The 2018 U.S. Cellular 250 presented by The Rasmussen Group was the 19th stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 10th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, July 28, 2018, in Newton, Iowa at Iowa Speedway, a 7⁄8 mile (1.4 km) permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race was extended from its scheduled 250 laps to 257 due to a NASCAR overtime finish. At race's end, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would battle and hold off JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier in an overtime restart to win his fifth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his fourth of the season, and his third consecutive win in the series, a feat that was last accomplished by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2018. To fill out the podium, Kyle Benjamin of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish third.
Background
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile (1.4 km) paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful. It has over 25,000 permanent seats as well as a unique multi-tiered Recreational Vehicle viewing area along the backstretch.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHaas Automation1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletU.S. Cellular01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletJAS Expedited Trucking2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletAmerican Ethanol E153Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevroletChildress Vineyards4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletFuture Media Sales, KM Sports5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletTMC Transportation7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletPrecision Tank8Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletJW Transport9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletTakl11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletPhantom Fireworks15Brandon HightowerJD MotorsportsChevroletKustom Race Parts, Premier Recycling, LLC16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMobil 1, Toyota Service Centers19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMenards, Tide20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRuud21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordLTi Printing23Casey RoderickGMS RacingChevroletChevrolet Accessories26Max TullmanTullman-Walker RacingFordZoomi35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletThe Salvation Army Western, Iowa Donor Network36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletRoyAuto.com, Outil Mag38Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletLombard Bros Gaming40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevroletFire Alarm Services45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairableVehicles.com52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletHonest Wrenches55Peter Shepherd IIIJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen, National Exhaust Systems, Inc.60Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFordFord66Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsChevroletLasVegas.net, TLC Resorts74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevroletShadow Warriors Project, Horizon Transport76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletRiessen Construction89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV Motorhome Parts, Racing with Jesus90Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevroletDGM Racing92Dexter BeanDGM RacingChevroletDGM Racing93Stephen LeichtRSS RacingChevroletRSS RacingOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, July 27, at 4:05p.m. CST, and would last for 50 minutes. Elliott Sadler of JR Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 24.046 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed11Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet24.046130.999220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota24.047130.99339Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet24.108130.662Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, July 27, at 6:05p.m. CST, and would last for 50 minutes. Casey Roderick of GMS Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 23.933 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed123Casey RoderickGMS RacingChevrolet23.933131.61727Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet23.961131.46431Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet24.014131.173Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, July 28, at 4:20p.m. CST. Since Iowa Speedway is under 2 miles (3.2 km), the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 15 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 15 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.
Elliott Sadler of JR Motorsports would win the pole after advancing from both preliminary rounds and setting the fastest lap in Round 3, with a time of 23.576 and an average speed of .
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)11Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet23.823132.22523.675133.05223.576133.610200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord23.730132.74323.640133.24923.653133.175320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota23.566133.66723.539133.82023.654133.170418Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota23.643133.23223.595133.50323.680133.02459Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet23.779132.47023.660133.13623.691132.962622Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord23.765132.54823.710132.85523.692132.95677Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet23.878131.92123.826132.20923.752132.62083Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet23.877131.92623.751132.62623.785132.436919Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota23.732132.73223.724132.77723.800132.3531021Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet23.807132.31423.754132.60923.819132.2471142John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet23.869131.97023.731132.73823.831132.1811260Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord23.971131.40923.703132.89523.852132.064Eliminated in Round 21351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet24.057130.93923.838132.142——1411Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet23.737132.70423.864131.998——1523Casey RoderickGMS RacingChevrolet23.868131.97623.895131.827——162Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet23.973131.39823.897131.816——175Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet23.851132.07023.900131.799——184Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet23.930131.63423.909131.750——1916Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord23.964131.44723.944131.557——2039Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet23.849132.08124.020131.141——2136Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet24.045131.00424.062130.912——2235Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet24.253129.88124.348129.374——2352David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet24.188130.230————240Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet24.236 129.972————Eliminated in Round 12578Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet24.278129.747————2626Max TullmanTullman-Walker RacingFord24.286129.704————2776Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet24.359129.316————2815Brandon HightowerJD MotorsportsChevrolet24.400129.098————2940Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota24.407129.061————308Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet24.441128.882————3190Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet24.594128.080————3238Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet24.634127.872————3389Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet24.643127.825————Qualified by owner's points3401Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet24.704127.510————3574Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet25.039125.804————3655Peter Shepherd IIIJP MotorsportsToyota25.093125.533————3766Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsChevrolet25.532123.375————3845Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota25.601123.042————3993Stephen LeichtRSS RacingChevrolet——————Qualified on time4092Dexter BeanDGM RacingChevrolet25.082125.588————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 60 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts100Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord1021Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet9320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8422Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord7518Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota667Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet5719Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4842John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet3921Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2103Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 60 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts120Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota10200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord937Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet8419Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7522Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord6642John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet5718Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota481Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet3916Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord21021Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 137 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota25794running58277Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet2576running483418Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2575running444184Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet2570running3351142John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet2570running40611Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet25741running4371916Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord2570running3281411Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet2570running299200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord257104running47101260Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord2570running27111021Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2570running2912919Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2571running361383Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2566running2514175Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet2560running23151523Casey RoderickGMS RacingChevrolet2560running22162136Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet2550running21172235Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2550running2018622Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord2540running32192352David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet2530running18201351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2530running17212578Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2530running162259Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet2520running15232776Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2520running14243190Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet2510running1325240Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet2500running1226162Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2490crash11272815Brandon HightowerJD MotorsportsChevrolet2490running1028308Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2480running9293401Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet2470running8302626Max TullmanTullman-Walker RacingFord2450crash0313655Peter Shepherd IIIJP MotorsportsToyota2420running6323574Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet2410running5333766Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsChevrolet2360running4342039Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet2060running3353238Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet1400ignition2364092Dexter BeanDGM RacingChevrolet730vibration1372940Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota560brakes1383389Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet460brakes1393993Stephen LeichtRSS RacingChevrolet360electrical1403845Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota20engine1Official race results
References