2018 South Point 400

The 2018 South Point 400 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on September 16, 2018 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas. Contested over 272 laps – extended from 267 laps due to an overtime finish – on the 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometre) asphalt intermediate speedway, it was the 27th race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, and the opening race of the Playoffs (and its initial Round of 16).

Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski won his 3rd consecutive race to advance to the Round of 12, taking the lead from Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) on lap 251, recording Team Penske's 500th victory across their auto racing endeavors.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada outside the Las Vegas city limits and about 15 miles (24 kilometres) northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a 1,200-acre (490-hectare) complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Joey Logano was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.473 seconds and a speed of 189.653 mph (305.217 km/h).^[12]

Erik Jones scored the pole for the race with a time of 28.705 and a speed of 188.121 mph (302.751 km/h).^[13]

Ryan Newman was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 29.365 seconds and a speed of 183.892 mph (295.945 km/h).^[14]

Erik Jones was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.793 seconds and a speed of 181.251 mph (291.695 km/h).^[15]

Having started from pole position, Erik Jones ceded the lead on the opening lap to Joey Logano, who led the race up until the opening set of pit stops, which were conducted under green flag conditions. Kevin Harvick took the lead following the end of the pit stop cycle, but was surpassed by Martin Truex Jr. on lap 59, who ultimately went on to win the first stage ahead of Harvick and Alex Bowman. Following a restart at the end of lap 87, the first non-stage yellow flag was thrown on lap 90, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall in turn 3 which resulted in debris on track. Truex Jr. maintained the lead until the next caution period, at lap 112, when Ty Dillon suffered a tire failure on the frontstretch. Brad Keselowski moved ahead of Truex Jr. during the pit stop cycle, leading to the restart on lap 116, before Truex Jr. re-assumed the lead on lap 125. The race's fourth caution period occurred on lap 148,^[16] when Harvick's car suffered a right front blowout and went into the wall, with Jones collecting Harvick; both drivers retired from the race as a result.^[16] Keselowski retook the lead during the pit stop cycle, and ultimately won the second stage ahead of Kurt Busch and Truex Jr. after a five-lap run to the end of the stage.

Jamie McMurray led the field at the start of the final stage, having not pitted, but was overtaken by Kyle Larson upon the restart. Larson and Keselowski traded the lead over the next portion of the race, which included a caution period at lap 184 for rookie William Byron, who hit the wall in turn 3 after suffering a flat tire. Truex Jr. regained the lead on lap 202 before the next yellow flag period on lap 212,^[16] when McMurray's car spun following a failed tire, and in the process, collected the car of Chase Elliott, with both drivers forced out of the race.^[17] After Keselowski took the lead during the pit stops, Logano led at the restart on lap 222, holding the lead to the next caution period on lap 234, when Kyle Busch's car got loose coming out of turn 4 and spun down to the frontstretch grass. Keselowski jumped Logano and Truex Jr. during the pit stops before Larson cleared them all on the restart at the start of lap 238 to take the lead, before Denny Hamlin caused the next caution on lap 247,^[16] with a similar crash to Kyle Busch and forcing his retirement from the race. Keselowski gained the lead from Larson upon the restart, before another caution on lap 253, when Stenhouse Jr. got loose on the exit of turn 2 and A. J. Allmendinger made contact which saw Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall on the inside of the backstretch. Following further tire problems for Bowman and Jimmie Johnson on the next restart, the yellow flag was flown with six laps to go. Following the restart at the start of lap 266, and as the leaders were rounding turn 4 at the end of the lap, contact between Front Row Motorsports teammates David Ragan and Michael McDowell resulted in them both hitting the wall, and also collecting Ross Chastain, Matt DiBenedetto and Kurt Busch. After a red flag period of 10 minutes, racing ultimately resumed for a green–white–checkered finish, with Keselowski ultimately prevailing for his 3rd consecutive victory and Team Penske's 500th overall.^[16][18]

Stage 1 Laps: 80

Stage 2 Laps: 80

Stage 3 Laps: 107

• Lead changes: 23 among 9 different drivers
• Cautions/Laps: 12 for 59 laps
• Red flags: 1 for 10 minutes and 37 seconds
• Time of race: 3 hours, 28 minutes and 15 seconds
• Average speed: 111.849 miles per hour (180.004 km/h)

NBC Sports called the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth, while Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane.

PRN covered the radio call for the race which was also simulcast on SiriusXM's NASCAR Radio channel. Doug Rice, Mark Garrow and Wendy Venturini called the race in the booth when the field raced through the tri-oval. Rob Albright called the race from a billboard in turn 2 when the field raced through turns 1 and 2. Pat Patterson called the race from a billboard outside of turn 3 when the field raced through turns 3 and 4. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, Jim Noble and Heather DeBeaux worked pit road for the radio side.