2018 Sparks Energy 300
Race details | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 9 of 33 of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
Date | April 28, 2018 | ||
Official name | 27th Annual Sparks Energy 300 | ||
Location | Lincoln, Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway | ||
Course | Permanent racing facility 2.66 mi (4.28 km) | ||
Distance | 115 laps, 305.9 mi (492.298 km) | ||
Scheduled Distance | 113 laps, 300.58 mi (483.736 km) | ||
Average speed | 133.258 miles per hour (214.458 km/h) | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver |
| Richard Childress Racing | |
Time | 50.559 | ||
Most laps led | |||
Driver | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | |
Laps | 39 | ||
Winner | |||
No. 23 | Spencer Gallagher | GMS Racing | |
Television in the United States | |||
Network | FOX | ||
Announcers | Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano | ||
Radio in the United States | |||
Radio | Motor Racing Network |
The 2018 Sparks Energy 300 was the ninth stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 27th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 28, 2018, in Lincoln, Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race was extended from the scheduled 113 laps to 115 due to a NASCAR overtime finish. At race's end, Spencer Gallagher of GMS Racing would make a last lap pass on Tyler Reddick and fend off the field to win a shocker, winning his first and so far final NASCAR Xfinity Series win of his career and his first and only win of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Brandon Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing and Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.
Entry list
Practice
First practice
The first practice session would occur on Friday, April 27, at 10:35 AM EST, and would last for 50 minutes.[2] Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste would set the fastest time in the session, with a time of 49.329 and an average speed of 194.125 miles per hour (312.414 km/h).[3]
Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 49.329 | 194.125 |
2 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 49.366 | 193.980 |
3 | 11 | Ryan Truex | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 49.373 | 193.952 |
Full first practice results |
Second and final practice
The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Friday, April 27, at 12:35 PM EST, and would last for 50 minutes.[2] Shane Lee of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a time of 50.953 and an average speed of 187.938 miles per hour (302.457 km/h).[3]
Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | Shane Lee | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 50.953 | 187.938 |
2 | 11 | Ryan Truex | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 51.389 | 186.343 |
3 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 51.443 | 186.148 |
Full Happy Hour practice results |
Qualifying
Qualifying would occur on Saturday, April 28, at 10:00 AM EST.[2] Since Talladega Superspeedway at least 2 miles (3.2 km), the qualifying system was a single car, single lap, two round system where in the first round, everyone would set a time to determine positions 13-40. Then, the fastest 12 qualifiers would move on to the second round to determine positions 1-12.[4]
Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 50.559 and an average speed of 189.402 miles per hour (304.813 km/h) in the second round.[5]
One driver would fail to qualify: Morgan Shepherd.
Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time (R1) | Speed (R1) | Time (R2) | Speed (R2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 50.640 | 189.100 | 50.559 | 189.402 |
2 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50.794 | 188.526 | 50.727 | 188.775 |
3 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 50.842 | 188.348 | 50.762 | 188.645 |
4 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 50.940 | 187.986 | 50.810 | 188.467 |
5 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50.848 | 188.326 | 50.814 | 188.452 |
6 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50.793 | 188.530 | 50.885 | 188.189 |
7 | 3 | Shane Lee | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 51.044 | 187.603 | 50.914 | 188.082 |
8 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 50.999 | 187.768 | 50.929 | 188.026 |
9 | 11 | Ryan Truex | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 51.039 | 187.621 | 51.030 | 187.654 |
10 | 2 | Matt Tifft | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 51.033 | 187.643 | 51.106 | 187.375 |
11 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 50.959 | 187.916 | 51.123 | 187.313 |
12 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 51.260 | 186.812 | 51.322 | 186.587 |
Eliminated in Round 1 | ||||||||
13 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 51.283 | 186.729 | — | — |
14 | 60 | Ty Majeski | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 51.309 | 186.634 | — | — |
15 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 51.322 | 186.587 | — | — |
16 | 98 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 51.341 | 186.518 | — | — |
17 | 28 | Dylan Lupton | JGL Racing | Ford | 51.411 | 186.264 | — | — |
18 | 35 | Joey Gase | Go Green Racing with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 51.452 | 186.115 | — | — |
19 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 51.549 | 185.765 | — | — |
20 | 18 | Noah Gragson | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 51.653 | 185.391 | — | — |
21 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 51.699 | 185.226 | — | — |
22 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 51.733 | 185.104 | — | — |
23 | 15 | Joe Nemechek | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.752 | 185.036 | — | — |
24 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 51.844 | 184.708 | — | — |
25 | 01 | Vinnie Miller | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.946 | 184.345 | — | — |
26 | 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.989 | 184.193 | — | — |
27 | 38 | J. J. Yeley | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 52.002 | 184.147 | — | — |
28 | 8 | Tommy Joe Martins | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Toyota | 52.036 | 184.026 | — | — |
29 | 78 | B. J. McLeod | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Toyota | 52.090 | 183.836 | — | — |
30 | 76 | Spencer Boyd | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 52.195 | 183.466 | — | — |
31 | 90 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 52.216 | 183.392 | — | — |
32 | 45 | Josh Bilicki | JP Motorsports | Toyota | 52.276 | 183.182 | — | — |
33 | 24 | Kaz Grala | JGL Racing | Ford | 52.300 | 183.098 | — | — |
Qualified by owner's points | ||||||||
34 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.353 | 182.912 | — | — |
35 | 93 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 52.359 | 182.891 | — | — |
36 | 40 | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 52.619 | 181.987 | — | — |
37 | 52 | David Starr | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 52.632 | 181.943 | — | — |
38 | 66 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 53.250 | 179.831 | — | — |
39 | 55 | Jennifer Jo Cobb | JP Motorsports | Toyota | 53.312 | 179.622 | — | — |
40 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Dodge | 53.491 | 179.021 | — | — |
Failed to qualify or withdrew | ||||||||
41 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Chevrolet | 52.504 | 182.386 | — | — |
WD | 54 | ? | NXT Motorsports | Toyota | — | — | — | — |
Official qualifying results | ||||||||
Official starting lineup |
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 25
Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 21 | Daniel Hemric | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 10 |
2 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
3 | 11 | Ryan Truex | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
4 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
5 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
6 | 2 | Matt Tifft | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
7 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 4 |
8 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
9 | 3 | Shane Lee | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
10 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 25
Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
2 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 9 |
3 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 8 |
4 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
5 | 9 | Tyler Reddick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
6 | 2 | Matt Tifft | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
7 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 4 |
8 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
9 | 35 | Joey Gase | Go Green Racing with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
10 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 65
References
- ^ Reid, Spencer (2018-04-28). "Spencer Gallagher earns first Xfinity win at Talladega". Official Site Of NASCAR. Archived from the original on 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ a b c "2018 NASCAR XFINITY Talladega Race Page". ESPN.com. 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ a b Beaver, Dan (2018-04-27). "Xfinity practice report at Talladega". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ "NASCAR Qualifying Rules". ESPN.com. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2021-11-01.
- ^ McFadin, Daniel (2018-04-28). "Daniel Hemric wins Xfinity pole at Talladega". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ "2018 Sparks Energy 300 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
Previous race: 2018 ToyotaCare 250 | NASCAR Xfinity Series 2018 season | Next race: 2018 OneMain Financial 200 |
- v
- t
- e
- Fox (2001–present)
- Fox Sports 1 (2013–present)
- FX (2001–2006)
- Fox Sports Net (2001–2002)
- Fox Sports 2 (2015–present)
- Fox News Channel (2015 Kansas pre-race only)
- Fox Business Network (2016 Eldora Dirt Derby only)
- FXX (2017)
programs
commentators
Play-by-play announcers |
|
---|---|
Color commentators |
|
Pit reporters |
|
Pre-race show |
|
Spanish |
|
Other commentators |
|
commentators
- Dick Berggren (2001–2012)
- Steve Byrnes (2001–2015)
- Mark Garrow (2001–2006)
- Darrell Waltrip (2001–2019)
- Matt Yocum (2001–2020)
- Jeanne Zelasko (2001–2006)
- Chad Little (2002–2006)
- Rick Allen (2003–2014)
- Ray Dunlap (2003–2016)
- Hank Parker Jr. (2003–2006)
- Krista Voda (2007–2014)
- Kenny Wallace (2007–2018)
- Danielle Trotta (2010–2016)
- Hermie Sadler (2011–2019)
- John Roberts (2014–2018)
- Alan Cavanna (2015–2020)
- Andrew Doud (2015–2016)
- Chris Neville (2015–2017)
- Ralph Sheheen (2015)
- Brian Till (2015)
- Vince Welch (2015–2022)
- Jeff Gordon (2016–2021)
- Kevin Lee (2017–2018)
- Kim Coon (2019)
- Ricky Craven (2019–2020)
- Lindsay Czarniak (2019–2020)
- Dave Rieff (2019–2020)
- Sara Walsh (2019)
- Dillon Welch (2019)
- Katie Osborne (2020–2022)
- Glenn Jarrett
- Randy LaJoie
- Rick Mast
- Jim Tretow