2018 Food City 500

The 2018 Food City 500 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on April 15 and 16, 2018, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. The second half of the race was postponed to April 16 due to rain. Contested over 500 laps on the concrete short track, it was the eighth race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Background
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating.

First practice
Ryan Blaney was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 14.774 seconds and a speed of 129.877 mph.

Qualifying
Kyle Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 14.895 and a speed of 128.822 mph.

Second practice
Kyle Larson was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 14.874 seconds and a speed of 129.004 mph.

Final practice
David Ragan was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 15.051 seconds and a speed of 127.487 mph.

Stage 1
At the drop of the green flag, pole-sitter Kyle Busch(18) jumped out to a six car length lead. As it turned out, starting at the rear helped avoid trouble. On lap 3, Michael McDowell(34) spun near the front of the field. Chase Elliott(9), Daniel Suarez(19), and defending Series Champion Martin Truex Jr.(78) got caught up in the melee.

Truex managed to lose only one lap. However, the nose of his car was pushed in badly. He reported the steering wheel was knocked off center from the impact.

Elliott lost eight laps as his crew attempted to repair the damage.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 are both 125 laps. The final stage, 250 laps. The race becomes official with the green and white checkered flag at the end of the second stage. Given the gray skies, a rain-shortened race was likely.

Fox Sports broadcasters Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Jeff Gordon were confident that if the race had long green flag runs the rain could be avoided. Siting the undocumented and very non-scientific weather phenomenon call the vortex effect. According to Waltrip the cars running on the tight half-mile track generate heat which spins upward like a corkscrew driving the clouds away.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The red flag was displayed on Lap 49 as rain again attacked the track with a brief shower. The jet blowers dried the track and the red was lifted after a 25-minute delay. Most teams took advantage of the yellow flag to pit and the race restarted with a new leader, Ryan Blaney(12).

Team Penske drivers all showed good speed through the weekend. Late in Stage 1, they ran 1-2-3 with Brad Keselowski(2) in second and Joey Logano(22) in third. Blaney led for 99 laps until getting caught up in a wreck on lap 118 that ended his day. Chris Buescher(37) and Harrison Rhodes(51) were also involved. Neither car was able to continue.

The caution just before the end of the Stage presented a dilemma for the crew chiefs. Some cars chose to stay out and take the Stage points. Other pitted opting for track position at the beginning of Stage 2.

Stage 2
Kyle Larson(42) held the top spot for the start of Stage 2. Followed by Erik Jones(20), Jimmie Johnson(48), Kurt Busch, and Kevin Harvick(4). All three cars that started in the back of the pack moved to the top 5.

Rain interrupted the event for the second time on lap 165, 85 laps from being an official race. The jet dryers again did their job and the red flag was lifted after 26 minutes. Jones led the race when it went back to green. A loose race car caused him to quickly fall off the pace. Larson took advantage of Jones misfortune going to the front. Larson opened a huge gap on the rest of the pack.

Rain returned and the race went red again on lap 204. This time the downpour completely soaked the track. Still, 46 laps from going into the books as an official race. The vortex having completely failed, forced NASCAR to postpone the conclusion of the race until Monday at 1:00 pm.

With temperatures 40-degrees colder than Sunday the cars returned to the track just after the 1:00 pm anticipated start time. A brief sleet storm passed and the jet dryers returned the track to race conditions. Cars had the time to pit before the green flag restarted the race. Larson chose to stay on the track while most everyone else on the lead lap pitted.

Back to green flag racing and Larson jumped out to a big lead. However, his tires began to fade just before the end of the stage. With seven laps to go Keselowski caught Larson and tapped his rear bumper. The nudge was enough to get Larson loose and Brad passed him. Keselowski held on for the stage win.

The Final Stage
After stage ending pit stops Keselowski held the top position for the restart. Hamlin quickly passed him, but only held the lead until lap 266. A loose wheel brought him back to the pits and Keselowski resumed the lead. Larson moved to the front for a short time, until pole-sitter Kyle Busch took over the lead and began to show the speed that earned him the top starting position.

With 177 laps to go and Larson again in the lead, he spun after contact with Ryan Newman(31).

Darrell Wallace Jr.(43) drove the King’s car to the front. The first laps Wallace has led in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

With rain moving towards the racetrack, the competition heated up. Kyle Busch drove to the front. He was followed by Larson, Ryan Newman(31), Johnson, and Wallace. The yellow put the field under caution with 110 laps to go as rain sprinkled lightly. NASCAR kept the cars on the track using the heat from their exhaust to keep the track dry. The green flag returned the field to racing with 101 laps left.

Kyle Busch continued to lead while Keselowski’s tires began to fade. Busch passed the 2 car with 63 laps to go putting Keselowski a lap down. A lap later Larson passed Busch for the lead.

Keselowski reported that something in the suspension of his car broke and he was going to try and ride it out to the finish. With 33 laps to go Keselowski’s left front tire went down. As he slowly circled the track the caution came out. After pit stops Larson led, Kyle Busch ran second. Johson held third, Stenhouse fourth, and Newman rounded out the top 5.

The green flew with 22 laps to go and Larson took the lead. Stenhouse moved into second and the battle for the top spot was on. After a bump from Stenhouse loosened Larson the pair drove side by side for the lead. Larson ultimately prevailed and moved away. Kyle Busch passed Stenhouse for second and began to chip away at the leader. Lapped traffic brought the two nose to tail. The bump and run put Busch back in the lead. Larson could not get back close enough to retaliate. Kyle Busch wins for the second time in 2018.

Stage Results
Stage 1 Laps: 125

Stage 2 Laps: 125

Final Stage Results
Stage 3 Laps: 250

Race statistics

 * Lead changes: 8 among different drivers
 * Cautions/Laps: 13 for 114
 * Red flags: 3 for 18 hours 58 minutes and 48 seconds
 * Time of race: 3 hours, 26 minutes and 25 seconds
 * Average speed: 77.465 mph

Television
Fox Sports covered their 18th race at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Mike Joy, five-time Bristol winner Jeff Gordon and 12-time Bristol winner – and all-time Bristol race winner – Darrell Waltrip had the call in the booth for the race. Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum handled the pit road duties for the television side.

Radio
PRN had the radio call for the race which was also be simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice, Mark Garrow and Wendy Venturini called the race in the booth when the field was racing down the frontstretch. Rob Albright called the race from atop the turn 3 suites when the field raced down the backstretch. Brad Gillie, Brett Mcmillan, Jim Noble, and Steve Richards covered the action on pit lane.

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.