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. 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 #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletFAME USA00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHaas Automation1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletOneMain Financial "Lending Done Human"01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletJAS Expedited Trucking2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletKC Motorgroup3Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevroletChildress Vineyards4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Seal5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletPilot Flying J7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletTradeMark Nitrogen8Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletArmour Chili11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletBar Harbor15Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevroletFleetwing16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaSwitch "Motivated By Invention. Driven By Perfection."19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaXYO Network20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordFitzgerald Glider Kits23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air24Kaz GralaJGL RacingFordNettts28Dylan LuptonJGL RacingFordThinQ Technology Partners35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletSparks Energy, Donate Life Alabama36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletWholey's, Can-Am38J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevroletJosh Roberts Trucking39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletAlabama Soda & Abrasive Blasting40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevroletFire Alarm Services45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairableVehicles.com52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletWhataburger54?*NXT MotorsportsToyotaVS1 Racing55Jennifer Jo CobbJP MotorsportsToyotaJani-King "The King of Clean", Swampdaddy Crawfish60Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFordFord66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyotaCrashClaimsR.Us, VS1 Racing74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodgeShadow Warriors Project, Horizon Transport76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV90Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevroletSleep Well Sleep Disorder Specialists, StarTron93Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletC2 Freight Resources98Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordFordOfficial 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. 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 . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed100Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord49.329194.125223Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet49.366193.980311Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet49.373193.952Full 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. 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 . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed13Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50.953187.938211Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet51.389186.343316Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord51.443186.148Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying would occur on Saturday, April 28, at 10:00 AM EST. Since Talladega Superspeedway 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 win the pole, setting a time of 50.559 and an average speed of in the second round.

One driver would fail to qualify: Morgan Shepherd. Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)121Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50.640189.10050.559189.40221Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet50.794188.52650.727188.775323Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet50.842188.34850.762188.645442John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet50.940187.98650.810188.46755Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet50.848188.32650.814188.45267Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet50.793188.53050.885188.18973Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet51.044187.60350.914188.08289Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet50.999187.76850.929188.026911Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet51.039187.62151.030187.654102Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet51.033187.64351.106187.3751122Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord50.959187.91651.123187.3131200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord51.260186.81251.322186.587Eliminated in Round 11320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota51.283186.729——1460Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFord51.309186.634——1519Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota51.322186.587——1698Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord51.341186.518——1728Dylan LuptonJGL RacingFord51.411186.264——1835Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet51.452186.115——1916Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord51.549185.765——2018Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota51.653185.391——2136Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet51.699185.226——2239Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet51.733185.104——2315Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevrolet51.752185.036——2451Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet51.844184.708——2501Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet51.946184.345——264Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet51.989184.193——2738J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet52.002184.147——288Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota52.036184.026——2978B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota52.090183.836——3076Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet52.195183.466——3190Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet52.216183.392——3245Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota52.276183.182——3324Kaz GralaJGL RacingFord52.300183.098——Qualified by owner's points340Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet52.353182.912——3593Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet52.359182.891——3640Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota52.619181.987——3752David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet52.632181.943——3866Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota53.250179.831——3955Jennifer Jo CobbJP MotorsportsToyota53.312179.622——4074Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge53.491179.021——Failed to qualify or withdrew4189Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet52.504182.386——WD54?NXT MotorsportsToyota————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results Stage 1 Laps: 25 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts121Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1027Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet9311Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet8419Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7542John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet662Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5700Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord481Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet393Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2109Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 25 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts11Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet10223Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet9316Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord845Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet759Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet662Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5700Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord487Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet3935Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet21042John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 65 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1323Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet1151running4921519Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1150running42367Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet11535running4642018Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1150running0521Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet11530running4562239Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1151running317442John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet1150running37889Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet1152running3691200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord1150running3610340Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1150running27112738J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet1150running26121320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1151running25133593Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet1151running241455Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet1150running301573Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1150running24161698Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord1150running21172501Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet1150running2018288Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota1150running19192978B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota1150running18203324Kaz GralaJGL RacingFord1140running17211835Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1140running18221916Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord1141running2323121Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet11439running24242136Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet1140running1325102Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1140running22263190Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet1140running11273866Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota1140running10283245Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota1140running9293955Jennifer Jo CobbJP MotorsportsToyota1140running0301122Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord1143running7312315Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevrolet1130running0323752David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet1120running5334074Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge1121running434264Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet780suspension3352451Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet530fuel pump2361728Dylan LuptonJGL RacingFord320crash1371460Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFord320crash138911Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet320crash9393640Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota320crash1403076Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet320crash1Failed to qualify or withdrew4189Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletWD54?NXT MotorsportsToyotaOfficial race results

References