The 2018 Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 was the 32nd stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the third and final race in the Round of 8, and the 20th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, November 10, 2018, in Avondale, Arizona, at ISM Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would dominate the late stages of the race to win his eighth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, his seventh win of the season, and a guaranteed spot in the Championship 4. To fill out the podium, Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft of Richard Childress Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
ISM Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.
ISM Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth and penultimate track on the schedule.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Tape00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFordHaas Automation1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletHunt Brothers Pizza01B. J. McLeodJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Glue2Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevroletGo Green Equipment3Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevroletChildress Institute for Pediatric Trauma Race to Give4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Seal5Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletPilot Flying J7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture8Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports9Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevroletBurgerFi11Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevroletLeafFilter Gutter Protection13Tyler HillMBM MotorsportsDodgeCrashClaimsR.Us15Quin HouffJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordDriveDownA1C.com18Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaRheem, Smurfit Kappa19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMobil 1, Toyota Service Centers20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaGameStop, Just Cause 421Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordDiscount Tire23Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevroletISM Connect35Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevroletDonate Life Arizona36Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevroletWholey's, Can-Am38J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevroletBrown & Brown Insurance, Iron Mountain Data Centers39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletLombard Bros. Gaming40Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaSmithbilt Homes42John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevroletFire Alarm Services45Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyotaPrevagen51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairableVehicles.com52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevroletWhataburger55Bayley CurreyJP MotorsportsToyotaSierra Auction, Prevagen, C&S Trailers60Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFordFord66Akinori OgataMBM MotorsportsToyotaSEAVAC74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevroletVeterans For Child Rescue76Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevroletGrunt Style "This We'll Defend"78Vinnie MillerB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod Motorsports89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletVisone RV Motorhome Parts, Racing with Jesus90Donald TheetgeDGM RacingChevroletCircuit Acura, Mercedes-Benz St-Nicholas93Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing99Stephen LeichtB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevroletB. J. McLeod MotorsportsOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, November 9, at 12:35 PM MST, and would last for 50 minutes. Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest lap in the session with a time of 27.210 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota27.210132.304218Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota27.250132.110300Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord27.335131.699Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, November 9, at 2:35 PM MST, and would last for 50 minutes. John Hunter Nemechek of Chip Ganassi Racing would set the fastest lap in the session with a time of 27.053 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed142John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet27.053133.072220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota27.190132.402322Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord27.302131.858Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, November 10, at 10:35 AM MST. Since ISM 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.
John Hunter Nemechek of Chip Ganassi Racing would win the pole after making through both preliminary rounds and setting a time of 26.970 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)142John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet27.287131.93126.957133.54626.970133.482200Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord27.339131.68026.986133.40326.987133.398322Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord27.220132.25627.090132.89027.058133.04847Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet27.328131.73327.178132.46027.081132.935518Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota27.467131.06627.087132.90527.121132.73861Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet27.574130.55827.150132.59727.174132.480719Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota27.255132.08627.173132.48427.216132.275821Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet27.653130.18527.199132.35827.228132.21793Shane LeeRichard Childress RacingChevrolet27.440131.19527.320131.77227.230132.207102Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet27.543130.70527.240132.15927.254132.0911123Spencer GallagherGMS RacingChevrolet27.781129.58527.399131.39227.319131.7761216Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord27.647130.21327.399131.39227.479131.009Eliminated in Round 2135Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet27.788129.55227.399131.392——149Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet27.712129.90827.414131.320——1511Ryan TruexKaulig RacingChevrolet27.555130.64827.478131.014——1639Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet27.619130.34527.487130.971——1736Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet27.912128.97727.710129.917——1851Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet27.863129.20427.719129.875——1938J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet28.066128.26927.928128.903——208Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet27.986128.63627.986128.636——2135Joey GaseGo Green Racing with SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet28.142127.92328.006128.544——2240Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota28.128127.98628.151127.882——234Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet27.723129.856————2452David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet28.124128.005————Eliminated in Round 12593Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevrolet28.227127.537————2690Donald TheetgeDGM RacingChevrolet28.294127.235————270Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet28.308127.173————2801B. J. McLeodJD MotorsportsChevrolet28.353126.971————2915Quin HouffJD MotorsportsChevrolet28.415126.694————3099Stephen LeichtB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet28.566126.024————3113Tyler HillMBM MotorsportsDodge28.624125.769————3276Spencer BoydSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet28.649125.659————3366Akinori OgataMBM MotorsportsToyota28.737125.274————Qualified by owner's points3455Bayley CurreyJP MotorsportsToyota28.843124.814————3589Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet28.863124.727————3674Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet29.153123.486————3778Vinnie MillerB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet29.287122.921————3820Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota——————3960Ty MajeskiRoush Fenway RacingFord——————4045Josh BilickiJP MotorsportsToyota——————Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10222Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord9321Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet8442John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet7500Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord662Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5719Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4818Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota399Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet21020Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1 Stage 2 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet10242John Hunter NemechekChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet9322Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord8420Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7521Daniel HemricRichard Childress RacingChevrolet6600Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBesteFord579Tyler ReddickJR MotorsportsChevrolet4818Ryan PreeceJoe Gibbs RacingToyota392Matt TifftRichard Childress RacingChevrolet21016Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord1 Stage 3 Laps: 110