | ||
| Time | 29.759 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 111 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBCSN | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Performance Racing Network | ||
Background
edit
Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned Kentucky Speedway until 2008. The speedway has a grandstand capacity of 117,000. Construction of the speedway began in 1998 and was completed in mid-2000. The speedway has hosted the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, Xfinity Series, IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, and most recently, the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2011.
Entry list
editPractice
editFirst practice
editThe first practice session was held on Thursday, July 12, at 4:05 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes.[2] John Hunter Nemechek of Chip Ganassi Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.853 and an average speed of 180.886 miles per hour (291.108 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 29.853 | 180.886 |
| 2 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.918 | 180.493 |
| 3 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.015 | 179.910 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second and final practice
editThe second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Thursday, July 12, at 6:05 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes.[2] Ty Majeski of Roush Fenway Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.717 and an average speed of 181.714 miles per hour (292.440 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Ty Majeski | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 29.717 | 181.714 |
| 2 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.733 | 181.616 |
| 3 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.973 | 180.162 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on Friday, July 13, at 5:05 PM EST.[2] Since Kentucky Speedway is under 2 miles (3.2 km), the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 15 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 15 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.[4]
Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste would win the pole, advancing through both preliminary rounds and setting a time of 29.759 and an average speed of 181.458 miles per hour (292.028 km/h) in the third round.[5]
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results
edit| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time (R1) | Speed (R1) | Time (R2) | Speed (R2) | Time (R3) | Speed (R3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 30.072 | 179.569 | 29.868 | 180.796 | 29.759 | 181.458 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.029 | 179.826 | 29.947 | 180.319 | 29.828 | 181.038 |
| 3 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.072 | 179.569 | 29.790 | 181.269 | 29.830 | 181.026 |
| 4 | 12 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 30.332 | 178.030 | 29.951 | 180.294 | 29.854 | 180.880 |
| 5 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.222 | 178.678 | 30.008 | 179.952 | 29.904 | 180.578 |
| 6 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 30.133 | 179.206 | 30.040 | 179.760 | 29.973 | 180.162 |
| 7 | 2 | Matt Tifft | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.135 | 179.194 | 30.075 | 179.551 | 29.982 | 180.108 |
| 8 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.092 | 179.450 | 30.022 | 179.868 | 30.101 | 179.396 |
| 9 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 30.233 | 178.613 | 29.982 | 180.108 | 30.125 | 179.253 |
| 10 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.346 | 177.948 | 30.082 | 179.509 | 30.131 | 179.217 |
| 11 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 30.157 | 179.063 | 29.909 | 180.548 | 30.262 | 178.442 |
| 12 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.811 | 181.141 | 29.824 | 181.062 | — | — |
| Eliminated in Round 2 | ||||||||||
| 13 | 11 | Ryan Truex | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 30.233 | 178.613 | 30.116 | 179.307 | — | — |
| 14 | 22 | Paul Menard | Team Penske | Ford | 30.377 | 177.766 | 30.202 | 178.796 | — | — |
| 15 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 30.222 | 178.678 | 30.223 | 178.672 | — | — |
| 16 | 3 | Ty Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 30.495 | 177.078 | 30.280 | 178.336 | — | — |
| 17 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.529 | 176.881 | 30.315 | 178.130 | — | — |
| 18 | 60 | Ty Majeski | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 30.475 | 177.194 | 30.333 | 178.024 | — | — |
| 19 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 30.581 | 176.580 | 30.464 | 177.258 | — | — |
| 20 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 30.663 | 176.108 | 30.498 | 177.061 | — | — |
| 21 | 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.748 | 175.621 | 30.576 | 176.609 | — | — |
| 22 | 35 | Joey Gase | Go Green Racing with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 30.782 | 175.427 | 30.715 | 175.810 | — | — |
| 23 | 38 | J. J. Yeley | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 30.868 | 174.938 | 31.064 | 173.835 | — | — |
| 24 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.168 | 173.255 | — | — | — | — |
| Eliminated in Round 1 | ||||||||||
| 25 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 31.190 | 173.132 | — | — | — | — |
| 26 | 15 | B. J. McLeod | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.255 | 172.772 | — | — | — | — |
| 27 | 55 | Brandon Hightower | JP Motorsports | Toyota | 31.304 | 172.502 | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | 93 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 31.352 | 172.238 | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | 66 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | 31.371 | 172.133 | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | 52 | David Starr | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 31.394 | 172.007 | — | — | — | — |
| 31 | 90 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 31.508 | 171.385 | — | — | — | — |
| 32 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Chevrolet | 31.611 | 170.827 | — | — | — | — |
| 33 | 8 | Ray Black Jr. | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 31.619 | 170.783 | — | — | — | — |
| Qualified by owner's points | ||||||||||
| 34 | 45 | Josh Bilicki | JP Motorsports | Toyota | 31.667 | 170.525 | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | 40 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 31.823 | 169.689 | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | 76 | Spencer Boyd | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 32.085 | 168.303 | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | 78 | Blake Jones | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.220 | 167.598 | — | — | — | — |
| 38 | 01 | Vinnie Miller | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32.318 | 167.090 | — | — | — | — |
| 39 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 33.068 | 163.300 | — | — | — | — |
| Qualified on time | ||||||||||
| 40 | 79 | Josh Reaume | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 32.945 | 163.910 | — | — | — | — |
| Official qualifying results | ||||||||||
| Official starting lineup | ||||||||||
Race results
editStage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 2 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 2 | Matt Tifft | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 12 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 3 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 12 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 22 | Paul Menard | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 10 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 110
References
edit- ^ Spencer, Lee (2018-07-14). "Christopher Bell rallies for Xfinity victory at Kentucky". Official Site Of NASCAR. Archived from the original on 2018-07-14. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ a b c "2018 NASCAR XFINITY Kentucky Race Page". ESPN.com. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ a b Coburn, Wesley (2018-07-12). "John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Majeski Lead Kentucky XFINITY Practices". www.frontstretch.com. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "NASCAR Qualifying Rules". ESPN.com. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
- ^ McFadin, Daniel (2018-07-13). "Cole Custer wins pole for Kentucky Xfinity race". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "2018 Alsco 300 (Kentucky) - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-12-31.