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The2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was the 70th season ofNASCAR professionalstock car racing in theUnited States, and the 47th modern-era Cup series season. The season began atDaytona International Speedway with theAdvance Auto Parts Clash, theCan-Am Duel qualifying races and the 60th running of theDaytona 500. The regular season ended with theBrickyard 400 on September 9, 2018. The playoffs ended with theFord EcoBoost 400 atHomestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2018.Martin Truex Jr. was the defending champion, having won his first in the series.

The 2018 season was the fourth of a 10-year television contract withFox Sports andNBC Sports and the third of a five-year race sanctioning agreement with all tracks.^[1][2] It was the first season to feature the Regular Season Championship trophy, which is awarded at the final race before theplayoffs.^[3]Kyle Busch clinched the MENCS Regular Season Championship trophy at the end of Stage 2 of the2018 Brickyard 400.^[4]

The season marked the debut of theChevrolet Camaro ZL1, which replaced the outgoingChevrolet SS and became the first coupe-based Chevrolet stock car since theMonte Carlo SS was discontinued in 2007. This was also the last season forKasey Kahne, who announced his intention to retire from racing at the end of the season and was forced to step away in early October 2018 after not being medically cleared to continue,^[5] as well asBK Racing who sold its equipment toFront Row Motorsports,^[6] andFurniture Row Racing, which ceased operations after 2018.^[7] It was also the final season Ford fielded theFusion, replacing it with theFord Mustang in 2019.^[8]

Joey Logano, driving forTeam Penske in aFord won the championship, after defeatingMartin Truex Jr.,Kevin Harvick andKyle Busch in a 1–2–3–4 finish for the "Championship 4" at thefinal round atHomestead. Logano won three races during the course of the season, having also won the spring race atTalladega and the fall race atMartinsville.Austin Dillon was theDaytona 500 winner. Kyle Busch and Harvick won the most races with eight each, withDenny Hamlin and seven-time series championJimmie Johnson concluding their first winless seasons in full-time Cup competition. The 2018 season also marked the fifteenth consecutive and final time that Johnson made the playoffs since its inception in2004.Erik Jones andChase Elliott won their first career victories andWilliam Byron became Rookie of the Year.

^{[citation needed]}

• Team Penske would expand to a three-car team with the addition ofRyan Blaney in the No. 12, previously withWood Brothers Racing in the No. 21 in 2017.^[11]
• On August 29, 2017,Hendrick Motorsports announced that the No. 24 team driven byChase Elliott would be changing to the No. 9 team, while the No. 5 would become the new No. 24 team to be driven by rookieWilliam Byron.Alan Gustafson would remain as Elliott's crew chief whileDarian Grubb would work with William Byron.^[12]
• Furniture Row Racing would downsize from a two car team to a one car team, shutting down the No. 77 team as sponsor5-hour Energy moved to the No. 78 team.^[13]
• On September 25, 2017, it was announced that a newChevrolet team,StarCom Racing, would open and run the No. 00 car full-time, with driverDerrike Cope, moving fromPremium 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 was also guaranteed to run every race as they had leased a charter from the now shutteredRichard Childress Racing No. 27 team. Cope would 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, Richmond and possibly the rest of the season.Joey Gase was later announced as the driver for Talladega androad course ringerTomy Drissi was announced as the driver for Sonoma. The No. 99 would debut with Cope at the first Dover race of the season.^[14]
• On November 14, 2017,JTG Daugherty Racing announced that they would switch their technical alliance from Richard Childress Racing to Hendrick Motorsports in the 2018 season.^[15]
• On November 22, 2017,Rick Ware Racing announced an expansion from a 30-race open team to one full-time team forRay Black Jr. and one part-time team forCody Ware,Kyle Weatherman,B. J. McLeod andJohn Graham. However, before the season began, the deal with Black fell through, but Black will still drive the No. 51 at Daytona in July. RWR has fielded the No. 51 for Black,Justin Marks,Cole Custer,Harrison Rhodes,Timmy Hill, Cody Ware, B.J. McLeod, andChris Cook. The No. 52 would make its debut at Sonoma with Cody Ware.^[16]
• On December 7, 2017, after it was announced thatRichard Petty Motorsports would be switching manufacturers fromFord to Chevrolet, RPM also announced that in 2018 they would have a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.^[17]
• On December 12, 2017, it was announced thatCircle Sport Racing andThe Motorsports Group, who became one team in 2017, parted ways.^[18] 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.^[19] Both teams will have different drivers and sponsors.^{[citation needed]}
• On January 3, 2018, it was announced that Team Penske had purchased a charter fromRoush Fenway Racing in order to field the No. 12 car for Ryan Blaney full-time in 2018. The charter had been leased to JTG Daugherty Racing to field the No. 37 forChris Buescher in 2017, and had previously been used for the No. 16 ofGreg Biffle in 2016.^[20]
• On January 17, 2018, it was announced thatRBR Enterprises would join the Cup series and would field the No. 92 Ford to attempt the Daytona 500 withDavid Gilliland behind the wheel. The team spent the past eight seasons competing 79 races in the Truck series.^[21]
• On January 22, 2018, it was announced thatGaunt Brothers Racing would return to the Daytona 500 withD. J. Kennington driving the No. 96Toyota.^[22] The team entered the spring ISM Raceway race, which would be their first appearance on a non-restrictor track.^{[citation needed]}
• On January 23, 2018, Richard Childress Racing announced that it would downsize to two full-time teams and one part-time team for 2018. The No. 27 team would be renumbered as the No. 8 and it would run two races withDaniel Hemric.^[23]
• On April 25, 2018, Roush Fenway Racing announced thatMatt Kenseth would reunite with RFR and would share the No. 6 car withTrevor Bayne for the 2018 season.^[24]
• On August 5, 2018,Leavine Family Racing announced that its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing would end after the 2018 season.^[25]
• On August 23, 2018,Front Row Motorsports purchased majority of the assets of the bankruptBK Racing for $2.08 million, outbiddingGMS Racing's offer of $1.8 million. In addition, the trustee of BK Racing sold some secondary assets toObaika Racing for $265,000 and a tractor to Rick Ware Racing to $35,000.^[6]
• On September 4, 2018, it was announced that Furniture Row Racing would cease operations after the 2018 season, making defending championMartin Truex Jr. a free agent for 2019.^[7]
• On September 12, 2018, NASCAR collaborated with theRace Team Alliance andTwitter to unveil customizedhashtags andemojis for the top 16 drivers entering the playoffs. Each driver would have their hashtag and emoji displayed on the sides of their cars until they were eliminated from contention. Non-playoff drivers could have their hashtags and the Twitter logo displayed on their cars.^[26] This was in effect until the2018 Hollywood Casino 400. From the2018 First Data 500 to the2018 Can-Am 500, all hashtag and emoji labels were replaced with theNBC logo. On November 12, 2018, NASCAR partnered withSnapchat to have all cars sport Snapcodes at the season-ending2018 Ford EcoBoost 400.^[27]
• On October 5, 2018, Obaika Racing announced that they would attempt their first ever MENCS race atTalladega Superspeedway, fielding the No. 97 Space GrillToyota Camry for the2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 withDavid Starr.^[28][29][30] The team ultimately failed to qualify in the race, but made the field with Starr in their second attempt at thefall Texas race.^{[citation needed]}

• On April 25, 2017,Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced that he would retire from full-time racing.^[31] On July 20, 2017,Alex Bowman was announced as his full-time replacement.^[32]
• On July 11, 2017, it was announced thatErik Jones would be replacingMatt Kenseth in the No. 20 car forJoe Gibbs Racing.^[33] On November 4, 2017, Kenseth announced he would be stepping away from full-time racing and would not compete in any 2018 events, but on April 25, 2018, it was announced that Kenseth would drive the No. 6 part-time along withTrevor Bayne forRoush Fenway Racing.^[24]
• On July 26, 2017, it was announced thatPaul Menard would replaceRyan Blaney in the No. 21 car forWood Brothers Racing.^[34]
• On August 1, 2017, it was announced thatKurt Busch would become a free agent after driving the No. 41 car forStewart–Haas Racing. However, on December 11, 2017, it was announced that Busch had re-signed with Stewart–Haas Racing on a 1-year deal.^[35]
• On August 7, 2017, it was announced thatKasey Kahne would be leaving the No. 5Hendrick Motorsports car at the end of 2017. On August 8, 2017, it was announced thatWilliam Byron would be his full-time replacement in the renumbered No. 24 car and would run for Rookie of the Year honors. On September 19, 2017, it was announced that Kahne would be driving the No. 95Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 forLeavine Family Racing, replacingMichael McDowell.^[36]
• On September 12, 2017,Danica Patrick announced that she would not be returning toStewart–Haas Racing in 2018.^[37] Later that day, Richard Petty Motorsports announced thatAric Almirola would not be returning to the No. 43 team in 2018. On October 25, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced thatBubba Wallace would drive the No. 43 and compete for Rookie of the Year Honors. In 2017, Wallace Jr. was going to run the fullNASCAR Xfinity Series schedule driving the No. 6Ford Mustang GT 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 GT forBiagi-DenBeste Racing in the Xfinity Series at Chicago, and the No. 99Chevrolet Silverado forMDM Motorsports in theNASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Michigan.^[38]
• On September 25, 2017,Derrike Cope announced he would leave the No. 55 car ofPremium Motorsports to drive the new No. 99 forStarCom Racing. Cope also serves as Team Manager, and the No. 00 team will run the full schedule after securing a charter andLandon Cassill will drive the majority of the schedule.^[14]
• On October 10, 2017,Front Row Motorsports announced that Landon Cassill would not return to drive the team's No. 34 entry in 2018. On December 14, 2017, it was confirmed that Michael McDowell would drive full-time in the No. 34, andDavid Ragan would return to FRM in the No. 38.^[39]
• On November 8, 2017, Stewart–Haas Racing announced thatAric Almirola would take over the No. 10 Ford full-time in 2018, replacingDanica Patrick.^[40]
• On November 15, 2017,Danica Patrick announced that she would be retiring from auto racing. She spoke of plans to race in the2018 Daytona 500 (NASCAR) and the2018 Indy 500 (IndyCar) before retiring.^[41]
• On November 22, 2017, it was announced thatRay Black Jr. would compete full-time and challenge forRookie of the Year withRick 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 driversCody Ware,Kyle Weatherman,B. J. McLeod andJohn Graham.^[42] However, in early February, it was announced thatJustin Marks would drive the No. 51 in the Daytona 500, even thoughRay Black Jr. was announced as the full-time driver. It was rumored that the deal fell through. Marks, Black,Cole Custer,Harrison Rhodes,Timmy Hill, Cody Ware, B.J. McLeod, andChris Cook all made starts in the car. The No. 52 would make its debut at Sonoma with Cody Ware.^{[citation needed]}
• On January 30, 2018, StarCom Racing signedJeffrey Earnhardt to drive its chartered No. 00 Chevrolet for the season. Earnhardt would replace Derrike Cope, who would remain as team manager and would also drive a second car for the team later in the year. Earnhardt previously drove forCircle 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 androad course ringerTomy Drissi was announced as the driver for Sonoma.^[43]
• On February 5, 2018,TriStar Motorsports announced thatCorey LaJoie would split the chartered No. 72 team withCole Whitt, with sponsorship from Schluter Systems. LaJoie previously drove forBK Racing's Nos. 23 and 83 in most of the races in 2017.^[44]
• On March 20, 2018,Richard Childress Racing announced thatDaniel Hemric would drive a part-time No. 8 car in the Cup Series during theRichmond spring race and the during the playoffs on the new Charlotte "Roval" course.^[45]
• On August 16, 2018, Kasey Kahne announced his retirement from full-time racing following the 2018 season.^[46] After suffering from heat exhaustion at the2018 Bojangles' Southern 500, Kahne was replaced byRegan Smith as the Leavine Family Racing No. 95 driver at the2018 Brickyard 400.^[47] On October 9, 2018, Kahne announced that he would not continue racing for the rest of the 2018 season.^[48]

• Jeremy Bullins would move over from the No. 21Wood Brothers Racing team to the new No. 12Team Penske team to continue to be Ryan Blaney's crew chief.^[49]
• Greg Erwin would move from the No. 22Team Penske team in theNASCAR Xfinity Series to the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team to be Paul Menard's crew chief.^[50]
• Travis Mack would move from being the car chief for the No. 88Hendrick Motorsports team to the No. 95Leavine Family Racing team to be Kasey Kahne's crew chief. After Michigan in June, Mack was removed and replaced by Jon Leonard in the short term.^[51]
• Championship winning crew chiefDarian Grubb would be the crew chief for the No. 24Hendrick Motorsports team andWilliam Byron. In 2017, Grubb was the crew chief forKasey Kahne in the final 9 races of the season after Keith Rodden left as the crew chief role.^[49]
• Bootie Barker would leave the No. 13 team at the end of the 2017 season. On November 27, 2017,Germain Racing announced that Matt Borland would move over from the No. 27Richard Childress Racing team to be the crew chief forTy Dillon.
• Jason Ratcliff would move over from the No. 20Joe Gibbs Racing team to the No. 20 JGR team in theNASCAR Xfinity Series to be the crew chief forChristopher Bell. Chris Gayle would move over from the shut down No. 77Furniture Row Racing team to continue to be Erik Jones' crew chief.^[49]
• Eddie Pardue would 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.^{[citation needed]}
• On December 15, 2017,Tony Gibson announced his retirement. Johnny Klausmeier, who served as car chief on the No. 41 team, would be the crew chief forAric Almirola, whileBilly Scott would move from the No. 10 team to the No. 41 to be crew chief forKurt Busch.^[49]
• On February 27, 2018, Go Fas Racing announced Randy Cox would take over crew chief duties for the No. 32 team, replacing Gene Nead.^[49]
• On October 9, 2018, Joe Gibbs Racing announced thatDave Rogers would replace Scott Graves as the crew chief of the No. 19 team.^[52]
• On November 7, 2018, NASCAR suspendedRodney Childers of theStewart–Haas Racing No. 4 team for the last two races of the season after a post-race inspection following the team's win atTexas discovered an unapproved spoiler. He was replaced by Tony Gibson for the remainder of the season.^[53]

• With the discontinuation of theSS after the 2017 model year,Chevrolet unveiled a new body style based on theCamaro ZL1.^[54][55]
• MBM Motorsports purchased an oldRichard Petty MotorsportsFord and ran it in theDaytona 500 withMark Thompson behind the wheel.^[56] MBM ranChevrolets andToyotas in 2017. MBM Motorsports would return to using Toyotas for most of the remainder of 2018 starting at Bristol withChad Finchum.^[57][58]
• After running Chevrolets for the 2017 season,Rick Ware Racing announced that they would run with all three manufacturers in 2018.^[59]
• On December 7, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that they would be switching manufacturers fromFord toChevrolet for the 2018 season. Richard Petty Motorsports ran Fords from 2010 to 2017 and last ran a General Motors car in 2000.^[17]
• BK Racing switched manufacturers from Toyota to Ford at the2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega before reverting to Toyota at the2018 Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas.^[60][61]
• This would be the final year of theFord Fusion as on April 17, 2018, Ford announced theFord Mustang as their entry in the Cup series for 2019.^[8]

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 ajersey 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.^[62][63]

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 would be 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 would be reduced from 20 to 15 minutes.^[64]

On May 16, 2018, NASCAR announced that teams would no longer need to start the race on the tires used in qualifying, due to teams that fail to pass the inspection before qualifying getting an advantage.^[65]

The final schedule – comprising 36 races, as well as exhibition races, which are theAdvance Auto Parts Clash,Can-Am Duel qualifying duel races for theDaytona 500 and theAll-Star Race – was released on May 23, 2017.^[66]Key changes from 2017 include:

• TheDaytona 500 would be held one week earlier. As a result of this, all races from Atlanta until Talladega (spring), and also Pocono and Michigan in June would move one week earlier than 2017.
• TheToyota Owners 400 atRichmond Raceway would move from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night due to attendance issues.
• TheAAA 400 Drive for Autism would move after theGEICO 500 and before theKC Masterpiece 400. 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 onPresidents Day Weekend.
• The new date thatLas Vegas Motor Speedway acquired fromNew Hampshire Motor Speedway was moved to the first race of playoffs to replaceOverton's 400 atChicagoland Speedway which moved back to July before theCoke Zero Sugar 400. This meant the Coke Zero Sugar 400,Quaker State 400 andFoxwoods Resort Casino 301 would move one week later than 2017.
• TheBig Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard atIndianapolis Motor Speedway would move to September to become the final race of the regular season while theFederated Auto Parts 400 atRichmond Raceway would move to the second race in the Round of 16.
• The Bank of America 500 atCharlotte Motor Speedway would move one week earlier to become the elimination race of the Round of 16 and would utilize the track'sroad course layout instead of its quad-oval. The race's scheduled distance would also be shortened from 500 miles to 400 kilometers, resulting in a name change to theBank of America Roval 400. This meant theGander Outdoors 400 atDover International Speedway would 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 theFather's Day weekend between Michigan and Sonoma so that the Fox networks could air theU.S. Open and the2018 FIFA World Cup. The third off week would be after Bristol's August race.

Crown Jewel races inbold

In 2015, NASCAR and 23Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series tracks agreed on a five-year contract that guarantees each track would continue to host races through 2020.^[71] Despite the agreement,Speedway Motorsports decided to transfer one of its Cup Series races atNew Hampshire Motor Speedway toLas Vegas Motor Speedway to form a race weekend involving each of the three national series in the fall.^[72] On July 27, 2016,Daytona International Speedway announced that the 60th running of theDaytona 500 would be moved one week earlier to be held on February 18, 2018.^[73]

Several changes were announced with the release of the final schedule. TheBig Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard atIndianapolis Motor Speedway moved to September to become the final race of the regular season, while theFederated Auto Parts 400 atRichmond 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 replaceChicagoland Speedway, which became race 17 of the regular season.Dover International Speedway's spring race, theAAA 400 Drive for Autism, was moved one month early to precedeKansas Speedway andCharlotte Motor Speedway. The track's fall race, theGander Outdoors 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 moves one week earlier and will utilize the track'sroad course layout instead of its quad-oval; with the scheduled distance changing from 500 miles to 400 kilometers, the race will now be known as theBank of America Roval 400. With an additional off-week in the schedule for 2018, the Father's Day off-week that FOX added for theU.S. Open and the2018 FIFA World Cup will be restored, with the third off-week being after the Bristol August race.^[66][74]

Speedweeks 2018

Daytona Speedweeks started with theAdvance Auto Parts Clash.Austin Dillon drew the pole asChase Elliott andBrad Keselowski led the majority of the race.Jamie McMurray crashed andRicky Stenhouse Jr. received a penalty. Keselowski led the last half to win overJoey Logano asJimmie Johnson crashed after contact withKyle Larson with Chase Elliott,Kasey Kahne,Kyle Busch, andMartin Truex Jr. also getting involved.^[75]

In Daytona 500 qualifying,Alex Bowman won the pole whileDenny Hamlin qualified second. Bowman won the pole for his first race since taking over the No. 88 car fromDale Earnhardt Jr. full-time. This was the fourth consecutive Daytona 500 pole won byHendrick Motorsports.^[76]

In theCan-Am Duels on Thursday, Bowman was on pole for race one. In the early laps, Jimmie Johnson lost a tire and crashed along withAric Almirola. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was moving around the entire race, but got into bothWilliam Byron andDavid Gilliland, taking them out. Joey Logano led the majority of laps, but was passed for the lead byRyan Blaney as Brad Keselowski crashed with Jamie McMurray, sending the race into overtime. In overtime, Blaney held off Joey Logano andBubba Wallace to win the first Duel. In the second Duel, Hamlin was on pole. Early in the race,Erik Jones spun and collected Kyle Larson andMatt DiBenedetto. Hamlin and Chase Elliott led most of the race. Elliott led the most laps to win his second straight Duel race overKevin Harvick.^[77]

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 collectedJamie McMurray andD. J. Kennington. In the closing laps of stage one,Erik Jones spun and collectedKyle Larson,Jimmie Johnson,Daniel Suárez,William Byron, andTy Dillon asKurt Busch won stage one. In stage two, Byron got into the wall after having a tire go down.Brad Keselowski got intoChase Elliott and collected others includingDavid Ragan,Kevin Harvick,Kasey Kahne, andDanica Patrick, who finished 35th in her final NASCAR race.Ryan Blaney won stage two overJoey 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 blockAustin Dillon, but the block was late and Almirola ended up in the wall.Austin Dillon held offBubba Wallace for his second career win and winning the Daytona 500 in the No. 3 20 years afterDale Earnhardt won his only 500 in 1998.^[78]

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, andBrad Keselowski all led as Keselowski won stage two after a spin byJimmie Johnson. In the final stage, Harvick continued to dominate asDenny Hamlin andJoey 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 asBubba Wallace plowed intoRicky Stenhouse Jr. trying to avoid the smoke. Harvick continued to lead and won over Keselowski for his first win at Atlanta since2001.^[79]

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 withChase Elliott. Harvick led over 200 laps and held off a hard chargingKyle Busch for his second straight win and second at Las Vegas.^[80]

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 asPaul 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 passChase Elliott during the green flag cycle to take the lead fromRyan Newman and hold off Kyle Busch for his third consecutive win and ninth at Phoenix.^[81]

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 withKyle Larson, ending his chances for a fourth straight win. Truex was able to win the first stage and win the second stage afterTrevor Bayne got into the wall.David Ragan brought out the final caution as Truex was able to beat outKyle Busch on pit stops and pulled away from Larson to sweep all three stages to win.^[82]

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 andRyan Blaney won the second stage.Jamie McMurray spun after contact withAustin Dillon.Clint Bowyer took the lead from Blaney and dominated the remainder of the race, leading 215 laps. McMurray,Trevor Bayne, andHarrison Rhodes all had tires go down, but there was no caution. Bowyer held offKyle Busch for his first win since2012 and the fourth out of six races forStewart–Haas Racing.^[83]

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 collectedAric Almirola,Austin Dillon, andPaul Menard. At the end of the first stage,Martin Truex Jr. had a tire go down and got into the wall asKevin 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 collectedDavid Ragan,Brad Keselowski, andJimmie Johnson. Menard andRyan 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.^[84]

Round 8:Food City 500

Kyle Busch started on pole.Michael McDowell spun on the third lap and collected others includingChase Elliott andMartin Truex Jr. The race was stopped three different times due to rain and a wreck byTrevor 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 withRyan 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.^[85]

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 andClint Bowyer took turned swapping the lead. Truex regained the lead and lead a race high of 121 laps.Ryan Blaney andRicky Stenhouse Jr. got together and spun.Jamie McMurray got into the wall and made contact withRyan 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 offChase Elliott for his third straight win and fifth at Richmond.^[86]

Round 10:GEICO 500

Kevin Harvick started the race from the pole.Brad Keselowski won the first stage of the race. In the second stage,Erik Jones caused a multicar wreck that collectedJamie McMurray,Kyle Larson,Martin Truex Jr., andTrevor Bayne.Paul Menard won the second stage of the race. Numerous drivers experienced speeding penalties on pit road includingDenny Hamlin, who was caught speeding on pit road multiple times. Late in the race,Jimmie Johnson got loose in front of teammateWilliam Byron and caused a 14-car accident that also collected Keselowski, Menard,Clint Bowyer,Michael McDowell,Ryan Blaney,Bubba Wallace, andA. J. Allmendinger.Joey Logano led in the closing laps of the race and went to score his first win of the season, ending a 36 race winless streak.^[87]

Round 11:AAA 400 Drive for Autism

Kyle Larson started on pole.Michael McDowell spun andDerrike Cope crashed early asKevin Harvick won both stages.Kyle Busch went to the garage after suffering a broken driveshaft.Clint Bowyer was leading when the race was halted by a red flag due to rain. After the delay, Kevin Harvick passed Bowyer for the lead and pulled away for his second win at Dover and his fourth win of the season.^[88]

Round 12:KC Masterpiece 400

Kevin Harvick started on pole. Harvick led early, butRyan Blaney took the lead and won the first stage.Kyle Larson came from the rear of the field to dominate the race, winning the second stage.Alex Bowman andDaniel Suárez got together and both got into the wall. Larson and Blaney got into each other, putting Blaney in the wall. On the restart,William Byron had a tire go down caused a wreck featuringClint Bowyer,Ryan Newman,Ty Dillon,Jamie McMurray,Chris Buescher, andMatt Kenseth, competing in his first race of the year, bringing out the red flag. On the restart,Martin Truex Jr. pulled away from the field, but Kevin Harvick was able run down Truex to take the lead for his second consecutive win and his fifth of the season.^[89]

Exhibition:Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race

First, it was theMonster Energy Open.Aric Almirola started on pole due to qualifying being rained out. Almirola led early, butAlex Bowman took the lead and won the first stage to transfer. In the second stage,Paul Menard got into the wall.Chase Elliott had the lead, butDaniel Suárez took the lead and won the second stage to transfer.Bubba Wallace led in the final stage, but Elliott got back into the lead. Alimrola andErik Jones got into each other asA. J. Allmendinger took the lead and held off Eliott to win his second Open to transfer.^[90] Chase Eliott won the fan vote to transfer for the third straight year.^[91]

Matt Kenseth won the pole for the race.Kurt Busch spun early asKevin Harvick won the first stage andKyle Busch won the second stage. In the third stage,Kasey Kahne got into the wall.Martin Truex Jr. got intoClint Bowyer and they crashed with Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, andBrad Keselowski. Harvick got by Daniel Suárez to win the third stage. In the final 10 laps, Harvick was out front asKyle Larson spun after contact withJoey Logano. In a two lap shootout, Kevin Harvick held off Daniel Suárez for his second All-Star Race win and the $1 million.^[92]

Round 13:Coca-Cola 600

Kyle Busch started on pole. Defending winnerAustin Dillon got in the wall after having a tire go down early.Kevin Harvick got into the wall, taking him out of the race, as Busch won the first stage.William Byron had a tire go down and got into the wall.Jimmie Johnson spun after contact withDenny Hamlin and also sentJoey Logano spinning. Busch won the second stage. In the third stage,Gray Gaulding crashed andChris Buescher spun.Kyle Larson spun andRyan Blaney blew an engine and caught fire. Busch won the third stage. Kyle Busch continued to dominate and won his fourth race of the season and with the win, he became the first in history to win a race at every racetrack in the MENCS that he competed at.^[93]

Round 14:Pocono 400

Defending race winnerRyan Blaney started on pole. Blaney led early until he had a problem and had to pit.Martin Truex Jr. got the lead and won the first stage.Kevin Harvick got to the lead and dominated to win a caution free stage two. In the final stage,Matt DiBenedetto had brake issues and it caused a tire to catch fire asKasey Kahne andBubba Wallace both had transmission issues.Derrike Cope spun after contact withKyle Larson andDenny Hamlin spun and crashed into the wall after contact withAlex Bowman. On the restart,Erik Jones spun after contact withJoey Logano. On the restart, Martin Truex Jr. pulled away from Larson, Harvick, andKyle Busch to pick up his second win of the season and second at Pocono.^[94]

Round 15:FireKeepers Casino 400

Kurt Busch started on pole. The race started over two hours late due to rain.Austin Dillon andRicky Stenhouse Jr. spun after making contact with each other just as the competition caution came out.David Ragan got into the wall after contact withBubba WallaceMatt Kenseth spun at the end of the stage asRyan Blaney, who had taken the lead from Kurt Busch, won the first stage.Daniel Suárez spun after contact withPaul Menard.Kyle Larson, who won the last three Michigan races, spun into the grass, ending his changes of a fourth straight win.Kevin Harvick won the second stage over his teammates.Clint Bowyer had taken the lead from Harvick as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun as rain was reported around the track. The race was called giving Bowyer his second win of the season.^[95]

Round 16:Toyota/Save Mart 350

Kyle Larson started on pole.Erik Jones had problems early asMartin Truex Jr. led most of the first stage, but pitted allowingA. J. Allmendinger to win the stage. On the restart, Allmendinger blew an engine whileJamie McMurray went to the garage with low oil pressure.Denny Hamlin won the second stage by staying out while others pitted.Ryan Blaney had to make several stops to fix damage.Kevin Harvick had the lead late until he decided to pit in case of a late caution. Truex stayed out during green flag pit stops and won his third win of the season and second at Sonoma with a ten-second lead over Harvick.^[96]

Round 17:Overton's 400

Paul Menard started the race on pole.Clint Bowyer led early in the race before getting two speeding penalties on pit road.Aric Almirola won Stage 1 and led the most laps the race, but had to pit under green for a loose wheel.Kevin Harvick won Stage 2 of the race. Harvick would continue to lead until losing it toKyle Busch during a round of pit stops under caution. Kyle Busch continued to lead in the closing laps asKyle Larson was catching him. Larson caught up to Kyle Busch on the final lap and the two made contact twice, with Kyle Busch holding on to win the race with Larson finishing second.^[97]

Round 18:Coke Zero Sugar 400

Chase Elliott started on pole.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. dominated by winning both stages. In the second stage,Paul Menard got turned and into the grass.Brad Keselowski got turned around and collectedKurt Busch,Joey Logano,Ryan Blaney,Denny Hamlin, Elliott, and others.Kyle Busch got turned intoWilliam Byron and also involvedJamie McMurray. In the final stage,Kyle Larson got turned into Stenhouse.Jimmie Johnson was leading until he received a penalty on pit road. Stenhouse had a tire go down and spun, ending his chance of back-to-back wins. On the restart,Aric Almirola lost a wheel and crashed along withMichael McDowell and Johnson. In overtime,Kevin Harvick took the lead fromKasey Kahne, butClint Bowyer spun and collected Harvick,Brendan Gaughan, and others. On the second restart of overtime,Erik Jones drove pastMartin Truex Jr. to score his first career win and became the seventh different winner of the season.^[98]

Round 19:Quaker State 400

Martin Truex Jr. started on pole. Truex dominated by leading the most laps and winning both stages.Alex Bowman had a tire go down and got into the wall andJ. J. Yeley lost an engine. TeammatesJamie McMurray andKyle Larson suffered mechanical problems. Truex pulled away from a chargingRyan Blaney for his fourth win of the season and second straight at Kentucky.^[99]

Round 20:Foxwoods Resort Casino 301

Kurt Busch started on pole. The start of the race was delayed due to rain. Busch dominated the majority of the race.A. J. Allmendinger got into the wall, ending his day.Martin Truex Jr. took the lead after the Competition Caution and won the first stage.Chase Elliott took the lead from Truex to win the second stage.Clint Bowyer got into the wall and went to the garage.Kyle Busch had the lead late, butKevin Harvick moved Busch to take the lead and get his sixth win of the season and third at New Hampshire.^[100]

Round 21:Gander Outdoors 400

Kevin Harvick originally won the pole. Thirteen cars including Harvick failed post-qualifying inspection, disallowing their times and forcing them to start in the back, thusDaniel Suárez won the pole.Chase Elliott won the first stage while Harvick won the second stage. A few had tire problems includingKurt Busch,Joey Logano, andBrad Keselowski. Keselowski got into the wall, sending him to the garage.Bubba Wallace lost his brakes and hit the wall hard at a high speed, resulting in a red flag. On the restart,Aric Almirola spun after contact withMatt DiBenedetto, sending the race to overtime.Kyle Busch pulled away to hold off Suárez for his sixth win of the season and second at Pocono.^[101]

Round 22:Go Bowling at The Glen

Denny Hamlin started on pole.Aric Almirola got into the wall early andJoey Logano spun and went to the garage.Martin Truex Jr. won the first stage.Chase Elliott dominated the second half of the race and won the second stage.Ryan Newman spun andJimmie Johnson spun after contact withA. J. Allmendinger. Martin Truex Jr. caught Elliott, but ran out of fuel, which allowed Chase Elliott to get his first career win and the 250th win forHendrick Motorsports.^[102]

Round 23:Consumers Energy 400

Denny Hamlin started on pole for the second straight week.Erik Jones spun early andWilliam Byron spun and got into the wall along withMartin Truex Jr.Kevin Harvick dominated and won both stages. Jones spun again andTy Dillon ran over a battery and got into the wall and caught fire. Harvick took the lead fromJamie McMurray and held offBrad Keselowski for his seventh win of the season.^[103]

Round 24:Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race

Kyle Larson started on pole.Kyle Busch spun and caused a pile up on the frontstretch, includingBubba Wallace.Paul Menard got into the wall while running up front asRyan Blaney edgedKevin Harvick to win the first stage. Blaney,Joey Logano,Chase Elliott,Clint Bowyer, and others led up front. Logano won the second stage.Aric Almirola had mechanical problems that sent him to the garage.Martin Truex Jr. spun and crashed along withJ. J. Yeley after getting into Kyle Busch. Busch andBrad Keselowski had tires go down and both spun.Kurt Busch was able to take the lead from Clint Bowyer and held off Kyle Larson for his first win of the season and sixth at Bristol.^[104]

Round 25:Bojangles' Southern 500

Denny Hamlin started on pole.Jimmie Johnson had fuel pump problems, sending him to the garage.Kyle Larson dominated and won both stages and led the most laps.Clint Bowyer got into the back ofRyan Newman, who slowed down to go to pit road.William Byron had the engine blew, sending him to the garage.Brad Keselowski beat out Kyle Larson on pit road and pulled away from teammateJoey Logano for his first win of the season.^[105]

Round 26:Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard

Kyle Busch started on pole after qualifying was cancelled due to rain. The race was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain. The race had two competition cautions at the beginning due to the rain.Martin Truex Jr. was sent to the garage early after a rotor exploded causing front end damage to the car.Clint Bowyer was able to win the first stage.Bubba Wallace spun and collided withDavid Starr.A. J. Allmendinger andAlex Bowman both wrecked off turn two.Matt Kenseth was able to win the second stage. In the final stage Clint Bowyer dominated andDenny Hamlin was able to grab the lead after the final round of green flag pit stops cycled through and was heading to the win untilLandon Cassill wrecked along withJeffrey Earnhardt. On the restart,Brad Keselowski, who had fresher tires, was able to take the lead from Hamlin and hold offErik Jones for his second straight win and the first Brickyard 400 victory forRoger Penske and the first Brickyard win forFord since 1999. Kyle Busch went on to capture the Regular-Season Championship overKevin Harvick and the final two playoff spots went toJimmie Johnson and Alex Bowman.^[106]

Round 27:South Point 400

Erik Jones started on pole.Kyle Larson had to make an unscheduled pit stop early for a flat right front tire.Martin Truex Jr. would grab the first stage. In the second stage,Kevin Harvick blew a tire and slammed the wall in turn 1 collecting polesitter Jones in the process.Brad Keselowski would win the second stage. The final stage had a number of wrecks that puts some playoff drivers in jeopardy, withJamie McMurray wrecked in turn three hard collectingChase Elliott as well.Kyle Busch later spun in turn four as well asDenny Hamlin later on in the same spot, but would suffer splitter damage ending his day. A late race restart causedJimmie Johnson,Alex Bowman, andKurt Busch to suffer tire rubs after contact in the back-straightaway.Joey Logano hit the wall late in turn two to bring out a caution with just a few laps remaining for an overtime restart. Keselowski would have great restart, but a multi-car wreck in turn four involvingMichael McDowell, Kurt Busch,Matt DiBenedetto, andDavid Ragan, forcing another attempt. On the second attempt, Keselowski would go on to win the race over Larson to advance to the second round for his third win in a row as well as Team Penske's 500th win overall.^[107]

Round 28:Federated Auto Parts 400

Kevin Harvick started on pole.Denny Hamlin was spun byRicky Stenhouse Jr., but was able to save it.Martin Truex Jr. dominated and won both stages, but an uncontrolled tire sent him to the back of the field.Matt Kenseth andJeffrey Earnhardt go into each other, which sent Earnhardt in the wall.Kyle Busch was able to take the lead fromBrad Keselowski and held off Harvick to advance to the next round of the playoffs for his seventh win of the season and his 50th career win overall.^[108]

Round 29:Bank of America Roval 400

Kurt Busch started on pole.Kyle Larson won stage one whileRyan Blaney won the second stage.Austin Dillon slammed the wall twice and got sent to the garage to end his playoff hopes.Aric Almirola andChris Buescher spun andRicky Stenhouse Jr. slammed the wall. At the end, leaderBrad Keselowski lost control of his car on a restart and crashed into the wall along with Larson,Paul Menard,Kyle Busch,Daniel Hemric,Bubba Wallace, and others.Martin Truex Jr. andJimmie Johnson were racing for the win until Johnson spun in the chicane and collected Truex. Ryan Blaney snuck through to win overJamie McMurray for his second career win and advance in the playoffs. Dillon,Denny Hamlin,Erik Jones, and Johnson were eliminated.^[109]

Round 30:Gander Outdoors 400

Kyle Busch started on pole after qualifying was rained out.Jimmie Johnson had to go to the garage before the race and eventually returned to the race several laps down.Kevin Harvick took the lead and dominated, leading 286 laps and winning both stages. Harvick had trouble on pit road and fell back.Aric Almirola was heading to the win, butClint Bowyer got into the wall. Almirola wrecked on the restart along withBrad Keselowski,Alex Bowman,Ryan Blaney, andMartin Truex Jr. In overtime,Chase Elliott held offDenny Hamlin to advance to the next round with his second win of the year and the second of his career.^[110]

Round 31:1000Bulbs.com 500

Kurt Busch started on pole with allStewart–Haas Racing drivers starting first through fourth. SHR dominated the race with Busch leading the most laps and winning stage one.Jimmie Johnson spun and hit the wall andKyle Larson had a tire go down and spun.Kevin Harvick won the second stage.Jamie McMurray spun and got stuck in the grass. Late in the race,Alex Bowman got into the wall and collectedJ. J. Yeley andWilliam Byron, which sent the race to overtime. Harvick,Ryan Blaney, andBrad Keselowski ran out of fuel before the restart.Matt DiBenedetto spun and collected several cars, but the race remained green. Kurt Busch ran out of fuel and it allowed teammateAric Almirola to take the lead and hold off teammateClint Bowyer to advance in the Round of 8 for his second career win and becoming the fourth SHR driver to win during the season.^[111]

Round 32:Hollywood Casino 400

Joey Logano started on pole.Daniel Suárez got into the wall asBubba Wallace had a tire go down andWilliam Byron suffered a blown engine with Logano winning the first stage.Kevin Harvick won the second stage and was leading when he got a speeding penalty on pit road.Chase Elliott was able to hold offKyle Busch for his third win and his second in the "Round of 12".Brad Keselowski,Ryan Blaney,Kyle Larson, andAlex Bowman were eliminated from the playoffs.^[112]

Round 33:First Data 500

Kyle Busch started on pole.Jimmie Johnson spun after contact withErik Jones asDenny Hamlin won the first stage.Joey Logano dominated the race and won the second stage.William Byron was spun on pit road after contact withClint Bowyer.Kyle Larson had the engine blow andTimmy Hill had an electrical fire.Clint Bowyer made contact with Johnson and spun.Martin Truex Jr. took the lead from Logano, but Logano was able to pull the bump-and-run on Truex and held off Hamlin for his second win of the season and clinched a spot in the "Championship 4."^[113]

Round 34:AAA Texas 500

Ryan Blaney started on pole.William Byron spun after contact with teammateJimmie Johnson.Kevin Harvick dominated by leading the most laps and winning both stages.Matt DiBenedetto made contact withMartin Truex Jr. and got into the wall.Joey Gase spun and collectedDaniel Suárez, sending the race into overtime. Harvick held off Blaney to lock into the "Championship 4" for his eighth win of the season and second Playoff race at Texas.^[114] Due to an altered spoiler discovered post-race, Harvick had his win encumbered, was penalized 40 points, and was no longer locked into the Championship 4.

Round 35:Can-Am 500

Kevin Harvick started on pole. Harvick led all of the first stage until he had a flat tire and had to pit allowingChase Elliott to win the first stage.Joey Logano had a tire go down and sent him to the garage.Clint Bowyer had a tire go down and got into the wall, ending his championship hopes.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall and caught fire.Denny Hamlin got loose and collectedKurt Busch, Elliott, and others.Alex Bowman got into the wall and caught fire.Kyle Busch, who won the second stage, dominated the race and held offBrad Keselowski for his eighth win of the season and locking into the "Championship 4" along with Logano, Harvick, andMartin Truex Jr. while Elliott,Aric Almirola, Bowyer, and Kurt Busch were eliminated.^[115]

Round 36:Ford EcoBoost 400

Denny Hamlin started on pole. The Championship 4 dominated the race withKevin Harvick winning the first stage.Kyle Larson won the second stage after passing Harvick at the line. Larson got into the wall after having a tire go down.Erik Jones andChris Buescher both had flat tires, but got to pit road before a caution.Daniel Suárez got into the wall after contact withBrad Keselowski.Joey Logano, who led the most laps, took the lead fromMartin Truex Jr. and pulled away from his third win of the season and winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship.^[116]

^[117]

(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.³ – Stage 3 winner.^{[N 1]1–10} - Regular season top 10 finishers.

. – Eliminated after Round of 16. – Eliminated after Round of 12. – Eliminated after Round of 8

Notes

• 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