The 2018 U.S. Cellular 250 presented by The Rasmussen Group was the 19th stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 10th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Newton, Iowa at Iowa Speedway, a 7⁄8 mile (1.4 km) permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race was extended from its scheduled 250 laps to 257 due to a NASCAR overtime finish. At race's end, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would battle and hold off JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier in an overtime restart to win his fifth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his fourth of the season, and his third consecutive win in the series, a feat that was last accomplished by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2018.[1] To fill out the podium, Kyle Benjamin of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish third.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 19 of 33 of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | July 28, 2018 | ||
| Official name | 10th Annual U.S. Cellular 250 presented by The Rasmussen Group | ||
| Location | Newton, Iowa, Iowa Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 0.875 mi (1.408 km) | ||
| Distance | 257 laps, 224.875 mi (361.901 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 250 laps, 218.75 mi (352.044 km) | ||
| Average speed | 97.772 miles per hour (157.349 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Time | 23.576 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | |
| Laps | 104 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBCSN | ||
| Announcers | Dave Burns, Dale Jarrett | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
editIowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile (1.4 km) paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful. It has over 25,000 permanent seats as well as a unique multi-tiered Recreational Vehicle viewing area along the backstretch.
Entry list
editPractice
editFirst practice
editThe first practice session was held on Friday, July 27, at 4:05 PM CST, and would last for 50 minutes.[2] Elliott Sadler of JR Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.046 and an average speed of 130.999 miles per hour (210.822 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.046 | 130.999 |
| 2 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 24.047 | 130.993 |
| 3 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.108 | 130.662 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Second and final practice
editThe second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, July 27, at 6:05 PM CST, and would last for 50 minutes.[2] Casey Roderick of GMS Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.933 and an average speed of 131.617 miles per hour (211.817 km/h).[3]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | Casey Roderick | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 23.933 | 131.617 |
| 2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.961 | 131.464 |
| 3 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.014 | 131.173 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
editQualifying was held on Saturday, July 28, at 4:20 PM CST.[2] Since Iowa 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]
Elliott Sadler of JR Motorsports would win the pole after advancing from both preliminary rounds and setting the fastest lap in Round 3, with a time of 23.576 and an average speed of 133.610 miles per hour (215.024 km/h).[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 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.823 | 132.225 | 23.675 | 133.052 | 23.576 | 133.610 |
| 2 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 23.730 | 132.743 | 23.640 | 133.249 | 23.653 | 133.175 |
| 3 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 23.566 | 133.667 | 23.539 | 133.820 | 23.654 | 133.170 |
| 4 | 18 | Kyle Benjamin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 23.643 | 133.232 | 23.595 | 133.503 | 23.680 | 133.024 |
| 5 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.779 | 132.470 | 23.660 | 133.136 | 23.691 | 132.962 |
| 6 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 23.765 | 132.548 | 23.710 | 132.855 | 23.692 | 132.956 |
| 7 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.878 | 131.921 | 23.826 | 132.209 | 23.752 | 132.620 |
| 8 | 3 | Shane Lee | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 23.877 | 131.926 | 23.751 | 132.626 | 23.785 | 132.436 |
| 9 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 23.732 | 132.732 | 23.724 | 132.777 | 23.800 | 132.353 |
| 10 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 23.807 | 132.314 | 23.754 | 132.609 | 23.819 | 132.247 |
| 11 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 23.869 | 131.970 | 23.731 | 132.738 | 23.831 | 132.181 |
| 12 | 60 | Chase Briscoe | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 23.971 | 131.409 | 23.703 | 132.895 | 23.852 | 132.064 |
| Eliminated in Round 2 | ||||||||||
| 13 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 24.057 | 130.939 | 23.838 | 132.142 | — | — |
| 14 | 11 | Ryan Truex | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 23.737 | 132.704 | 23.864 | 131.998 | — | — |
| 15 | 23 | Casey Roderick | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 23.868 | 131.976 | 23.895 | 131.827 | — | — |
| 16 | 2 | Matt Tifft | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 23.973 | 131.398 | 23.897 | 131.816 | — | — |
| 17 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.851 | 132.070 | 23.900 | 131.799 | — | — |
| 18 | 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 23.930 | 131.634 | 23.909 | 131.750 | — | — |
| 19 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 23.964 | 131.447 | 23.944 | 131.557 | — | — |
| 20 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 23.849 | 132.081 | 24.020 | 131.141 | — | — |
| 21 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 24.045 | 131.004 | 24.062 | 130.912 | — | — |
| 22 | 35 | Joey Gase | Go Green Racing with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 24.253 | 129.881 | 24.348 | 129.374 | — | — |
| 23 | 52 | David Starr | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 24.188 | 130.230 | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.236 | 129.972 | — | — | — | — |
| Eliminated in Round 1 | ||||||||||
| 25 | 78 | Tommy Joe Martins | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.278 | 129.747 | — | — | — | — |
| 26 | 26 | Max Tullman | Tullman-Walker Racing | Ford | 24.286 | 129.704 | — | — | — | — |
| 27 | 76 | Spencer Boyd | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 24.359 | 129.316 | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | 15 | Brandon Hightower | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.400 | 129.098 | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | 40 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 24.407 | 129.061 | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | 8 | Ray Black Jr. | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.441 | 128.882 | — | — | — | — |
| 31 | 90 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 24.594 | 128.080 | — | — | — | — |
| 32 | 38 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 24.634 | 127.872 | — | — | — | — |
| 33 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Chevrolet | 24.643 | 127.825 | — | — | — | — |
| Qualified by owner's points | ||||||||||
| 34 | 01 | Vinnie Miller | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24.704 | 127.510 | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 25.039 | 125.804 | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | 55 | Peter Shepherd III | JP Motorsports | Toyota | 25.093 | 125.533 | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | 66 | Stan Mullis | MBM Motorsports | Chevrolet | 25.532 | 123.375 | — | — | — | — |
| 38 | 45 | Josh Bilicki | JP Motorsports | Toyota | 25.601 | 123.042 | — | — | — | — |
| 39 | 93 | Stephen Leicht | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Qualified on time | ||||||||||
| 40 | 92 | Dexter Bean | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 25.082 | 125.588 | — | — | — | — |
| Official qualifying results | ||||||||||
| Official starting lineup | ||||||||||
Race results
editStage 1 Laps: 60
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 18 | Kyle Benjamin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 3 | Shane Lee | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 60
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 18 | Kyle Benjamin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 137
References
edit- ^ Gray, Robert (2018-07-29). "Christopher Bell takes Iowa for third straight Xfinity win | NASCAR.com". Official Site Of NASCAR. Archived from the original on 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ a b c "2018 NASCAR XFINITY Iowa Race Page". ESPN.com. 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ a b Beaver, Dan (2018-07-27). "Xfinity practice report at Iowa". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ "NASCAR Qualifying Rules". ESPN.com. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- ^ Ryan, Nate (2018-07-28). "Elliott Sadler captures Xfinity pole position at Iowa". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ "2018 U.S. Cellular 250 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-12-27.