The 2018 PowerShares QQQ 300 was the 1st stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 37th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, February 17, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race was extended from the scheduled 120 laps to 143 laps due to five NASCAR overtime attempts. At race's end, Tyler Reddick of JR Motorsports would best out teammate Elliott Sadler in the closest finish in NASCAR history, beating Sadler out by only 0.0004 seconds. To fill out the podium, Ryan Reed of Roush Fenway Racing would finish 3rd.

Background

Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. 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 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.

Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0 Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Tape00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHaas CNC1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletOneMain Financial "Lending Done Human"01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Glue2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletNexteer3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevroletCabela's, Bass Pro Shops4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Seal5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletPilot Flying J7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture8Caesar BacarellaB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyotaAlpha Prime Regimen9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletBurgerFi11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletBar Harbor15Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevroletD. A. B. Constructors, Inc., Fleetwing16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaInterstate Batteries19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaJuniper Networks20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFordFitzgerald Glider Kits23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air24Kaz GralaJGL RacingFordNettts25Chris CockrumChris Cockrum RacingChevroletAdvanced Communications Group28Dylan LuptonJGL RacingFordThinQ Technology Partners35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletSparks Energy36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletWholey's, Can-Am38Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletNight Owl Contractors39J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevroletSuperior Essex40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevroletDC Solar45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairableVehicles.com52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletWhataburger54Gray GauldingNXT MotorsportsToyotaEarthwater, VS1 Racing55Stephen LeichtJP MotorsportsToyotaJani-King "The King of Clean"60Austin CindricRoush Fenway RacingFordPirtek66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyotaCrashClaimsR.Us74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodgeShadow Warriors Project76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78Ryan EllisB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyotaDensify86Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevroletCONO.io, Coastal Carolina University88Chase ElliottJR MotorsportsChevroletHellmann's89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV Motorhome Parts, Racing with Jesus90Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevroletStar Tron, Sleep Well Sleep Disorder Specialists93Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletCode Rum "Keep To The Code."98Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordDenBeste Water Solutions, Smithfield99Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyotaAmerica's Donuts, ZomongoOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice First practice was held on Friday, February 16, at 12:05 PM EST. Tyler Reddick of JR Motorsports would set the fastest lap, with a 45.874 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed19Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet45.874196.190218Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyota45.927195.963323Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet45.973195.767Full first practice results

Second practice The second and final practice was held on Friday, February 16, at 2:05 PM EST. Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest lap, with a 47.041 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed121Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.041191.32223Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.044191.31031Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet47.231190.553Full final practice results

Qualifying Qualifying would take place on Saturday, February 17, at 9:35 AM EST. Since Daytona International Speedway is at least , 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.

Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing would advance from Round 1 and set the fastest lap in Round 2, with a time of 47.541 and an average speed of , winning the pole for the race.

The drivers that would fail to qualify would consist of: Ray Black Jr., Chris Cockrum, Timmy Hill, Morgan Shepherd, Josh Bilicki, and Mike Harmon. Originally, Timmy Hill was slated to qualify for the race after qualifying on owner's points, supposed to be starting in 36th. However, the times of Matt Tifft and Josh Williams were both disallowed after they both failed post-qualifying inspection. This would allow Gray Gaulding, previously a non-qualifier, to make the race and bump Hill out of the race.

Full starting lineup Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)121Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.672188.79047.541189.310242Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet47.839188.13147.624188.980322Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord47.789188.32847.808188.253423Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet47.914187.83747.839188.13157Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet47.931187.77047.843188.115611Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet47.976187.59447.846188.10375Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet47.926187.79047.857188.060888Chase ElliottJR MotorsportsChevrolet48.212186.67648.117187.04499Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet48.148186.92448.143186.9431060Austin CindricRoush Fenway RacingFord48.149186.92048.188186.768111Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet48.044187.328——1298Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord48.242186.559——Eliminated in Round 11320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota48.294186.359——1400Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord48.328186.227——1516Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord48.410185.912——1615Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevrolet48.450185.759——1718Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyota48.457185.732——1819Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota48.459185.724——1935Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet48.594185.208——2028Dylan LuptonJGL RacingFord48.710184.767——2193Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet48.723184.718——2236Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet48.738184.661——234Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet48.799184.430——2451Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet48.826184.328——250Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet48.861184.196——2601Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet49.016183.614——2724Kaz GralaJGL RacingFord49.081183.370——2886Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet49.108183.270——2978Ryan EllisB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota49.116183.240——308Caesar BacarellaB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota49.224182.838——3138Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet49.227182.826——3252David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet49.327182.456——3354Gray GauldingNXT MotorsportsToyota49.453181.991——Qualified by owner's points3476Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet49.505181.800——3555Stephen LeichtJP MotorsportsToyota50.192179.311——3640Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota51.453174.917——3739J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet51.660174.216——383Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet————Qualified by time392Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.708*188.648*47.640*188.917*4090Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet48.937*183.910*——Failed to qualify4199Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota49.467181.939——4225Chris CockrumChris Cockrum RacingChevrolet49.475181.910——4366Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota49.511181.778——4489Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet49.805180.705——4545Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota50.681177.581——4674Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup *Times disallowed after Tifft and Williams both failed post-qualifying inspection.

Race results Stage 1 Laps: 30 Fin#DriverTeamMakePts142Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet0222Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord037Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet849Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet751Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet6621Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet575Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet4818Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyota0923Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet21000Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord1 Stage 2 Laps: 30 Fin#DriverTeamMakePts188Chase ElliottJR MotorsportsChevrolet0298Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord0342Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet0418Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyota0523Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet6611Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet573Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet089Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet3921Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2107Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 83