The 2018 Zippo 200 at The Glen was the 20th stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 24th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 4, 2018, in Watkins Glen, New York at Watkins Glen International, a 2.45-mile (3.94 km) permanent road course. The race took the scheduled 82 laps to complete. At race's end, Joey Logano of Team Penske would dominate the race to win his 30th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his second and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, A. J. Allmendinger of GMS Racing and Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.
Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.
The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHaas Automation1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletTextron, Arctic Cat01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletTunity "Hear Any Muted TV"3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevroletCabela's, Bass Pro Shops4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletBuckle Up New York "Protect Your Melon"5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletTMC Transportation7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture8Scott HeckertB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletNationwide Children's Hospital11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletLeafFilter Gutter Protection12Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFordWabash National Supreme13Carl Long*MBM MotorsportsDodgeOCR Gaz Bar15Mike SkeenJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com17Victor Gonzalez Jr.Niece MotorsportsChevroletPMC Group18Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaCraftsman19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMobil 1, Toyota Service Centers20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFordSnap-on23A. J. AllmendingerGMS RacingChevroletISM Connect24Justin HaleyGMS RacingChevroletFraternal Order of Eagles35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletSparks Energy36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletLa Rue Industrial Snowblowers38Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletMidstate Basement Authorities40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevroletChevrolet Accessories45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairableVehicles.com52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletExtreme Kleaner55David Levine*JP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen60Austin CindricRoush Fenway RacingFordLTi Printing61Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFordDMB Financial66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodgeCrashClaimsR.Us74Stephen LeichtMike Harmon RacingChevroletShadow Warriors Project, Horizon Transport76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports89Morgan Shepherd*Shepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV90Brian HendersonDGM RacingChevroletFriends of Jaclyn Foundation93Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing98Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordGo BowlingOfficial entry list *Withdrew.
Practice
First practice The first practice session would occur on Friday, August 3, at 12:35 PM EST and would last for 50 minutes. Heavy rain pelted the session, leaving only six teams making a lap as most felt that it wasn't worth the risk. Tyler Reddick of JR Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:38.533 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed19Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:38.53389.513260Austin CindricRoush-Fenway RacingFord1:38.72089.344324Justin HaleyGMS RacingChevrolet1:41.50686.891Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second practice session would occur on Friday, August 3, at 2:05 PM EST and would last for one hour and 20 minutes. Once again, rain would majorly affect the session, leaving many teams not making a lap. Mike Skeen of JD Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:32.240 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed115Mike SkeenJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:32.24095.620261Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFord1:33.30994.525336Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet1:34.35393.479Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying would occur on Saturday, August 4, at 11:35 AM EST. Since the Watkins Glen International is a road course, the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included two rounds. The first round was 25 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 25 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 12 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Whoever set the fastest time in Round 2 would win the pole.
Joey Logano of Team Penske would win the pole, with a lap of 1:11.710 and an average speed of in the second round.
One driver would fail to qualify: Stephen Leicht.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)122Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord1:12.154122.2391:11.710122.995212Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord1:13.156120.5641:12.073122.376342Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet1:13.031 120.7711:12.294122.002423A. J. AllmendingerGMS RacingChevrolet1:12.894120.9981:12.513121.633521Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:12.954120.8981:12.526121.61263Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:13.076120.6961:12.669121.372711Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet1:12.924120.9481:12.789121.172818Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:12.942120.9181:12.824121.114998Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord1:13.029120.7741:12.866121.044107Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:12.667121.3761:12.905120.9791120Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:13.299120.3291:13.142120.5871200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord1:13.244120.4191:13.221120.457Eliminated in Round 1131Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:13.301120.326——1460Austin CindricRoush-Fenway RacingFord1:13.465120.057——1551Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1:13.505119.992——162Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:13.533119.946——1761Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFord1:13.598119.840——1824Justin HaleyGMS RacingChevrolet1:13.660119.739——1916Ryan ReedRoush-Fenway RacingFord1:13.681119.705——2019Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:13.977119.226——2136Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet1:14.047119.114——228Scott HeckertB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1:14.333118.655——234Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:14.402118.545——2415Mike SkeenJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:14.468118.440——255Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:14.606118.221——2638J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet1:14.659118.137——279Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:15.050117.522——2839Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1:15.090117.459——2917Victor Gonzalez Jr.Niece MotorsportsChevrolet1:15.808116.347——3078Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1:15.867116.256——3166Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge1:16.338115.539——320Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:16.681115.022——3393Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet1:17.153114.318——Qualified by owner's points3452David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet1:17.641113.600——3540Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota1:18.413112.481——3690Brian HendersonDGM RacingChevrolet1:18.520112.328——3735Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1:18.956111.708——3845Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota1:19.907110.378——3976Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1:20.084110.134——4001Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:20.659109.349——Failed to qualify or withdrew4174Stephen LeichtMike Harmon RacingDodge1:18.413112.481WD13Carl LongMBM MotorsportsToyota————WD55David LevineJP MotorsportsToyota————WD89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 20 Fin#DriverTeamMakePts122Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord0242Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet0321Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet847Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet7518Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6611Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet5751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet483Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet0961Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFord2109Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 20 Fin#DriverTeamMakePts123A. J. AllmendingerGMS RacingChevrolet027Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet9342Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet0420Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7521Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet6622Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord0712Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord084Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet3916Ryan ReedRoush-Fenway RacingFord21018Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 3 Laps: 42