| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 16 of 33 of the2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | July 6, 2018 | ||
| Official name | 17th Annual Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 | ||
| Location | Daytona Beach, Florida,Daytona International Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | ||
| Distance | 105 laps, 262.5 mi (422.452 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 100 laps, 500 mi (402.336 km) | ||
| Average speed | 129.541 miles per hour (208.476 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | Set by 2018 owner's points | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | |
| Laps | 40 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBCSN | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen,Jeff Burton,Steve Letarte,Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The2018 Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 was the 16thstock car race of the2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and the 17th iteration of theevent. The race was held on Friday, July 6, 2018, inDaytona Beach, Florida atDaytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race was extended from its scheduled 100 laps to 105 due to aNASCAR overtime finish. At race's end, a close, but controversial finish would seeChip Ganassi Racing driverKyle Larson win his 11th careerNASCAR Xfinity Series win and his third of his part-time season.[1] To fill out the podium,Elliott Sadler ofJR Motorsports andChristopher Bell ofJoe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
In a controversial ruling,GMS Racing driverJustin Haley, who had initially won the race was instead disqualified from his win due to him passing Larson below the yellow line, moving him to the last position on the lead lap, which was 18th.[2]
Daytona International Speedway is one of threesuperspeedways to holdNASCAR races, the other two beingIndianapolis Motor Speedway andTalladega Superspeedway.[3] 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 31degrees, while thefront stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.[4]
*Withdrew.[5]
The first practice session was held on Thursday, July 5, at 1:05 PMEST, and would last for 50 minutes.[6]Ryan Reed ofRoush Fenway Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 45.885 and an average speed of 196.143 miles per hour (315.662 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 45.885 | 196.143 |
| 2 | 24 | Justin Haley | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 45.949 | 195.869 |
| 3 | 11 | Ryan Truex | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 45.958 | 195.831 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Thursday, July 5, at 3:05 PMEST, and would last for 50 minutes.[6]Chad Finchum ofMBM Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.500 and an average speed of 185.567 miles per hour (298.641 km/h).[7]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 48.500 | 185.567 |
| 2 | 66 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 48.507 | 185.540 |
| 3 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 48.676 | 184.896 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | ||||||
Qualifying was originally going to be held on Friday, July 6, at 2:10 PMEST.[6] However, rain would cancel the qualifying session, forcingNASCAR to resort to the rulebook to set up the lineup, using the current 2018 owner's points. As a result,Ryan Preece ofJoe Gibbs Racing won the pole.[8]
Stage 1 Laps: 30
Stage 2 Laps: 30
Stage 3 Laps: 45
| Previous race: 2018 Overton's 300 | NASCAR Xfinity Series 2018 season | Next race: 2018 Alsco 300 (Kentucky) |