2018 Daytona 500

The **2018 Daytona 500**, the 60th running of the event, is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on February 18, 2018, contested over 207 laps -- extended from 200 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway. It was the first race of the of the the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

## Report

### Background

Daytona International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.

### Notes

This was the first Daytona 500 race since 1982 where none of the cars were sponsored by beer companies.
Also this Daytona 500 saw an strange sight of only 40 cars (The maximum field and no extra cars) entering the race, thus making no teams in a “go or go home” position for the first time.

## Practice

### First practice (February 10)

Kyle Busch was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 45.058 seconds and a speed of 199.743 mph (321.455 km/h).

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### Second practice (February 10)

William Byron was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 44.625 seconds and a speed of 201.681 mph (324.574 km/h)

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## Qualifying

Alex Bowman scored the pole for the race with a time of 46.002 and a speed of 195.644 mph (314.858 km/h)

## Can-Am Duels

The Can-Am Duels are a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held in conjunction with the Daytona 500 annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. They consist of two races 60 laps and 150 miles (240 km) in length, which serve as heat races that set the lineup for the Daytona 500. Both races sets the lineup for positions 3–32. The first race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in odd–numbered positions on pole qualifying day. The second race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in even–numbered positions. Positions 33–36 are filled by the four drivers that posted the fastest lap in pole qualifying that didn't lock in a position in the Duel's. Positions 37–40 are set by the four cars highest in the 2017 owner's points that didn't lock in a position in the Duels and weren't among the cars that posted the four fastest timed laps in pole qualifying.

## Practice (post–Duels)

### Third practice (February 16)

Daniel Suárez was the fastest in the third practice session with a time of 45.036 seconds and a speed of

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### Fourth practice (February 16)

Daniel Suárez was the fastest in the fourth practice session with a time of 44.296 seconds and a speed of 199.840 mph (321.611 km/h).

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### Final practice (February 17)

Darrell Wallace Jr. was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 45.696 seconds and a speed of 203.179 mph (326.985 km/h).

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## Race

### Stage 1

Alex Bowman led the field to the green flag at 3:05 pm. The first caution of the race flew on lap 9 when Corey LaJoie blew an engine in Turn 2. Denny Hamlin was penalized one lap for pitting outside the box during the caution. The flag was out for three laps.

The race restarted a few laps later. On lap 30, Kyle Busch's left rear tire went flat, and he dropped from 5th to 38th to get the tire changed, and the second caution of the race flew on lap 52 when Kyle Busch spun out, apparently due to the same tire problem he had on lap 30. The first 10 cars did not stop to pit, waiting instead for the end of the first stage.

The race restated on lap 56 and it remained green for 5 laps.

Towards the end of stage 1, the third caution of the race flew for a multi-car wreck involving William Byron, Erik Jones, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suárez, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson. It was the third car Johnson wrecked this week. Johnson, Suarez, Jones and Dillon are out of the race. "It is disappointing for this Lowes team and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for all the work they put into it," Johnson said. "But we'll get this Camaro ZL1 dialed in for Atlanta and take it over there." Said Suarez: “It looked like the 17 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) just got freed up there by the 12 (Blaney), unfortunately. We tried to check up and everybody got stacked up, and caused a big wreck. It’s unfortunate because the DEWALT Camry was definitely fast – we just didn’t get to the end to see what we could really do. We were in position I thought to have a good race. We were staying upfront and out of trouble, it just didn’t work out.”

2017 Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch won Stage 1, his first stage win ever, which is worth 10 points toward seasonal standings. But he missed his box coming in to the pits and was penalized. Alex Bowman led five laps. Denny Hamlin won the free pass under caution.

### Stage 2

The race restarted on lap 67 and Ryan Blaney took the lead. He led a total of 26 laps.

Debris on the track brought the fourth caution of the race on lap 93, from William Byron's car. The caution lasts from lap 94 to 97, four laps. Martin Truex Jr. took the lead after choosing not to make a pit stop.

The race restarted on lap 98 and it remained green for 5 laps, another multi-car wreck brought out the fifth caution of the race, on lap 101 involving Chase Elliott, one of the favorites, Danica Patrick, racing for the final time in NASCAR, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, David Ragan and Kasey Kahne. The caution flag was out for laps 103 through 108. So far, 11 cars are out of the race. Keselowski was not happy. “The 24 got loose and spun out in front of us all and I got caught up in it," the pre-race favorite said. "It just really sucks. We had a great car and were in a great position. I guess that’s the way it goes. I went to pass the 24 on the bottom and he came down. I can’t tell if I made contact or not, but obviously he turned and there was nothing I could do. We were all wrecked.”

The race restarted on lap 109 and Ryan Blaney took the lead.

Ryan Blaney collects the 10 points for winning the second stage, and the sixth caution flew for the conclusion of the second stage.

### Final stage

The race restarted on lap 127 and Denny Hamlin took the lead on lap 171. The seventh caution of the race flew on lap 191 when William Byron spun out in turn 4. The caution lasted for 3 laps.

The race restarted on lap 194 and it remained green for 6 laps.

On lap 199, the eighth caution of the race flew for a multi-car wreck in turn 3, also called The Big One. Defending Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch tried to pass race leader Hamlin with two laps to go but contact from behind by Ryan Blaney turned Busch, leading to a melee. Alex Bowman, Brendan Gaughan, Matt DiBenedetto and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were also involved. The race then headed to overtime with Denny Hamlin and Aric Almirola on the front row.

### Overtime

The race restarted with two laps to go, and Aric Almirola took the lead coming to the white flag, but could not block the right lane at the right time and Austin Dillon had a big run on Almirola eventually spinning Almirola out and Dillon drove on to score the victory and for the first time at the Daytona 500 the 3 went back to Daytona victory lane since 20 years when Dale Earnhardt Sr. took the 3 car to victory lane at the Daytona 500 in 1998.

#### Post race

"I did what I had to do at the end; I hated for the 10 (Almirola's Stewart-Haas Racing) guys," Dillon said immediately after performing a series of burnouts. "It's so awesome to take the 3 car back to victory lane 20 years after Earnhardt did it. "This is for Dale Sr. and all those Earnhardt fans. We're going to keep kicking butt the rest of the year."

### Race results

#### Stage Results

**Stage 1**
*Laps:* 60

**Stage 2**
*Laps:* 60

### Final Stage Results

**Stage 3**
*Laps:* 80

### Race statistics

* Lead changes: 14 among different drivers
* Cautions/Laps: 8 for 37
* Red flags: 0
* Time of race: 3 hours, 26 minutes and 15 seconds
* Average speed: 150.545 mph (242.279 km/h)

## Media

### Television

Template:See also
Since 2001—with the exception of 2002, 2004 and 2006—the Daytona 500 has been carried by Fox in the United States. The booth crew consisted of longtime NASCAR lap-by-lap announcer Mike Joy, three–time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon, and 1989 race winner Darrell Waltrip. Pit road was manned by Jamie Little, Regan Smith, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum.

### Radio

The race was broadcast on radio by the Motor Racing Network—who has covered the Daytona 500 since 1970—and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. The booth crew consisted of longtime announcer Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and 1989 Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace. Longtime turn announcer – and prodigy of MRN co-founder Ken Squier – Dave Moody was the lead turn announcer. He called the Daytona 500 from atop the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley worked the backstretch for the Daytona 500 from a spotter's stand on the inside of the track. Kyle Rickey called the Daytona 500 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4 from the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 4. On pit road, MRN was manned by lead pit reporter and NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley. He was joined on pit road by Steve Post, Kim Coon and Alex Hayden.

 **Lead announcer:** Joe Moore**Announcer:** Jeff Striegle**Announcer:** Rusty Wallace | **Turns 1 & 2:** Dave Moody**Backstretch:** Mike Bagley**Turns 3 & 4:** Kyle Rickey | Alex HaydenWinston KelleyKim CoonSteve Post

## Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Manufacturers' Championship standings

* **Note**: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.

## Notes

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