The 2018 DC Solar 300 was the 26th stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the final race of the regular season, and the inaugural iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 15, 2018, in North Las Vegas, Nevada at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent D-shaped oval racetrack. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Ross Chastain of Chip Ganassi Racing would dominate, redeeming himself from the 2018 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 to win his first ever NASCAR Xfinity Series career win and his first and only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports and Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada outside the Las Vegas city limits and about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a 1,200-acre (490 ha) complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletFAME-USA.com00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordCode 3 Associates1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletOneMain Financial "Lending Done Human"01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletJAS Expedited Trucking2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletKC Motorgroup3Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevroletChildress Vineyards4Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletAllstate Parts & Service Group7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture8Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletIsokern Fireplaces & Chimmeys9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletNationwide Children's Hospital11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletLeafFilter Gutter Protection13Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsToyotaLasVegas.net, A Mob Story15B. J. McLeodJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMenards, Mastercraft Doors20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaGameStop, Shadow of the Tomb Raider21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordMoneyLion23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air26Max TullmanTullman-Walker RacingFordYurpal35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletSparks Energy36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletJames Carter Attorney at Law, Sticky Stuff Custom Signs & Graphics38J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevroletSuperior Essex39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletBig Valley Towing40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaLasVegas.net, Smithbilt Homes42Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevroletDC Solar45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairableVehicles.com52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletOxyxAutos.com, Acre One55Bayley CurreyJP MotorsportsToyotaTouched by Pros, Rollin Smoke Barbecue60Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFordFord66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodgeJames Carter Attorney at Law72John JacksonMBM MotorsportsToyotaJames Carter Attorney at Law74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevroletShadow Warriors Project, Smitty's Beard Sauce76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78Cole RouseB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports90Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevroletMastin and Cain Warehousing, Sleep Well Sleep Disorder Specialists93Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS RacingOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session would occur on Friday, September 14, at 12:05 PM PST, and would last for 40 minutes. Matt Tifft of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.403 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed12Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.403177.61421Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.489177.11337Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.581176.580Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Friday, September 14, at 2:05 PM PST, and would last for 45 minutes. Tyler Reddick of JR Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 30.561 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed19Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.561176.696242Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet30.661176.120300Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord30.690175.953Full final practice results
Qualifying Qualifying would take place on Saturday, March 3, at 10:05 AM PST. Since Las Vegas Motor 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.
Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste would win the pole, advancing through both preliminary rounds and setting a time of 30.118 and an average speed of in the third round.
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)100Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord30.503177.03230.268178.40630.118179.295222Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord30.879174.87630.366177.83030.360177.86631Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.684175.98730.648176.19430.367177.825420Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota30.662176.11430.445177.36930.387177.708542Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet31.009174.14330.305178.18830.454177.31763Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30.690175.95330.713175.82130.456177.30579Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.621176.35030.422177.50330.545176.78887Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.561176.69630.570176.64430.577176.60395Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet31.557171.11930.748175.62130.839175.1031039Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet30.737175.68430.750175.61030.858174.9951116Ryan ReedRoush-Fenway RacingFord30.728175.73530.535176.84630.922174.6331251Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet30.787175.39930.664176.102——Eliminated in Round 21360Chase BriscoeRoush-Fenway RacingFord30.872174.91630.755175.581——1423Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet30.973174.34530.967174.379——1536Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet31.401171.96931.036173.991——164Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.270172.68931.209173.027——1735Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet31.178173.19931.345172.276——1838J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet31.395172.00231.438171.767——1955Bayley CurreyJP MotorsportsToyota31.975168.88232.173167.843——2026Max TullmanTullman-Walker RacingFord31.873169.42232.823164.519——218Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet31.704170.326————2278Cole RouseB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet31.717170.256————2315B. J. McLeodJD MotorsportsChevrolet31.751170.073————2452David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet32.057168.450————Eliminated in Round 12566Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge32.211167.645————2645Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota32.391166.713————2776Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet32.431166.507————2874Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet32.447166.425————2940Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota32.512166.093————3093Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet32.549165.904————3190Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet32.734164.966————3272John JacksonMBM MotorsportsToyota32.847164.399————3301Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet33.253162.391————Qualified by owner's points3418Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota——————3521Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet——————3619Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota——————372Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet——————3811Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet——————390Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet——————4013Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsToyota——————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts142Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet10220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota931Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet8400Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord7521Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet6622Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord577Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet4811Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet3960Chase BriscoeRoush-Fenway RacingFord21019Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 2 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts142Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet10200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord9321Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet8420Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota757Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet661Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet5719Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4822Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord399Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet21060Chase BriscoeRoush-Fenway RacingFord1 Stage 3 Laps: 110 Pos.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1542Ross ChastainChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet200180running60287Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet20016running453100Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord2003running504420Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2000running49531Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet2000running4563418Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2000running3173619Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2000running3583811Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet2000running329222Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord2000running36101423Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet2000running27111838J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet2000running26121039Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet2000running25131251Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2000running2414164Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet2000running23151735Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2000running22161536Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet2000running2117218Ray Black Jr.B. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1980running2018390Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1970running19192315B. J. McLeodJD MotorsportsChevrolet1970running18203190Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet1960running17212278Cole RouseB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1940running16222776Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1940running15232026Max TullmanTullman-Walker RacingFord1920running14241955Bayley CurreyJP MotorsportsToyota1910running0252940Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota1910running12263301Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet1910running11272645Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota1900running102879Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet1880accident11293521Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1881accident223063Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1880accident7311360Chase BriscoeRoush-Fenway RacingFord1810accident9322452David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet1450engine5332874Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet930clutch4342566Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge740suspension3351116Ryan ReedRoush-Fenway RacingFord640accident236372Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet630accident1374013Stan MullisMBM MotorsportsToyota510vibration1383272John JacksonMBM MotorsportsToyota300vibration1393093Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet180vibration14095Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet50accident1Official race results
References