The 2018 ToyotaCare 250 was the eighth stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and the 31st iteration of the event. The race was held on Friday, April 20, 2018, in Richmond, Virginia at Richmond Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. At race's end, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would dominate the late stages of the race to win his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Noah Gragson of Joe Gibbs Racing and Elliott Sadler of JR Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Richmond Raceway (RR), formerly known as Richmond International Raceway (RIR), is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the IndyCar series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted two USAC sprint car races.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletFAME USA00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordCode 3 Associates1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletChevrolet Accessories01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletJAS Expedited Trucking2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletNational Brain Tumor Society3Jeb BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevroletEstes Express Lines4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletUS Vets 9115Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletPilot Flying J7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletHellmann's8Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletBurgerFi11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletBar Harbor15Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevroletSafeway16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaSwitch "Motivated By Invention. Driven By Perfection."19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMobil 1, Toyota Service Centers20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordFitzgerald Glider Kits23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air24Kaz GralaJGL RacingFordNettts28Tony MrakovichJGL RacingFordSmart Emissions Reducer35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletSparks Energy36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletWholey's, Can-Am38J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevroletSuperior Essex39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletMike D's BBQ40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevroletFire Alarm Services45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairableVehicles.com52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletCircle Track Warehouse, DAI Dealer Associates55Stephen LeichtJP MotorsportsToyotaJani-King "The King of Clean"60Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFordNutriChomps66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodgeCrashClaimsR.Us, Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodgeShadow Warriors Project, Horizon Transport76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV90Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevroletW. G. Speeks93Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS RacingOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session would occur on Friday, April 20, at 8:00 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Both Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing and Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste would set the fastest lap in the session, with a time of 22.149 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22.149121.902200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord22.149121.902318Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22.151121.891Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Friday, April 20, at 9:40 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. John Hunter Nemechek of Chip Ganassi Racing would set the fastest lap in the session, with a time of 22.672 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed142John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet22.672119.09027Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet22.685119.021318Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22.688119.006Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying would occur on Friday, April 20, at 4:05 PM EST. Since Richmond Raceway 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 after making through both preliminary rounds and setting a time of 22.253 and an average speed of in the third round.
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Full practice results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)100Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord22.959117.60122.524119.87222.253121.332220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22.762118.61922.541119.78222.336120.881322Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord22.707118.90622.562119.67022.453120.251421Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet22.806118.39022.506119.96822.460120.214542John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet22.340120.85922.615119.39022.464120.192611Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet22.954117.62722.468120.17122.550119.73477Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet22.647119.22122.466120.18222.558119.69181Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet22.734118.76522.631119.30522.570119.62895Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet22.770118.57722.626119.33222.570119.628109Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet22.758118.64022.611119.41122.586119.5431118Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota23.000 117.39122.487120.06922.613119.400122Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet22.900117.90422.534119.81922.685119.021Eliminated in Round 21316Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord22.638119.26822.656119.174——143Jeb BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet22.854118.14122.685119.021——1560Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord22.838118.22422.693118.979——164Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet22.789118.47822.734118.765——1723Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet22.824118.29722.788118.483——1819Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22.905117.87822.796118.442——1936Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet22.922117.79122.855118.136——2015Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevrolet22.996117.41222.884117.986——2190Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet22.991117.43722.958117.606——2224Kaz GralaJGL RacingFord22.888117.96622.959117.601——2335Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet22.809118.37422.992117.432——2439Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet22.915117.82723.016117.310——Eliminated in Round 12552David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet23.038117.198————2651Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet23.056117.106————2738J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet23.056117.106————280Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet23.136116.701————2955Stephen LeichtJP MotorsportsToyota23.144116.661————308Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet23.208116.339————3189Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet23.251116.124————3293Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet23.300115.880————3340Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota23.353115.617————Qualified by owner's points3476Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet23.373115.518————3528Tony MrakovichJGL RacingFord23.404115.365————3678B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet23.417115.301————3745Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota23.550114.650————3801Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet23.559114.606————3966Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge23.617114.324————4074Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge24.111111.982————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 75 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts121Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9300Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord843Jeb BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet751Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet662Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet579Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet4819Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3942John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet21022Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord1 Stage 2 Laps: 75 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts11Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet10218Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota032Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet8420Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7500Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord6642John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet5719Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota489Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet3922Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord21011Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 100 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota250120running5621118Noah GragsonJoe Gibbs RacingToyota25010running0381Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet25030running504122Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2500running465322Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord2500running356100Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord25043running457611Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet2500running3182651Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2500running2991316Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord2500running28101819Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2500running3411109Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet2500running3312143Jeb BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2500running3213542John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet25036running311477Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet2500running23152738J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet2490running22161936Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet2490running21171723Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet2490running2018164Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet2490running19192190Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet2490running182095Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet2490running17212439Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet2490running16222335Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2480running1523308Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2470running14243528Tony MrakovichJGL RacingFord2470running13252015Joe NemechekJD MotorsportsChevrolet2470running0261560Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord2460running1127280Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet2460running10283476Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet2460running929421Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet24611running18302224Kaz GralaJGL RacingFord2450running7313801Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet2440running6323678B. J. McLeodB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet2440running5333745Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota2440running4343340Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota2380running3352552David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet2290running2364074Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge1330clutch1372955Stephen LeichtJP MotorsportsToyota1280brakes1383966Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsDodge1070fuel pump1393189Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet320brakes1403293Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet260electrical1Official race results
References