The 2018 Rinnai 250 was the 2nd stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 27th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, February 24, 2018 in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 miles (2.48 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 163 laps to complete. At race's end, Kevin Harvick driving for Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste would dominate the race and win his 1st and only win of the season driving a part-time schedule. The win was the 47th, and final win of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career. To fill out the podium, Joey Logano of Team Penske and Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Background Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile (2.48 km) quad-oval track with a seating capacity of 111,000. It opened in 1960 as a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two 1.5-mile (2.4 km) ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Matt MillsJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHaas CNC1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletBeechcraft, Cessna01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletJAS Expedited Trucking 2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletSurface Sunscreen3Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevroletAlsco, Red Kap4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Seal5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletPilot Flying J7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletRinnai8Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletNationwide Children's Hospital11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletBar Harbor12Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordFitzgerald Glider Kits15Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaPeak Antifreeze & Coolant19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMenards, Jeld-Wen20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRuud21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFordDiscount Tire23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air24Kaz GralaJGL RacingFordMarlow's Tavern28Dylan LuptonJGL RacingFordThinQ Technology Partners35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletDonate Life Georgia36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletWholey's, Can-Am38Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletHavoc Construction, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, Atlanta Compressor, Georgia Metals, Inc.40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevroletFire Alarm Services45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletAll South Electric52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletStriping Technology, Chasco55Stephen LeichtJP MotorsportsToyotaJani-King "The King of Clean"60Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFordFord66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodgeCrashClaimsR.Us, Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevroletShadow Warriors Project76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV Motorhome Parts, Racing with Jesus90Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevroletStar Tron93J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing98Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHunt Brothers Pizza99?*B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletOfficial entry list *Withdrew.
Practice
First practice First practice was held on Friday, February 23 at 1:05 PM EST. Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest lap in the session with a 31.068 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota31.068178.447222Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord31.265177.323300Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord31.512175.933Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice was held on Friday, February 23 at 3:05 PM EST. John Hunter Nemechek of Chip Ganassi Racing would set the fastest time in the session with a 31.056 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed142John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet31.056178.516220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota31.293177.164300Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord31.342176.887Full final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying would take place on Saturday, February 24, at 9:10 AM EST. Since Atlanta Motor Speedway is under , 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.
Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole after setting a fast enough time in the first two rounds to advance to the next, with Bell achieving a lap in Round 3 with a time of 30.600 and an average speed of .
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Josh Bilicki and Mike Harmon.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)120Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota30.676180.72830.328182.80130.600181.176222Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord30.104184.16230.534181.56830.630180.999342John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet30.208183.52830.311182.90430.669180.769400Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord30.665180.79230.465181.97930.690180.645598Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord30.602181.16530.696180.61030.691180.639621Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.613181.10030.774180.15230.725180.439719Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota30.864179.62730.758180.24630.842179.755818Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota31.030178.66630.715180.49830.851179.702912Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord30.643180.92230.583181.27730.852179.697101Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.780180.11730.630180.99930.856179.673119Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.648180.89330.833179.80730.926179.2671216Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord30.898179.42930.698180.59830.958179.081Eliminated in Round 21323Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet30.895179.44730.874179.569——142Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.752180.28130.887179.493——1511Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet30.915179.33030.925179.272——163Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.742180.34030.940179.186——177Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.769180.18130.978178.966——1860Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord31.098178.27531.024178.700——1993J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet30.584181.27131.024178.700——2024Kaz GralaJGL RacingFord31.372176.71831.129178.098——215Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet31.274177.27231.198177.704——2251Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet31.033178.64931.422176.437——2378B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet31.416176.47132.283171.731——244Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.269177.300————Eliminated in Round 12539Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet31.568175.621————268Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet31.656175.133————2738Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet31.701174.884————2828Dylan LuptonJGL RacingFord31.713174.818————2966Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge31.716174.801————3035Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet31.756174.581————3189Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet31.832174.164————3215Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.869173.962————3336Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet31.936173.597————Qualified by owner's points3440Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota32.033173.072————3576Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet32.141172.490————3652David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet32.266171.822————3790Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet32.424170.984————3855Stephen LeichtJP MotorsportsToyota32.901168.506————3901Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet32.999168.005————400Matt MillsJD MotorsportsChevrolet33.016167.919————Failed to qualify or withdrew4145Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota32.474170.721————4274Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet32.608170.020————WD99?B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet——————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 40 Fin#DriverTeamMakePts198Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord0220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9316Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord8422Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord059Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet6618Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota571Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet4812Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord393Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet0107Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 40 Fin#DriverTeamMakePts198Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord0220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9322Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord041Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet759Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet667Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet5712Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord483Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet0921Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet21016Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord1 Stage 3 Laps: 83