| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 19 of 33 of the2018 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 | ||
| Course length | 0.875 miles (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 withBiagi-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 | ||
The2018 U.S. Cellular 250 presented by The Rasmussen Group was the 19thstock car race of the2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 10th iteration of theevent. The race was held on Saturday, July 28, 2018, inNewton, Iowa atIowa 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 aNASCAR overtime finish. At race's end,Christopher Bell ofJoe Gibbs Racing would battle and hold offJR Motorsports driverJustin Allgaier in an overtime restart to win his fifth careerNASCAR Xfinity Series win, his fourth of the season, and his third consecutive win in the series, a feat that was last accomplished byDale Earnhardt Jr. in 2018.[1] To fill out the podium,Kyle Benjamin ofJoe Gibbs Racing would finish third.
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile (1.4 km) pavedoval motor racing track inNewton, Iowa,United States, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east ofDes Moines. The track was designed with influence fromRusty Wallace and patterned afterRichmond Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful. It has over 25,000 permanent seats as well as a unique multi-tieredRecreational Vehicle viewing area along the backstretch.
The first practice session was held on Friday, July 27, at 4:05 PMCST, and would last for 50 minutes.[2]Elliott Sadler ofJR 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 | ||||||
The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, July 27, at 6:05 PMCST, and would last for 50 minutes.[2]Casey Roderick ofGMS 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 was held on Saturday, July 28, at 4:20 PMCST.[2] SinceIowa 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 ofJR 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.
Stage 1 Laps: 60
Stage 2 Laps: 60
Stage 3 Laps: 137
| Previous race: 2018 Lakes Region 200 | NASCAR Xfinity Series 2018 season | Next race: 2018 Zippo 200 at The Glen |