The 2018 Rock N Roll Tequila 170 presented by Amethyst Beverage was the 21st stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the sixth iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 11, 2018, in Lexington, Ohio at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a 2.258 miles (3.634 km) permanent road course. The race took the scheduled 75 laps to complete. At race's end, Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports would pass a dominating Austin Cindric from Team Penske with new tires to win his eighth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and his third of the season. To fill out the podium, Daniel Hemric of Richard Childress Racing would finish third.

Background

The track is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central region of the state, from south of Sandusky to the north of Columbus.

The track opened as a 15-turn, 2.4 mile (3.86 km) road circuit run clockwise. The back portion of the track allows speeds approaching 180 mph (290 km/h). A separate starting line is located on the backstretch to allow for safer rolling starts. The regular start / finish line is located on the pit straight. There is grandstand seating for 10,000 spectators and three observation mounds alongside the track raise the capacity to over 75,000.

Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletWheeling Nailers00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHaas Automation1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletHunt Brothers Pizza01Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevroletJAS Expedited Trucking2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletCleveland Indians, Fanatics3Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, Beard Oil Distributing4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletSEM5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletAllstate Parts & Service7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture8Cody WareB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletNationwide Children's Hospital11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletLeafFilter Gutter Protection13John JacksonMBM MotorsportsDodgeCrashClaimsR.Us15Katherine LeggeJD MotorsportsChevroletAirtec16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMobil 1, Toyota Service Centers19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMenards, Atlas Designer Shingles20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem21Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordPPG23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletSparks Energy36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletLa Rue Industrial Snowblowers38J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletMidstate Basement Authorities40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42Justin MarksChip Ganassi RacingChevroletChevrolet Accessories45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletBRT Extrustions52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletExtreme Kleaner55Dylan MurcottJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen60Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFordFord61Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFordDMB Financial66Tim CowenMBM MotorsportsFordCowen Logistics74Stephen LeichtMike Harmon RacingDodgeShadow Warriors Project, Horizon Transport76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV90Andy LallyDGM RacingChevroletAmethyst Beverage, Aase Sales93Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS RacingOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice The first practice session would occur on Friday, August 10, at 1:35 PM EST and would last for one hour and 20 minutes. Ryan Reed of Roush Fenway Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:25.829 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed116Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord1:25.82994.709290Andy LallyDGM RacingChevrolet1:26.02094.499318Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:26.13794.371Full first practice results

Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Friday, August 10, at 4:05 PM EST and would last for 50 minutes. As rain would hinder the session, only five cars would make a lap. Brendan Gaughan of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:32.649 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed13Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:32.64987.738242Justin MarksChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet1:33.79086.670320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:34.37186.137Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, August 11, at 11:30 AM EST. Since the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 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.

Austin Cindric of Team Penske would win the pole, setting a time of 1:24.336 and an average speed of in the second round.

No drivers would fail to qualify.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)122Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord1:23.97296.8041:24.33696.38621Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:25.00295.6311:24.85995.792319Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:24.91295.7321:24.90595.740400Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord1:24.67296.0031:25.03395.59652Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:25.11895.5001:25.07595.549611Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet1:25.31195.2841:25.30195.29577Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:24.98595.6501:25.32495.270890Andy LallyDGM RacingChevrolet1:25.32795.2661:25.34195.251921Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:25.21995.3871:25.40695.1781020Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:25.17095.4421:25.40895.1761116Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord1:25.38495.2031:25.51395.0591218Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1:25.29795.3001:25.70494.847Eliminated in Round 11336Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet1:25.38895.198——144Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:25.51495.058——159Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:25.54695.023——163Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1:25.69794.855——1751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1:25.70394.848——1860Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord1:25.76894.777——1961Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFord1:25.80894.732——2023Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet1:26.01794.502——2139Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet1:26.24694.251——2215Katherine LeggeJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:26.26194.235——2342Justin MarksChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet1:26.38294.103——245Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet1:26.56593.904——2538J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet1:26.58193.887——268Cody WareB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1:27.61792.777——2735Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1:27.81892.564——2845Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota1:28.25292.109——2993Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet1:28.47891.874——3078Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1:28.76791.575——310Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:28.76991.573——3252David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet1:28.86191.478——3366Tim CowenMBM MotorsportsFord1:29.15491.177——Qualified by owner's points3455Dylan MurcottJP MotorsportsToyota1:29.49890.827——3576Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet1:30.45189.870——3640Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota1:31.08589.244——3774Stephen LeichtMike Harmon RacingDodge1:31.11889.212——3801Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet1:32.33888.033——3913John JacksonMBM MotorsportsDodge1:34.15286.337——4089Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet1:40.58280.818——Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results Stage 1 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1021Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet9311Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet844Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet7522Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord6661Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFord5723Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet4815Katherine LeggeJD MotorsportsChevrolet3960Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord2102Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 20 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts122Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord1022Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet9320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8400Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord7521Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet669Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet5751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet481Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet393Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet0107Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 35 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts177Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet758running512122Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord7559running513921Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet750running40452Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet750running435611Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet750running40621Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet750running437400Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord750running3782023Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet750running3391336Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet750running28101116Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord750running27111020Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota751running3412163Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet750running0131218Kyle BenjaminJoe Gibbs RacingToyota750running24141860Chase BriscoeRoush Fenway RacingFord750running2515890Andy LallyDGM RacingChevrolet757running2216144Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet750running28171751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet750running2418245Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet750running19193078Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet750running18202845Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota750running17213252David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet750running16222342Justin MarksChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet750running1523319Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota750running14242735Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet750running13253576Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet750running12263366Tim CowenMBM MotorsportsFord750running11271961Kaz GralaFury Race CarsFord750running1528310Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet750running9293640Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota750running8302215Katherine LeggeJD MotorsportsChevrolet650engine1031159Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet600crash11322538J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet480rear gear533268Cody WareB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet370crash0342139Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet290transmission3353913John JacksonMBM MotorsportsDodge230transmission2363801Vinnie MillerJD MotorsportsChevrolet140brakes1373774Stephen LeichtMike Harmon RacingDodge110clutch1384089Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet90overheating1392993Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet60brakes1403455Dylan MurcottJP MotorsportsToyota00crash1Official race results

References