The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (XXXIV) was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stock car exhibition race held on May 19, 2018 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Contested over 93 laps—extended from 80 laps due to an overtime finish, it was the second exhibition race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
Report Background
The All-Star Race was open to race winners from last season through the 2018 KC Masterpiece 400 at Kansas Speedway and all previous All-Star race winners and Monster Race NASCAR Cup champions who had attempted to qualify for every race in 2018 were eligible to compete in the All-Star Race.
Entry list Monster Energy Open Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Landon Cassill StarCom Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 15 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 19 Daniel Suárez Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 23 Gray Gaulding BK Racing Toyota 24 William Byron (R) Hendrick Motorsports 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 43 Bubba Wallace (R) Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 51 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 55 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 72 Corey LaJoie TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletOfficial entry list
Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race Driver Team Manufacturer 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 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 95 Kasey Kahne Leavine Family Racing ChevroletOfficial entry list
Monster Energy Open/All-Star practice Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the Open/All-Star practice session with a time of 31.689 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 31.689 170.406 2 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 31.858 169.502 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 31.872 169.428Official Monster Energy Open/All-Star practice results
Qualifying (Open) Open qualifying for Friday was cancelled due to weather and Aric Almirola was awarded the pole as a result.
Starting Lineup (Open) Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 2 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 3 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 4 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 5 21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 6 24 William Byron (R) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 19 Daniel Suárez Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 8 43 Bubba Wallace (R) Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 9 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 10 38 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 11 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 12 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 13 32 Matt DiBenedetto Go Fas Racing Ford 14 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 15 72 Corey LaJoie Tri-Star Motorsports Chevrolet 16 15 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 00 Landon Cassill StarCom Racing Chevrolet 18 23 Gray Gaulding BK Racing Toyota 19 51 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 20 55 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 21 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports ToyotaOfficial Open starting lineup
Qualifying (All-Star Race) Matt Kenseth scored the pole for the race with a time of 127.644 and a speed of .
All-Star Race qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 16 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 127.644 217 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 128.137 314 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas RacingFord 128.334 44 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas RacingFord 128.741 578 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 128.944 612 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 129.072 718 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 129.159 82 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 129.639 93 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 129.872 1022 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 130.501 1148 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 131.043 121 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 131.595 1331 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 133.850 1411 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 135.866 1541 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas RacingFord 135.996 1642 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 137.776 1795 Kasey Kahne Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet 145.643Official All-Star qualifying results
Monster Energy Open
Monster Energy Open results Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1 9 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 502 2 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 503 4 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 504 5 21 Paul Menard Wood Brothers Racing Ford 505 11 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 506 1 10 Aric Almirola Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 507 6 24 William Byron (R) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 508 14 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 509 10 38 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 5010 12 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 5011 8 43 Bubba Wallace (R) Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 5012 13 32 Matt DiBenedetto Go Fas Racing Ford 5013 17 00 Landon Cassill StarCom Racing Chevrolet 5014 18 23 Gray Gaulding BK Racing Toyota 5015 15 72 Corey LaJoie TriStar Motorsports Chevrolet 5016 19 51 B. J. McLeod (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 5017 16 15 Ross Chastain (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 5018 21 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 5019 20 55 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 5020 7 19 Daniel Suárez Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 4021 3 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20 Winner of the second segment. Winner of the first segment.Monster Energy Open race results
All-Star Race
All-Star Race results Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps1 4 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 932 19 19 Daniel Suárez Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 933 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 934 14 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 935 21 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 936 11 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 937 16 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 938 20 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 939 7 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 9310 17 95 Kasey Kahne Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet 9311 2 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 9312 9 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9313 12 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 9314 1 6 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 9315 6 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 9316 13 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9317 5 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 7518 15 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 7419 3 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart–Haas Racing Ford 7420 8 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 7421 18 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 68Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race results
Media
Television Fox Sports was the television broadcaster of the race in the United States. Lap-by-lap announcer, Mike Joy, was accompanied on the broadcast by retired NASCAR drivers, Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip. Jamie Little, Vince Welch, and Matt Yocum reported from pit lane.
FS1 TelevisionBooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Jeff GordonColor commentator: Darrell Waltrip Jamie LittleVince WelchMatt Yocum
Radio Motor Racing Network (MRN) continued their longstanding relationship with the track to broadcast the race on radio. The lead announcers for the race's broadcast were Mike Bagley, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace. The network also implemented two announcers on each side of the track: Dave Moody in turns 1 and 2 and Kyle Rickey in turns 3 and 4. Alex Hayden, Winston Kelly, Kim Coon, and Steve Post were the network's pit lane reporters. The network's broadcast was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Mike BagleyAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Dillon Welch Alex HaydenWinston KellyKim CoonSteve Post
References