The 2018 South Point 400 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on September 16, 2018 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas. Contested over 272 laps – extended from 267 laps due to an overtime finish – on the asphalt intermediate speedway, it was the 27th race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, and the opening race of the Playoffs (and its initial Round of 16).
Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski won his 3rd consecutive race to advance to the Round of 12, taking the lead from Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) on lap 251, recording Team Penske's 500th victory across their auto racing endeavors.
Report
Background
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada outside the Las Vegas city limits and about northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Entry list Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Landon Cassill (i) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 15 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Daniel Suárez Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 24 William Byron (R) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Matt DiBenedetto Go Fas Racing Ford 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Bubba Wallace (R) Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 72 Corey LaJoie TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Regan Smith Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet 96 Jeffrey Earnhardt Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 99 Kyle Weatherman StarCom Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list
First practice Joey Logano was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.473 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 28.473 189.653 2 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 28.502 189.460 3 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 28.592 188.864Official first practice results
Qualifying
Erik Jones scored the pole for the race with a time of 28.705 and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 120 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.766 28.737 28.705 222 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 28.617 28.751 28.708 311 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.907 28.775 28.781 418 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.155 28.892 28.815 54 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas RacingFord 28.605 28.749 28.816 612 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 28.752 28.904 28.864 79 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.098 28.865 28.918 841 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas RacingFord 28.831 28.935 28.957 988 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 28.684 28.915 28.974 1078 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 29.072 28.891 29.017 1142 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 28.725 28.846 29.040 121 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 29.025 28.931 29.488 132 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 28.802 28.936 — 1417 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 29.034 28.939 — 1514 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 28.729 28.942 — 1610 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 28.735 28.947 — 1748 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 28.784 28.953 — 183 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 28.824 28.957 — 1919 Daniel Suárez Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.995 28.962 — 2021 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 28.866 28.965 — 2124 William Byron (R) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 28.830 28.970 — 2231 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 28.889 29.054 — 236 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 28.933 29.088 — 2434 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 29.120 29.203 — 2595 Regan Smith Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet 29.160 — — 2632 Matt DiBenedetto Go Fas Racing Ford 29.199 — — 2738 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 29.233 — — 2837 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 29.243 — — 2947 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 29.252 — — 3013 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 29.311 — — 3143 Bubba Wallace (R) Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 29.538 — — 3272 Corey LaJoie TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet 29.890 — — 3399 Kyle Weatherman StarCom Racing Chevrolet 29.903 — — 3415 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 29.944 — — 3596 Jeffrey Earnhardt Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 30.004 — — 3623 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 30.095 — — 3700 Landon Cassill (i) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 30.289 — — 3851 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 30.416 — — 3966 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 30.667 — — 407 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 — —Official qualifying results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice Ryan Newman was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 29.365 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.365 183.892 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 29.465 183.268 3 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 29.477 183.194Official second practice results
Final practice Erik Jones was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.793 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.793 181.251 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 29.795 181.238 3 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.801 181.202Official final practice results
Race
Having started from pole position, Erik Jones ceded the lead on the opening lap to Joey Logano, who led the race up until the opening set of pit stops, which were conducted under green flag conditions. Kevin Harvick took the lead following the end of the pit stop cycle, but was surpassed by Martin Truex Jr. on lap 59, who ultimately went on to win the first stage ahead of Harvick and Alex Bowman. Following a restart at the end of lap 87, the first non-stage yellow flag was thrown on lap 90, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall in turn 3 which resulted in debris on track. Truex Jr. maintained the lead until the next caution period, at lap 112, when Ty Dillon suffered a tire failure on the frontstretch. Brad Keselowski moved ahead of Truex Jr. during the pit stop cycle, leading to the restart on lap 116, before Truex Jr. re-assumed the lead on lap 125. The race's fourth caution period occurred on lap 148, when Harvick's car suffered a right front blowout and went into the wall, with Jones collecting Harvick; both drivers retired from the race as a result. Keselowski retook the lead during the pit stop cycle, and ultimately won the second stage ahead of Kurt Busch and Truex Jr. after a five-lap run to the end of the stage.
Jamie McMurray led the field at the start of the final stage, having not pitted, but was overtaken by Kyle Larson upon the restart. Larson and Keselowski traded the lead over the next portion of the race, which included a caution period at lap 184 for rookie William Byron, who hit the wall in turn 3 after suffering a flat tire. Truex Jr. regained the lead on lap 202 before the next yellow flag period on lap 212, when McMurray's car spun following a failed tire, and in the process, collected the car of Chase Elliott, with both drivers forced out of the race. After Keselowski took the lead during the pit stops, Logano led at the restart on lap 222, holding the lead to the next caution period on lap 234, when Kyle Busch's car got loose coming out of turn 4 and spun down to the frontstretch grass. Keselowski jumped Logano and Truex Jr. during the pit stops before Larson cleared them all on the restart at the start of lap 238 to take the lead, before Denny Hamlin caused the next caution on lap 247, with a similar crash to Kyle Busch and forcing his retirement from the race. Keselowski gained the lead from Larson upon the restart, before another caution on lap 253, when Stenhouse Jr. got loose on the exit of turn 2 and A. J. Allmendinger made contact which saw Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall on the inside of the backstretch. Following further tire problems for Bowman and Jimmie Johnson on the next restart, the yellow flag was flown with six laps to go. Following the restart at the start of lap 266, and as the leaders were rounding turn 4 at the end of the lap, contact between Front Row Motorsports teammates David Ragan and Michael McDowell resulted in them both hitting the wall, and also collecting Ross Chastain, Matt DiBenedetto and Kurt Busch. After a red flag period of 10 minutes, racing ultimately resumed for a green–white–checkered finish, with Keselowski ultimately prevailing for his 3rd consecutive victory and Team Penske's 500th overall.
Stage results
Stage 1 Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 102 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 93 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 84 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 75 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 48 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 210 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage one results
Stage 2 Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 102 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 93 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 84 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 66 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 57 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 39 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final stage results
Stage 3 Laps: 107