The 2018 Bank of America Roval 400 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on September 30, 2018, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Contested over 109 laps on the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course, it was the 29th race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, third race of the Playoffs, and final race of the Round of 16. This was the first race to use Charlotte's "Roval" road course layout.
For 2018, deviating from past NASCAR events at Charlotte, the race will utilize a road course configuration of Charlotte Motor Speedway, promoted and trademarked as the "Roval". The course is 2.28 miles (3.67 km) in length and features 17 turns, utilizing the infield road course and portions of the oval track. The race will be contested over a scheduled distance of 109 laps, 400 kilometres (250 mi).[12][13][14]
During July 2018 tests on the road course, concerns were raised over drivers "cheating" designated chicanes on the course. The chicanes were modified with additional tire barriers and rumble strips in order to encourage drivers to properly drive through them, and NASCAR will enforce drive-through penalties on drivers who illegally "short-cut" parts of the course. The chicanes will not be used during pace laps, nor will they be used during restarts.[15][16]
Kyle Busch was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 77.145 seconds and a speed of 106.397 mph (171.229 km/h).[17]
Kurt Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 76.805 and a speed of 106.868 mph (171.987 km/h).[18]
Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 78.043 seconds and a speed of 105.173 mph (169.260 km/h).[19]
Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 77.730 seconds and a speed of 105.596 mph (169.940 km/h).[20]
Pole sitter Kurt Busch led the first lap. On lap 7, Kyle Larson took the lead from Busch. The first caution flew on lap 14 when Stanton Barrett went into turn 1 too fast and hit the tire barriers. The race would restart on lap 17. Kyle Larson would end up winning stage 1. The race would restart on lap 30. On lap 34, Justin Marks spun out in turn 8. No caution flew as he got back going again. On lap 37, green flag pit stops began. Kyle Larson went to pit on the same lap giving the lead to Ryan Blaney. On lap 49, Brad Keselowski spun in turn 16 while he was racing with Martin Truex Jr. and ended up collecting Truex in the process which made Truex and his crew mad. Ryan Blaney would win stage 2. Some drivers pitted while others stayed out during the caution period and Kyle Larson was new leader and he led the field to the restart on lap 55. On lap 59, the fourth caution flew for debris when Austin Dillon hit the wall in turn 14.
The race would restart with 48 laps to go. With 44 to go, the 5th caution would fly when Austin Dillon hit the wall again, this time in turn 17. The race would restart with 42 laps to go. With 41 to go, the 6th caution would occur when Chris Buescher and Aric Almirola crashed separately in turn 6. Buescher's car ended up getting caught onto a EchoPark Automotive sign on the tire barriers in turn 6 and the sign stuck onto Buescher's car the whole way around the track until he got to pit road. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led the field to the restart with 38 laps to go. With 37 to go, Paul Menard took the lead from Stenhouse. With 36 to go, Ryan Newman spun in turn 7. No caution flew as he got back going again. With 35 to go, Brad Keselowski took the lead from Paul Menard. During the same lap, another sign got took out, this time by J. J. Yeley who got out of line in turn 6 and took out the Bojangles signs in the process. The sign got stuck onto his front bumper the rest of the way around the track until he came into the pits to get it removed. Keselowski continued to lead. But with 8 laps to go, the 7th caution flew when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crashed in turn 1. The race would restart with 6 laps to go. But on the restart, chaos ensued into the first turn that triggered a big wreck collecting 14 cars bringing out the 8th and final caution of the race. Leader Brad Keselowski went into turn 1 too fast and ended up locking the left front and hit the wall. Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Paul Menard, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron ended up following Keselowski into the barriers while Daniel Hemric ended up spinning after contact by Busch and Trevor Bayne and collected Ty Dillon, Aric Almirola, Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, Ryan Newman, and Ross Chastain. The race was red flagged for the accident. The red flag lasted for nearly 15 minutes before things got going again. Martin Truex Jr. was the new leader. The points standings started to heat up. Kyle Larson was 5 points above the cutoff line and below the cutoff line was Aric Almirola. Almirola and Larson restarted 25th and 26th for the restart. The race restarted with 3 laps to go and Truex took the lead with Jimmie Johnson following close behind him. Johnson had not won a race since the 2017 AAA 400 Drive for Autism which spanned 52 races. Soon Truex and Johnson broke away from the pack. Soon, Almirola was up to 21st with 2 laps to go and needed to pass two more cars being Daniel Suárez and Ty Dillon. On the final lap, Almirola made the pass on Dillon in the last two turns and passed Suárez in turn 1 which dropped Kyle Larson below the cutoff line. Meanwhile for the lead, Jimmie Johnson was 9th in the standings and only 7 points above 13th. Johnson could only run behind Truex and he would advance. However, Johnson wants a win instead and began challenging Truex for the lead. Johnson had cut the margin from about a car length and a half to half a car length coming out of the bus stop. Coming towards the last three turns, Johnson looked to Truex's left side and ended up sliding out a bit in the process. Johnson then got loose and spun behind Truex off of turn 15. It looked like Truex was going to have the win. But, Johnson cut through turn 16 spinning and ended up coming up the track and clipping Truex in the right rear turning Truex around and backing into the wall off of turn 17. Neither Johnson nor Truex had gotten back up to speed and none had crossed the start finish line. Johnson attempted to go but came to a full stop first to make sure that if he was okay if he cut the course. But while he did that, Ryan Blaney came through Truex and Johnson and Blaney would take home his second career Cup Series victory, his first of the season, and securing a spot into the round of 12. Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Alex Bowman, and Kurt Busch rounded out the top 5 while Chase Elliott, A. J. Allmendinger, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Joey Logano rounded out the top 10.[21]
After the race was over, Martin Truex Jr. showed his displeasure to Jimmie Johnson for how he was raced when he turned Johnson around in turn 1. As a result of attempting of going for the win, Johnson was knocked out of contention with his 8th place finish. This would actually get Kyle Larson back into the round of 12 after Larson passed a spinning Jeffrey Earnhardt on the final lap. Other drivers that were eliminated were Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, and Erik Jones.[22]
Stage 1Laps: 25
Stage 2Laps: 25
Stage 3Laps: 59
NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the call in the booth for the race. Parker Kligerman called from different locations around the 17-turn ROVAL. Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane during the race.
The Performance Racing Network had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
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