2018 KC Masterpiece 400

The KC Masterpiece 400 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on May 12, 2018, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) asphalt speedway, it was the 12th race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Background
Kansas Speedway is a 1.5 mi tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. It was built in 2001 and hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The Verizon IndyCar Series also raced at here until 2011. The speedway is owned and operated by the International Speedway Corporation.

Entry list
Matt Kenseth, who last raced in the 2017 Ford EcoBoost 400, made his first Cup series return, in the No. 6 for Roush Fenway Racing, doing so part-time. This was also the first Cup race since the 2014 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 where Trevor Bayne did not participate.

Final Practice
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.009 seconds and a speed of 186.149 mph.

Qualifying
Kevin Harvick scored the pole for the race with a time of 28.600 and a speed of 188.811 mph.

First stage
Martin Truex Jr. led the field to the green flag at 8:10 p.m., and Kevin Harvick took the lead on lap 1 and led 32 laps, The first caution of the race flew for a scheduled competition caution for rain, William Byron, driving his car, was penalized for an outside tire violation after making a stop for two tires during the first caution at lap 33 and was sent to the rear of the field. A tire carrier lost control of the tire and it crossed the pit box’s line.

The race restarted on lap 36, Jimmie Johnson, a three-time winner at Kansas Speedway, had to make a green-flag pit stop on lap 62 because of a loose wheel. Seven-time Cup champion Johnson has not won in 34 races, the longest drought of his career.

Ryan Blaney, who started in the first row on the outside of pole sitter Harvick, took the lead from his fellow Ford driver on lap 33, and held off pole sitter Kevin Harvick and won Stage 1. It was the third stage win of the season for Blaney, who collects 10 stage points and one playoff point for winning the stage. Blaney also won a stage at Daytona and Martinsville, and the second caution of the race flew for completion of the first stage.

Second stage
The race restarted on lap 89, There were four lead changes throughout the second stage.

Kyle Larson took the lead on lap 132 and easily held off the field and won the second stage. It was Larson’s first stage win of the season, and first since last November at Homestead, and earned him 10 stage points and a playoff point, and the third caution of the race flew for completion of the second stage.

Final stage
The race restarted on lap 168 and it remained green for 70 laps.

The fourth caution of the race flew on lap 238 for a two-car wreck on the back straightaway, Alex Bowman and Daniel Suárez got tangled up and had to leave the track for repairs. The only other cautions were after each stage, The track record for fewest cautions is three, set in the spring race of 2012.

The race restarted on lap 253 and the fifth caution flew for a multi-car wreck on the back straightaway, William Byron slid into Clint Bowyer, caught fire and collected six other cars -- Matt Kenseth, Ty Dillon, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher -- and sent several into the infield grass.

The race was red-flagged as cars were towed off the track and debris was cleared. After 13 minutes and 13 seconds, the red flag was lifted and the field was continued under caution,

The race was restarted on lap 259 after a fiery wreck brought out the red flag with less than 15 laps remaining, Harvick started sixth in a late restart. But the four tires he took when other stayed out proved to be the difference as he passed Truex as they approached the white flag. Polesitter Kevin Harvick passed Martin Truex Jr. with a little more than one lap remaining and went on to win the KC Masterpiece 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Post race
“I think as you look at the last couple of laps it wasn’t working for me on the bottom and I was able to make up some ground on the top," Harvick said, "and really I thought if it came down to it I could pass him on the bottom because my car went through one and two on the bottom or I could drive through the middle of three and four, but I just had to pick which lane. Truex wasn’t gonna choose and he never chose the high lane and we were able to drive right by.”

Driver comments
"Everything didn’t go exactly smooth and everybody just kept a good demeanor about things and kept calm and kept working through things," he said. "The same thing tonight. Everybody just kept working through trying to make the car better and we were able to wind up in Victory Lane.  Those are the days that you just grind it out.”

Stage Results
Stage 1 Laps: 80

Stage 2 Laps: 80

Final Stage Results
Stage 3 Laps: 107

Race statistics

 * Lead changes: 7 among different drivers
 * Cautions/Laps: 6 for 31
 * Red flags: 1 for 13 minutes and 13 seconds
 * Time of race: 2 hours, 53 minutes and 38 seconds
 * Average speed: 128.395 mph

Television
Fox Sports covered their eighth race at the Kansas Speedway. Mike Joy, three-time Kansas winner Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip called in the booth for the race. Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum handled the action on pit road for the television side.

Radio
MRN had the radio call for the race which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace called the race in the booth when the field raced through the tri-oval. Dave Moody covered the race from the Sunoco spotters stand outside turn 2 when the field is racing through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley called the race from a platform outside turn 4. Pete Pistone, Kim Coon, and Steve Post worked pit road for the radio side.

Standings after the race

 * Drivers' Championship standings


 * Manufacturers' Championship standings


 * Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
 * . – Driver has clinched a position in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.