2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the 70th season of professional stock car racing in the United States, and the 47th modern-era Cup series season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Advance Auto Parts Clash, the Can-Am Duel qualifying races and the 60th running of the Daytona 500. The regular season will end with the Brickyard 400 on September 9, 2018. The playoffs will end with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2018. Martin Truex Jr. is the defending champion, having won his first in the series.
It is the fourth season of the current 10-year television contract with Fox Sports and NBC Sports and the third of a five-year race sanctioning agreement with all tracks.
==Teams and drivers==
===Chartered teams===
Manufacturer 	Team 	No. 	Race driver 	Crew chief
Chevrolet 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	1 	Jamie McMurray 	Matt McCall
Chevrolet 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	42 	Kyle Larson 	Chad Johnston
Chevrolet 	Germain Racing 	13 	Ty Dillon 	Matt Borland
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	9 	Chase Elliott 	Alan Gustafson
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	24 	William Byron (R) 	Darian Grubb
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	48 	Jimmie Johnson 	Chad Knaus
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	88 	Alex Bowman 	Greg Ives
Chevrolet 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	37 	Chris Buescher 	Trent Owens
Chevrolet 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	47 	A. J. Allmendinger 	Tristan Smith
Chevrolet 	Leavine Family Racing 	95 	Kasey Kahne 	Travis Mack
Chevrolet 	Premium Motorsports 	 	Danica Patrick 	Tony Eury Jr. Todd Parrott Pat Tryson
Chevrolet 	Premium Motorsports 	 	Ross Chastain 	Tony Eury Jr. Todd Parrott Pat Tryson
Chevrolet 	Richard Childress Racing 	3 	Austin Dillon 	Justin Alexander
Chevrolet 	Richard Childress Racing 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Luke Lambert
Chevrolet 	Richard Petty Motorsports	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R)	Drew Blickensderfer
Chevrolet 	StarCom Racing 	00 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	Tony Furr
Chevrolet 	StarCom Racing 	00 	Landon Cassill 	Tony Furr
Chevrolet 	StarCom Racing 	00 	Joey Gase 	Tony Furr
Chevrolet 	TriStar Motorsports 	72 	Corey LaJoie 	Frankie Kerr
Chevrolet 	TriStar Motorsports 	72 	Cole Whitt 	Frankie Kerr
Ford 	Front Row Motorsports 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Derrick Finley
Ford 	Front Row Motorsports 	38 	David Ragan 	Seth Barbour
Ford 	Go Fas Racing 	32 	Matt DiBenedetto 	Gene Nead Randy Cox
Ford 	Roush Fenway Racing 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Matt Puccia
Ford 	Roush Fenway Racing 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Brian Pattie
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	Rodney Childers
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	10 	Aric Almirola 	Johnny Klausmeier
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	14 	Clint Bowyer 	Mike Bugarewicz
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	41 	Kurt Busch 	Billy Scott
Ford 	Team Penske 	2 	Brad Keselowski 	Paul Wolfe
Ford 	Team Penske 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Jeremy Bullins
Ford 	Team Penske 	22 	Joey Logano 	Todd Gordon
Ford 	Wood Brothers Racing 	21 	Paul Menard 	Greg Erwin
Toyota 	BK Racing 	23 	Gray Gaulding 	Rick Bourgeois
Toyota 	Furniture Row Racing 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Cole Pearn
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Mike Wheeler
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	18 	Kyle Busch 	Adam Stevens
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Scott Graves
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	20 	Erik Jones 	Chris Gayle
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Justin Marks 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Harrison Rhodes 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Cole Custer 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Timmy Hill 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Source: 	Source: 	Source:	Source: 	Source:
t is the fourth season of the current 10-year television contract with Fox Sports and NBC Sports and the third of a five-year race sanctioning agreement with all tracks.
==Teams and drivers==
===Chartered teams===
Manufacturer 	Team 	Car number	Race driver 	Crew chief
Chevrolet 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	1 	Jamie McMurray 	Matt McCall
Chevrolet 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	42 	Kyle Larson 	Chad Johnston
Chevrolet 	Germain Racing 	13 	Ty Dillon 	Matt Borland
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	9 	Chase Elliott 	Alan Gustafson
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	24 	William Byron (R) 	Darian Grubb
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	48 	Jimmie Johnson 	Chad Knaus
Chevrolet 	Hendrick Motorsports 	88 	Alex Bowman 	Greg Ives
Chevrolet 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	37 	Chris Buescher 	Trent Owens
Chevrolet 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	47 	A. J. Allmendinger 	Tristan Smith
Chevrolet 	Leavine Family Racing 	95 	Kasey Kahne 	Travis Mack
Chevrolet 	Premium Motorsports 	15 	Danica Patrick 	Tony Eury Jr.Todd ParrottPat Tryson
Chevrolet 	Premium Motorsports 	15 	Ross Chastain 	Tony Eury Jr.Todd ParrottPat Tryson
Chevrolet 	Richard Childress Racing 	3 	Austin Dillon 	Justin Alexander
Chevrolet 	Richard Childress Racing 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Luke Lambert
Chevrolet 	Richard Petty Motorsports	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R)	Drew Blickensderfer
Chevrolet 	StarCom Racing 	00 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	Tony Furr
Chevrolet 	StarCom Racing 	00 	Landon Cassill 	Tony Furr
Chevrolet 	StarCom Racing 	00 	Joey Gase 	Tony Furr
Chevrolet 	TriStar Motorsports 	72 	Corey LaJoie 	Frankie Kerr
Chevrolet 	TriStar Motorsports 	72 	Cole Whitt 	Frankie Kerr
Ford 	Front Row Motorsports 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Derrick Finley
Ford 	Front Row Motorsports 	38 	David Ragan 	Seth Barbour
Ford 	Go Fas Racing 	32 	Matt DiBenedetto 	Gene Nead Randy Cox
Ford 	Roush Fenway Racing 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Matt Puccia
Ford 	Roush Fenway Racing 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Brian Pattie
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	Rodney Childers
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	10 	Aric Almirola 	Johnny Klausmeier
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	14 	Clint Bowyer 	Mike Bugarewicz
Ford 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	41 	Kurt Busch 	Billy Scott
Ford 	Team Penske 	2 	Brad Keselowski 	Paul Wolfe
Ford 	Team Penske 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Jeremy Bullins
Ford 	Team Penske 	22 	Joey Logano 	Todd Gordon
Ford 	Wood Brothers Racing 	21 	Paul Menard 	Greg Erwin
Toyota 	BK Racing 	23 	Gray Gaulding 	Rick Bourgeois
Toyota 	Furniture Row Racing 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Cole Pearn
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Mike Wheeler
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	18 	Kyle Busch 	Adam Stevens
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Scott Graves
Toyota 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	20 	Erik Jones 	Chris Gayle
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Justin Marks 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Harrison Rhodes 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Cole Custer 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Chevrolet Ford Toyota	Rick Ware Racing 	51 	Timmy Hill 	Pat Tryson Ken Evans
Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source: 	Source:
===Limited schedule===
Manufacturer	Team 	 	Race driver 	Crew chief 	Round(s)
Chevrolet 	Beard Motorsports 	62	Brendan Gaughan 	Darren Shaw 	
Chevrolet 	Premium Motorsports 	55	Joey Gase 	Todd Parrott 	
Chevrolet 	Premium Motorsports 	55	Reed Sorenson 	Todd Parrott 	
Chevrolet 	Premium Motorsports 	55	J. J. Yeley 	Todd Parrott 	
Chevrolet 	Richard Childress Racing	8 	Daniel Hemric 	Brandon Thomas 	
Chevrolet 	StarCom Racing 	99	Derrike Cope 	TBA 	
Chevrolet 	The Motorsports Group 	30	TBA 	Eddie Pardue 	
Ford 	RBR Enterprises 	92	David Gilliland 	Mike Hester 	
Ford 	RBR Enterprises 	92	Timothy Peters 	Mike Hester 	
Toyota 	Gaunt Brothers Racing 	96	D. J. Kennington	Mark Hillman 	
Ford Toyota 	MBM Motorsports 	66	Mark Thompson 	Mike Hillman Sr.	
Ford Toyota 	MBM Motorsports 	66	Chad Finchum 	Mike Hillman Sr.	
TBA 	Circle Sport Racing 	33	Joey Gase 	TBA 	
TBA 	Rick Ware Racing 	52	Cody Ware 	TBA 	
TBA 	Rick Ware Racing 	52	B. J. McLeod 	TBA 	
TBA 	Rick Ware Racing 	52	Kyle Weatherman 	TBA 	
TBA 	Rick Ware Racing 	52	John Graham 	TBA 	
===Changes===
====Teams====
*Team Penske will expand to a three-car team with the addition of Ryan Blaney in the No. 12, previously with Wood Brothers Racing in the No. 21 in 2017.
*On August 29, 2017, Hendrick Motorsports announced that the current No. 24 team driven by Chase Elliott would be changing to the No. 9 team, while the No. 5 would become the new No. 24 team to be driven by rookie William Byron. Alan Gustafson is expected to remain as Elliott's crew chief while Darian Grubb will work with William Byron.
*Furniture Row Racing will downsize from a two car team to a one car team, shutting down the No. 77 team as sponsor 5-hour Energy moves to the No. 78 team.
*On September 25, 2017, it was announced that a new Chevrolet team, StarCom Racing, would open and run the No. 00 car full-time, with driver Derrike Cope, moving from Premium Motorsports. Cope was planning to drive the majority of the 2018 schedule with other drivers possibly running races, however, Jeffrey Earnhardt was later announced as the driver for the season. The No. 00 is also guaranteed to run every race as they have leased a charter from the defunct Richard Childress Racing No. 27 team. Cope will instead run a second car later in the season, the No. 99 Camaro. After Fontana, Earnhardt and StarCom mutually agreed to part ways. After starting the season without a ride, Landon Cassill would take over the 00 for Martinsville, Texas, Bristol and Richmond. Joey Gase was later announced as the driver for Talladega.
*On November 22, 2017, Rick Ware Racing announced an expansion from a 30-race open team to 1 full-time team for Ray Black Jr. and 1 part-time team for Cody Ware, Kyle Weatherman, B. J. McLeod and John Graham. However, before the season began, the deal with Black fell through. RWR has instead fielded the No. 51 for several drivers, including Justin Marks, Cole Custer, Harrison Rhodes, and Timmy Hill.
*On December 7, 2017, after it was announced that Richard Petty Motorsports would be switching manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet, RPM also announced that in 2018 they would have a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.
*On December 12, 2017, it was announced that Circle Sport Racing and The Motorsports Group, who became one team in 2017, parted ways. Both teams will field a car for 2018. Circle Sport will continue with the No. 33, but Jeffrey Earnhardt was released even though he was going to be the No. 33 driver in 2018. Both teams will have different drivers and sponsors.
*On January 3, 2018, it was announced that Team Penske had purchased a charter from Roush Fenway Racing in order to field the No. 12 car for Ryan Blaney full-time in 2018. The charter was leased to JTG Daugherty Racing to field the No. 37 for Chris Buescher in 2017, and had previously been used for the No. 16 of Greg Biffle in 2016.
*On January 17, 2018, it was announced that RBR Enterprises will join the Cup series and will field the No. 92 Ford to attempt the Daytona 500 with David Gilliland behind the wheel. The team spent the past eight seasons competing 79 races in the Truck series.
*On January 22, 2018, it was announced that Gaunt Brothers Racing will return to the Daytona 500 with D. J. Kennington driving the No. 96 Toyota. The team entered the spring ISM Raceway race, which would be their first appearance on a non restrictor track.
*On January 23, 2018, Richard Childress Racing announced that it will downsize to a two-car team for 2018, shutting down the No. 27 team.
====Drivers====
*On April 25, 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he would retire from full-time racing. On July 20, 2017, Alex Bowman was announced as his full-time replacement.
*On July 11, 2017, it was announced that Erik Jones will be replacing Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing. On November 4, 2017, Kenseth announced he would be stepping away from full-time racing and will not compete in any 2018 events.
*On July 26, 2017, it was announced that Paul Menard will replace Ryan Blaney in the No. 21 car for Wood Brothers Racing.
*On August 1, 2017, it was announced that Kurt Busch will become a free agent after driving the No. 41 car for Stewart Haas Racing. However, on December 11, 2017, it was announced that Busch had re-signed with Stewart-Haas Racing on a 1-year deal.
*On August 7, 2017, it was announced that Kasey Kahne would be leaving the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports car at the end of 2017. On August 8, 2017, it was announced that William Byron was named as his full-time replacement in the renumbered No. 24 car and will be running for Rookie of the Year honors. On September 19, 2017, it was announced that Kahne would be driving the No. 95 Chevrolet Camaro for Leavine Family Racing, replacing Michael McDowell.
*On September 12, 2017, Danica Patrick announced that she would not be returning to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018. Later that day, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that Aric Almirola would not be returning to the No. 43 team in 2018. On October 25, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that Darrell Wallace Jr. would drive the No. 43 and compete for Rookie of the Year Honors. In 2017, Wallace Jr. was going to run the full NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing, but the team shut down in June due to a lack of sponsorship. Wallace would also drive the No. 43 in the Cup series, filling in for Almirola when he was injured in a crash at Kansas. Wallace also drove the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Biagi-DenBeste Racing in the Xfinity Series at Chicago, and the No. 99 Chevrolet Silverado for MDM Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Michigan.
*On September 25, 2017, Derrike Cope announced he would leave the No. 55 car of Premium Motorsports to drive the new No. 00 for StarCom Racing. Cope also serves as Team Manager, and the team will run the full schedule after securing a charter and Cope will drive the majority of the schedule.
*On October 10, 2017, Front Row Motorsports announced that Landon Cassill would not return to drive the teams No. 34 entry in 2018. On December 14, 2017, it has been confirmed that Michael McDowell will drive full-time in the No. 34, and David Ragan is returning to FRM in the No. 38.
*On November 8, 2017, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Aric Almirola would take over the No. 10 Ford full-time in 2018, replacing Danica Patrick.
*On November 15, 2017, it was announced that Danica Patrick would be retiring from auto racing. She plans to race in the 2018 Daytona 500 (NASCAR) and the 2018 Indy 500 (IndyCar) before retiring.
*On November 22, 2017, it was announced that Ray Black Jr. would compete full-time and challenge for Rookie of the Year with Rick Ware Racing's No. 51 chartered entry. The No. 51 did not have a charter in 2017. RWR also announced a part-time No. 52 team with drivers Cody Ware, Kyle Weatherman, B. J. McLeod and John Graham. However in early February it was that Justin Marks would drive the No. 51 in the Daytona 500, even though Ray Black Jr. was announced as the full-time driver. It is rumored that the deal fell through. Marks, Cole Custer, Harrison Rhodes, and Timmy Hill all made starts in the car.
*On January 30, 2018, StarCom Racing signed Jeffrey Earnhardt to drive its chartered No. 00 Chevrolet for the season. Earnhardt replaces Derrike Cope, who will remain as team manager and also will drive a second car for the team later in the year. Earnhardt previously drove for Circle Sport – The Motorsports Group full-time in 2017. After the first 5 races, Earnhardt was replaced by Landon Cassill. Joey Gase was later announced as the driver for Talladega.
*On February 5, 2018, TriStar Motorsports announced that Corey LaJoie would split the chartered No. 72 team with Cole Whitt, with sponsorship from Schluter Systems. LaJoie previously drove for BK Racing's Nos. 23 and 83 in most of the races in 2017.
*On March 20, 2018, Richard Childress Racing announced that Daniel Hemric would drive a part time No. 8 car in the Cup Series during the Richmond spring race and the during the playoffs on the new Charlotte "Roval" course.Wilhelm, Chase. “Hemric to Bring Back No. 8 in Monster Energy Series Debut.” Official Site Of NASCAR, NASCAR.com, 20 Mar. 2018, www.nascar.com/news-media/2018/03/20/daniel-hemric-number-monster-energy-series-debut/.
====Crew Chiefs====
*Jeremy Bullins will move over from the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team to the new No. 12 Team Penske team to continue to be Ryan Blaney's crew chief.
*Greg Erwin will move from the No. 22 Team Penske team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team to be Paul Menard's crew chief.
*Travis Mack will move from being the car chief for the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team to the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing team to be Kasey Kahne's crew chief.
*Championship winning crew chief Darian Grubb will be the crew chief for the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team and William Byron. In 2017, Grubb was the crew chief for Kasey Kahne in the final 9 races of the season after Keith Rodden left as the crew chief role.
*Bootie Barker will leave the No. 13 team at the end of the 2017 season. On November 27, 2017, Germain Racing announced that Matt Borland will move over from the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing team to be the crew chief for Ty Dillon.
*Jason Ratcliff will move over from the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team to the No. 20 JGR team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to be the crew chief for Christopher Bell. Chris Gayle moves over from the now shut down No. 77 Furniture Row Racing team to continue to be Erik Jones' crew chief.
*Eddie Pardue will move with The Motorsports Group and be the crew chief. Pardue was the crew chief for the No. 33 for Circle Sport-The Motorsports Group until the two teams split after the 2017 season.
*On December 15, 2017, Tony Gibson announced his retirement. Johnny Klausmeier, who served as car chief on the No. 41 team, will be the crew chief for Aric Almirola, while Billy Scott moves from the No. 10 team to the No. 41 to be crew chief for Kurt Busch.
*On February 27, 2018, Go Fas Racing announced Randy Cox would take over crew chief duties for the No. 32 team, replacing Gene Nead.
====Manufacturers====
* With the discontinuation of the SS after the 2017 model year, Chevrolet unveiled a new body style based on the Camaro ZL1.
*MBM Motorsports purchased an old Richard Petty Motorsports Ford and will run it in the Daytona 500 with Mark Thompson behind the wheel. MBM ran Chevrolets and Toyotas in 2017.
*After running Chevrolets for the 2017 season, Rick Ware Racing announced that they will run with all 3 manufacturers in 2018.
*On December 7, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that they would be switching manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet for the 2018 season. Richard Petty Motorsports ran Fords from 2010 to 2017 and last ran a General Motors car in 2000.
*This will be the final year of the Ford Fusion as on April 17, 2018, Ford announced the Ford Mustang as their entry in the Cup series for 2019.
==Offseason changes==
===Rule changes===
During its annual media tour in November 2017, NASCAR announced that constraints would be imposed on crew rosters in its three national series. Crew members are divided into "Organizational", "Road Crew", and "Pit Crew" roles; in the Cup Series, a single team may only have a roster of 3-4 organizational crew members (depending on the number of cars they field), 12 road crew members, and 5 pit crew members (reduced from 6, as implemented in 2011). Crew members must be assigned a jersey number and a letter corresponding to their position, which must be worn on their crew uniforms. Staff may be shared between a team's individual cars, even if they are not explicitly listed on their roster. NASCAR's executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O'Donnell stated that these changes were intended to improve safety, as well as improve its focus on teamwork.
In February 2018, it was announced that the vehicle damage policy introduced in 2017 had been modified, following analysis of the rule's effects in 2017, and to account for the reduction in pit crew members. The length of the repair window has been extended to six minutes, and the penalty for having too many crew members repairing the car was reduced from disqualification to a two-lap penalty. Additionally, the length of the first session in qualifying on intermediate- and short-tracks has been reduced from 20 to 15 minutes.
==Schedule==
The final schedule – comprising 36 races, as well as exhibition races, which are the Advance Auto Parts Clash, Can-Am Duel qualifying duel races for the Daytona 500 and the All-Star Race – was released on May 23, 2017.
Key changes from 2017 include:
* The Daytona 500 is held one week earlier. As a result of this, all races from Atlanta until Talladega (spring), and also Pocono and Michigan in June will move one week earlier than 2017.
* The Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway will move from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night due to attendance issues.
* The AAA 400 Drive for Autism will move after the GEICO 500 and before the Kansas 400 (spring). Due to Daytona moving a week earlier, Dover was forced to move to May, similar to 2016 and (some) years before that when Daytona was on Presidents Day Weekend.
* The new date that Las Vegas Motor Speedway acquired from New Hampshire Motor Speedway was moved to the first race of playoffs to replace Overton's 400 at Chicagoland Speedway which moved back to July before the Coke Zero Sugar 400. That means the Coke Zero 400, Quaker State 400 and New Hampshire 301 will move one week later than 2017.
* The 25th Annual Big Machine Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will move to September to become the final race of the regular season while the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway will move to the second race in the Round of 16.
* The Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will move one week earlier to become the elimination race of the Round of 16 and will utilize the track's road course layout instead of its quad-oval. The race's scheduled distance will also be shortened from 500 miles to 500 kilometers. That means the Dover 400 (fall) at Dover International Speedway will move one week later to become the first race of the Round of 12.
* In broadcasting changes, an additional off week in June was added for the Father's Day weekend between Michigan and Sonoma so that the Fox networks could air the U.S. Open and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The third off week will be after Bristol's August race.
No 	Race Title 	Track 	Date 	Time 	TV
 	Advance Auto Parts Clash 	Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida	February 11 	3:00 p.m. 	FS1
 	Can-Am Duel 	Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida	February 15 	7:00 p.m. 	FS1
1 	Daytona 500 	Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida	February 18 	2:30 p.m. 	Fox
2 	Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 	Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia 	February 25 	1:00 p.m. 	Fox
3 	Pennzoil 400 	Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada 	March 4 	3:30 p.m. 	Fox
4 	TicketGuardian 500 	ISM Raceway, Avondale, Arizona 	March 11 	3:30 p.m. 	Fox
5 	Auto Club 400 	Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California 	March 18 	3:30 p.m. 	Fox
6 	STP 500 	Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia 	March 26 	2:00 p.m. 	FS1
7 	O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 	Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas 	April 8 	2:00 p.m. 	FS1
8 	Food City 500 	Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee 	April 15-16 	1:15 p.m.1:30 p.m.	Fox
9 	Toyota Owners 400 	Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Virginia 	April 21 	6:30 p.m. 	Fox
10 	GEICO 500 	Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln, Alabama 	April 29 	2:00 p.m. 	Fox
11 	AAA 400 Drive for Autism 	Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware 	May 6 	2:00 p.m. 	FS1
12 	Kansas 400 	Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas 	May 12 	8:00 p.m. 	FS1
 	Monster Energy Open 	Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina 	May 19 	6:00 p.m. 	FS1
 	Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race 	Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina 	May 19 	8:00 p.m. 	FS1
13 	Coca-Cola 600 	Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina 	May 27 	6:00 p.m. 	Fox
14 	Pocono 400 	Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania 	June 3 	2:00 p.m. 	FS1
15 	FireKeepers Casino 400 	Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan 	June 10 	2:00 p.m. 	Fox
16 	Toyota/Save Mart 350 	Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California 	June 24 	3:00 p.m. 	FS1
17 	Overton's 400 	Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Illinois 	July 1 	2:30 p.m. 	NBCSN
18 	Coke Zero Sugar 400 	Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida	July 7 	7:00 p.m. 	NBC
19 	Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts 	Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky 	July 14 	7:30 p.m. 	NBCSN
20 	New Hampshire 301 	New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire 	July 22 	2:00 p.m. 	NBCSN
21 	Gander Outdoors 400 	Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania 	July 29 	2:30 p.m. 	NBCSN
22 	Go Bowling at The Glen 	Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York 	August 5 	2:30 p.m. 	NBC
23 	Consumers Energy 400 	Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan 	August 12 	2:30 p.m. 	NBCSN
24 	Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race 	Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee 	August 18 	7:30 p.m. 	NBCSN
25 	Bojangles' Southern 500 	Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina 	September 2 	6:00 p.m. 	NBC
26 	Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard 	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Indiana 	September 9 	2:00 p.m. 	NBCSN
Cup Championship Playoffs	Cup Championship Playoffs 	Cup Championship Playoffs 	Cup Championship Playoffs	Cup Championship Playoffs 	Cup Championship Playoffs
Round of 16 	Round of 16 	Round of 16 	Round of 16 	Round of 16 	Round of 16
27 	South Point 400 	Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada 	September 16 	3:00 p.m. 	NBC
28 	Federated Auto Parts 400 	Richmond Raceway, Richmond, Virginia 	September 22 	7:30 p.m. 	NBCSN
29 	Bank of America 500 	Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina 	September 30 	2:00 p.m. 	NBC
Round of 12 	Round of 12 	Round of 12 	Round of 12 	Round of 12 	Round of 12
30 	Dover 400 	Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware 	October 7 	2:00 p.m. 	NBCSN
31 	1000Bulbs.com 500https://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/Articles/2018/03/1000Bulbs.aspx	Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln, Alabama 	October 14 	2:00 p.m. 	NBC
32 	Hollywood Casino 400 	Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas 	October 21 	2:00 p.m. 	NBC
Round of 8 	Round of 8 	Round of 8 	Round of 8 	Round of 8 	Round of 8
33 	First Data 500 	Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia 	October 28 	2:30 p.m. 	NBCSN
34 	AAA Texas 500 	Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas 	November 4 	3:00 p.m. 	NBC
35 	Can-Am 500 	ISM Raceway, Avondale, Arizona 	November 11 	2:30 p.m. 	NBC
Championship 4 	Championship 4 	Championship 4 	Championship 4 	Championship 4 	Championship 4
36 	Ford EcoBoost 400 	Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida 	November 18 	2:30 p.m. 	NBC
Crown Jewel races in bold
===Schedule changes ===
In 2015, NASCAR and 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series tracks agreed on a five-year contract that guarantees each track would continue to host races through 2020. Despite the agreement, Speedway Motorsports decided to transfer one of its Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to form a race weekend involving each of the three national series in the fall. On July 27, 2016, Daytona International Speedway announced that the 60th running of the Daytona 500 would be moved one week earlier to be held on February 18, 2018.
Several changes were announced with the release of the final schedule. The 25th Big Machine Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway moved to September to become the final race of the regular season, while the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway moved to the second race in the Round of 16. The new date that Las Vegas Motor Speedway acquired from New Hampshire Motor Speedway was moved to the first race of the playoffs to replace Chicagoland Speedway, which became race 17 of the regular season. Dover International Speedway's spring race, the AAA 400 Drive for Autism, was moved one month early to precede Kansas Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track's fall race, the Dover 400, was moved one week later to become the first race of the Round of 12. Also, Charlotte Motor Speedway's Bank of America 500 moved one week earlier and will utilize the track's road course layout instead of its quad-oval. With an additional off-week in the schedule for 2018, the Father's Day off-week that Fox added for the U. S. Open will be restored, with the third off-week being after the Bristol August race.
==Season summary==
===Race reports===
Speedweeks 2018
Daytona Speedweeks started with the Advance Auto Parts Clash. Austin Dillon drew the pole as Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski led the majority of the race. Jamie McMurray crashed and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. received a penalty. Keselowski led the last half to win over Joey Logano as Jimmie Johnson crashed after contact with Kyle Larson with Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex, Jr. also getting involved.
In Daytona 500 qualifying, Alex Bowman won the pole while Denny Hamlin qualified second. Bowman won the pole for his first race since taking over the #88 car from Dale Earnhardt Jr. full-time. This was the fourth consecutive Daytona 500 pole won by Hendrick Motorsports.
In the Can-Am Duels on Thursday, Bowman was on pole for race one. In the early laps, Jimmie Johnson lost a tire and crashed along with Aric Almirola. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was moving around the entire race, but got into both William Byron and David Gilliland, taking them out. Joey Logano led the majority of laps, but was passed for the lead by Ryan Blaney as Brad Keselowski crashed with Jamie McMurray, sending the race into overtime. In overtime, Blaney held off Joey Logano and Darrell Wallace, Jr. to win the first Duel. In the second Duel, Hamlin was on pole. Early in the race, Erik Jones spun and collected Kyle Larson and Matt DiBenedetto. Hamlin and Chase Elliott led most of the race. Eliott led the most laps to win his second straight Duel race over Kevin Harvick.
Round 1: Daytona 500
Alex Bowman started on pole. Early on, Kyle Busch had a tire go down and had to pit. Later, Busch had another tire down and got into the wall and collected Jamie McMurray and D.J. Kennington. In the closing laps of stage one, Erik Jones spun and collected Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Daniel Suarez, William Byron, and Ty Dillon as Kurt Busch won stage one. In stage two, Byron got into the wall after having a tire go down. Brad Keselowski got into Chase Elliott and collected others including David Ragan, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, and Danica Patrick, who finished 35th in her final NASCAR race. Ryan Blaney won stage two over Joey Logano. In the final stage, Blaney continued to lead. In the closing laps, Byron again had a tire go down and spun. With two laps to go, Kurt Busch got turned around and collected Blaney, Matt DiBenedetto, Brendan Gaughan, and others, sending the race to overtime. In overtime, Aric Almirola was leading at the white flag, and tried to block Austin Dillon, but the block was late and Almirola ended up in the wall. Austin Dillon held off Darrell Wallace, Jr. for his second career win and winning the Daytona 500 in the #3 20 years after Dale Earnhardt won his only 500 in 1998.
Round 2: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500
Kyle Busch led the field to the green flag after an hour delay from rain. Ryan Newman jumped out to an early lead, but Busch was able to reclaim the lead. After the end-of-stage caution, Newman had a tire go down and hit the wall. Kevin Harvick led and won the first stage. In the second stage, Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Brad Keselowski all led as Keselowski won stage two after a spin by Jimmie Johnson. In the final stage, Harvick continued to dominate as Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano tried to win on a different strategy as the rest of the field. Late in the final stage, Trevor Bayne had an engine failure as Darrell Wallace, Jr. plowed into Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. trying to avoid the smoke. Harvick continued to lead and won over Keselowski for his first win at Atlanta since 2001.
Round 3: Pennzoil 400
Ryan Blaney started on pole. Kevin Harvick took the lead at the beginning and dominated and won the first two caution free stages. In the final stage, Jamie McMurray got into the wall after a flat tire. Kurt Busch got loose and crashed along with Chase Elliott. Harvick led over 200 laps and held off a hard charging Kyle Busch for his second straight win and second at Las Vegas.
Round 4: TicketGuardian 500
Martin Truex Jr. started on pole. Kyle Larson shot out to the lead early and led most of the first stage. Kyle Busch took the lead and won the first stage. Early in the second stage, Larson spun on the apron. Chris Buescher had a tire go down and got into the wall. Kurt Busch stayed out and won the second stage. Denny Hamlin took the lead as Paul Menard had a tire go down and got into the wall. Kyle Busch regained the lead until green flag pit stops. Brad Keselowski stayed out to stretch it out until the end, but had to pit. Kevin Harvick was able to pass Chase Elliott during the green flag cycle to take the lead from Ryan Newman and hold off Kyle Busch for his third consecutive win and ninth at Phoenix.
Round 5: Auto Club 400
Martin Truex Jr. started on pole for the second straight week. Early, Kevin Harvick got into the wall and spun through the grass after contact with Kyle Larson, ending his chances for a fourth straight win. Truex was able to win the first stage and win the second stage after Trevor Bayne got into the wall. David Ragan brought out the final caution as Truex was able to beat out Kyle Busch on pit stops and pulled away from Larson to sweep all three stages to win.
Round 6: STP 500
Martin Truex Jr. started on pole for the third straight week as qualifying was cancelled due to rain and snow. The race was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to snow. Denny Hamlin won the first stage after a Competition Caution and Ryan Blaney won the second stage. Jamie McMurray spun after contact with Austin Dillon. Clint Bowyer took the lead from Blaney and dominated the remainder of the race, leading 215 laps. McMurray, Trevor Bayne, and Harrison Rhodes all had tires go down, but there was no caution. Bowyer held off Kyle Busch for his first win since 2012 and the fourth out of six races for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Round 7: O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
Kurt Busch started on pole after qualifying was cancelled just after the first round due to rain. As soon as the race began, Alex Bowman spun and collected Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, and Paul Menard. At the end of the first stage, Martin Truex Jr. had a tire go down and got into the wall as Kevin Harvick scored the stage win as it ended under caution. In the second stage, Kyle Larson had a tire go down and he got into the wall. Kyle Busch was able to win the second stage. Early in the final stage, Denny Hamlin spun and collected David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, and Jimmie Johnson. Menard and Ryan Newman both got into the wall. Kyle Busch and Harvick, both with older tires, were able to stay out front and Busch was able to hold Harvick off for his first win of the year and third at Texas.
Round 8: Food City 500
Kyle Busch started on pole. Michael McDowell spun on the third lap and collected others including Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. The race was stopped three different times due to rain and a wreck by Trevor Bayne. Ryan Blaney led most of the first half of the race, but was caught up in an accident while leading, ending his race. Brad Keselowski won the first stage. After another red flag due to rain, the remainder of the race was postponed to Monday. After a small delay due to rain, the race continued. Keselowski would win the second stage after taking back the lead. Kyle Larson took back the lead and continued leading until spun after making contact with Ryan Newman. Kyle Busch got the lead when the caution was displayed for rain, but it was a brief yellow. On the final restart, Larson got back in the lead, but Kyle Busch passed Larson for the lead with six laps to go and Busch pulled away to his second straight win and seventh at Bristol.
Round 9: Toyota Owners 400
Martin Truex Jr. won the pole. Joey Logano dominated the early part of the race, winning both stages. Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer took turned swapping the lead. Truex regained the lead and lead a race high of 121 laps. Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got together and spun. Jamie McMurray got into the wall and made contact with Ryan Newman, who blew up. David Ragan had a tire go down and got into the wall. Stenhouse spun again to send the race into overtime. On the restart, Kyle Busch held off Chase Elliott for his third straight win and fifth at Richmond.
==Results and standings==
===Race results===
	Race 	Pole position	Most laps led	Winning driver	 	Report
	Advance Auto Parts Clash 	 	 	 	Ford 	Report
	Can-Am Duel 1 	 	 	 	Ford 	Report
	Can-Am Duel 2 	 	 	 	Chevrolet	Report
	Daytona 500 	 	 	 	Chevrolet	Report
	Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500	 	 	 	Ford 	Report
	Pennzoil 400 	 	 	 	Ford 	Report
	TicketGuardian 500 	 	 	 	Ford 	Report
	Auto Club 400 	 	 	 	Toyota 	Report
	STP 500 	 	 	 	Ford 	Report
	O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 	 	 	 	Toyota 	Report
	Food City 500 	 	 	 	Toyota 	Report
	Toyota Owners 400 	 	 	 	Toyota 	Report
	GEICO 500 	 	 	 	 	Report
===Driver standings===
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results or owner's points. * – Most laps led. 1 – Stage 1 winner. 2 – Stage 2 winner. 
 	Driver 	DAY 	ATL 	LVS 	PHO 	CAL 	MAR 	TEX 	BRI 	RCH 	TAL 	DOV 	KAN 	CLT 	POC 	MCH 	SON 	CHI 	DAY 	KEN 	NHA 	POC 	GLN 	MCH 	BRI 	DAR 	IND 	 	LVS 	RCH 	CLT 	DOV 	TAL 	KAN 	MAR 	TEX 	PHO 	HOM 	 	 	
1 	Kyle Busch 	25 	7 	2 	2*1 	3 	2 	1*2 	1 	1 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	415 	108 	17
2 	Joey Logano 	4 	6 	7 	19 	5 	6 	6 	9 	412 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	359 	83 	2
3 	Clint Bowyer 	15 	3 	18 	6 	11 	1* 	9 	8 	9 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	329 	65 	5
4 	Kevin Harvick 	31 	1*1 	1*12 	1 	35 	5 	21 	7 	5 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	80 	12
5 	Brad Keselowski 	32 	22 	6 	15 	4 	10 	33 	2312 	8 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	303 	103 	3
6 	Denny Hamlin 	3 	4 	17 	4 	6 	121 	34 	14 	3 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	286 	48 	1
7 	Martin Truex Jr. 	18 	5 	4 	5 	1*12 	4 	37 	30 	14* 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	284 	64 	7
8 	Ryan Blaney 	7*2 	12 	5 	16 	8 	32 	5 	35 	22 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	282 	52 	2
9 	Kurt Busch 	261 	8 	34 	102 	14 	11 	7 	22 	11 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	282 	87 	2
10 	Kyle Larson 	19 	9 	3 	18 	2 	16 	36 	2* 	7 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	279 	57 	–
11 	Aric Almirola 	11 	13 	10 	7 	12 	14 	32 	6 	17 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	248 	37 	–
12 	Erik Jones 	36 	11 	8 	9 	7 	17 	4 	26 	13 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	233 	23 	–
13 	Alex Bowman 	17 	20 	16 	13 	13 	7 	28 	5 	18 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	209 	13 	–
14 	Austin Dillon 	1 	14 	13 	17 	10 	30 	26 	15 	15 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	208 	7 	5
15 	Jimmie Johnson 	38 	27 	12 	14 	9 	15 	35 	3 	6 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	200 	24 	–
16 	William Byron (R) 	23 	18 	27 	12 	15 	20 	10 	18 	12 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	192 	14 	–
17 	Ryan Newman 	8 	22 	11 	11 	21 	19 	27 	10 	37 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	186 	13 	–
18 	Paul Menard 	6 	17 	9 	36 	19 	13 	30 	13 	24 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	183 	13 	–
19 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	29 	16 	14 	23 	18 	37 	25 	4 	23 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	176 	24 	–
20 	Chase Elliott 	33 	10 	34 	3 	16 	9 	11 	29 	2 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	24 	–
21 	Daniel Suárez 	37 	15 	26 	8 	23 	18 	29 	11 	10 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	161 	1 	–
22 	 	2 	32 	21 	28 	20 	34 	8 	16 	25 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	160 	5 	–
23 	A. J. Allmendinger 	10 	29 	30 	21 	22 	8 	24 	17 	27 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	160 	14 	–
24 	Jamie McMurray 	16 	19 	36 	26 	17 	26 	3 	19 	19 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	158 	4 	–
25 	Chris Buescher 	5 	25 	15 	29 	30 	23 	15 	36 	26 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	130 	– 	–
26 	Trevor Bayne 	13 	35 	20 	20 	37 	33 	12 	24 	21 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	126 	4 	–
27 	Michael McDowell 	9 	24 	37 	32 	26 	21 	14 	38 	31 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	121 	17 	–
28 	David Ragan 	30 	23 	23 	22 	25 	25 	23 	12 	33 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	121 	– 	–
29 	Ty Dillon 	39 	26 	24 	30 	27 	22 	13 	28 	20 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	112 	5 	–
30 	Matt DiBenedetto 	27 	31 	22 	25 	31 	32 	16 	21 	16 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	112 	– 	–
31 	Kasey Kahne 	34 	21 	19 	24 	24 	24 	17 	34 	29 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	109 	2 	–
32 	Cole Whitt 	 	28 	28 	 	28 	27 	19 	 	30 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	62 	– 	–
33 	Gray Gaulding 	20 	36 	33 	34 	32 	36 	20 	31 	35 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	56 	– 	–
34 	D. J. Kennington 	24 	 	 	31 	 	28 	 	27 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	38 	– 	–
35 	Landon Cassill 	 	 	 	 	 	38 	21 	20 	34 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	37 	– 	–
36 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	21 	34 	31 	35 	36 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	28 	– 	–
37 	Harrison Rhodes 	 	33 	 	 	 	35 	22 	37 	36 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	23 	– 	–
38 	Mark Thompson 	22 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	15 	– 	–
39 	Reed Sorenson 	 	 	 	 	34 	 	31 	32 	38 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	15 	– 	–
40 	Corey LaJoie 	40 	 	 	37 	 	 	 	25 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	14 	– 	–
41 	Brendan Gaughan 	28 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9 	– 	–
42 	Danica Patrick 	35 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	2 	– 	–
Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points	Ineligible for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver points
 	Driver 	DAY 	ATL 	LVS 	PHO 	CAL 	MAR 	TEX 	BRI 	RCH 	TAL 	DOV 	KAN 	CLT 	POC 	MCH 	SON 	CHI 	DAY 	KEN 	NHA 	POC 	GLN 	MCH 	BRI 	DAR 	IND 	 	LVS 	RCH 	CLT 	DOV 	TAL 	KAN 	MAR 	TEX 	PHO 	HOM 	 	 	
 	Justin Marks 	12 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	David Gilliland 	14 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	Ross Chastain 	 	30 	29 	27 	29 	29 	18 	39 	28 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	Cole Custer 	 	 	25 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	J. J. Yeley 	 	 	 	 	 	31 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	Joey Gase 	 	 	32 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	Daniel Hemric 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	32 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	Timmy Hill 	 	 	 	33 	33 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	Chad Finchum 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	33 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	– 	–
 	Driver 	DAY 	ATL 	LVS 	PHO 	CAL 	MAR 	TEX 	BRI 	RCH 	TAL 	DOV 	KAN 	CLT 	POC 	MCH 	SON 	CHI 	DAY 	KEN 	NHA 	POC 	GLN 	MCH 	BRI 	DAR 	IND 	 	LVS 	RCH 	CLT 	DOV 	TAL 	KAN 	MAR 	TEX 	PHO 	HOM 	 	 	
===Manufacturers' Championship===
 	Manufacturer	Wins	Points
1	Toyota 	4 	332
2	Ford 	4 	319
3	Chevrolet 	1 	297
===Playoff Grid===
 	Number	Driver 	Wins
1 	18 	Kyle Busch 	3
2 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	2*
3 	14 	Clint Bowyer 	1
4 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	1
5 	3 	Austin Dillon 	1
6 	22 	Joey Logano 	0
7 	2 	Brad Keselowski 	0
8 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	0
9 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	0
10	41 	Kurt Busch 	0
11	42 	Kyle Larson 	0
12	10 	Aric Almirola 	0
13	20 	Erik Jones 	0
14	88 	Alex Bowman 	0
15	48 	Jimmie Johnson 	0
16	24 	William Byron (R)	0
*
* Kevin Harvick's Las Vegas win will not count towards his playoff standings.
==See also==
*2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series
*2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
*2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
*2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
*2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
*2018 NASCAR Pinty's Series
*2018 NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series
*2018 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series
==References==