2018 Can-Am 500
The 2018 Can-Am 500 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on November 11, 2018, at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps on the one mile (1.6 km) oval, it was the 35th race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, ninth race of the Playoffs, and final race of the Round of 8.
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 35 of 36 in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | November 11, 2018 | ||
| Location | ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1 mi (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (499.2 km) | ||
| Average speed | 98.354 miles per hour (158.285 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Stewart-Haas Racing | ||
| Time | 25.836 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 117 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 2.0/2.1 (Overnight)[11] | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth Announcers | Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace | ||
| Turn Announcers | Kyle Rickey (1 & 2) and Buddy Long (3 & 4) | ||
Report
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
First practice
Erik Jones was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 26.113 seconds and a speed of 137.862 mph (221.867 km/h).[12]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.113 | 137.862 |
| 2 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.120 | 137.825 |
| 3 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.122 | 137.815 |
| Official first practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
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Kevin Harvick scored the pole for the race with a time of 25.836 and a speed of 139.340 mph (224.246 km/h).[13]
Qualifying results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 26.724 seconds and a speed of 134.710 mph (216.795 km/h).[14]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 26.724 | 134.710 |
| 2 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 26.730 | 134.680 |
| 3 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 26.770 | 134.479 |
| Official second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 26.642 seconds and a speed of 135.125 mph (217.463 km/h).[15]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 26.642 | 135.125 |
| 2 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 26.769 | 134.484 |
| 3 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 26.804 | 134.308 |
| Official final practice results | ||||||
Race
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Stage Results
Stage 1 Laps: 75
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
| Official stage one results | |||||
Stage 2 Laps: 75
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 24 | William Byron (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 1 |
| Official stage two results | |||||
Final Stage Results
Stage 3 Laps: 162
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 54 |
| 2 | 12 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 312 | 50 |
| 3 | 8 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 45 |
| 4 | 18 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 312 | 34 |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 312 | 39 |
| 6 | 21 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 31 |
| 7 | 17 | 6 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 312 | 30 |
| 8 | 15 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 35 |
| 9 | 19 | 24 | William Byron (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 30 |
| 10 | 30 | 43 | Darrell Wallace Jr. (R) | Richard Petty Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 27 |
| 11 | 22 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 26 |
| 12 | 24 | 47 | A. J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 312 | 25 |
| 13 | 10 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 312 | 32 |
| 14 | 13 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Toyota | 312 | 31 |
| 15 | 20 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 312 | 22 |
| 16 | 23 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 311 | 21 |
| 17 | 7 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 310 | 23 |
| 18 | 25 | 37 | Chris Buescher | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 19 |
| 19 | 28 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 18 |
| 20 | 31 | 38 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 310 | 17 |
| 21 | 27 | 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Go Fas Racing | Ford | 310 | 16 |
| 22 | 29 | 95 | Regan Smith | Leavine Family Racing | Chevrolet | 310 | 15 |
| 23 | 2 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 309 | 28 |
| 24 | 33 | 15 | Ross Chastain (i) | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 309 | 0 |
| 25 | 34 | 72 | Cole Whitt | TriStar Motorsports | Chevrolet | 309 | 12 |
| 26 | 32 | 00 | Landon Cassill (i) | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet | 308 | 0 |
| 27 | 38 | 7 | D. J. Kennington (i) | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 306 | 0 |
| 28 | 39 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 306 | 9 |
| 29 | 11 | 21 | Paul Menard | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 303 | 8 |
| 30 | 5 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 285 | 9 |
| 31 | 36 | 97 | Tanner Berryhill | Obaika Racing | Toyota | 283 | 6 |
| 32 | 14 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 272 | 12 |
| 33 | 3 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 262 | 4 |
| 34 | 4 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 237 | 15 |
| 35 | 16 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 133 | 2 |
| 36 | 26 | 19 | Daniel Suárez | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 96 | 1 |
| 37 | 9 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 95 | 1 |
| 38 | 35 | 23 | J. J. Yeley (i) | BK Racing | Toyota | 88 | 0 |
| 39 | 37 | 66 | Timmy Hill (i) | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 40 | 0 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 8 among different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 10 for 61
- Red flags: 1 for 16 minutes and 24 seconds
- Time of race: 3 hours, 10 minutes and 20 seconds
- Average speed: 98.354 miles per hour (158.285 km/h)
Media
Television
NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, two–time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and three-time Phoenix winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane during the race.
| NBC | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap: Rick Allen Color-commentator: Jeff Burton Color-commentator: Steve Letarte Color-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dave Burns Parker Kligerman Marty Snider Kelli Stavast |
Radio
MRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
| MRN | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Joe Moore Announcer: Jeff Striegle Announcer: Rusty Wallace | Turns 1 & 2: Dan Hubbard Turns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey | Alex Hayden Winston Kelley Steve Post Kim Coon |
Standings after the race
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References
- "2018 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. May 5, 2017. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- "Phoenix International Raceway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- "Entry List". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- "First Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- "Starting Lineup". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- "Second Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- "Final Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- "Can-Am 500 Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- "Manufacturer standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. November 12, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- "Phoenix final TV ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- Utter, Jim (November 9, 2018). "Erik Jones tops Kyle Busch in Friday's Cup practice at Phoenix". Motorsport.com. Avondale, Arizona: Motorsport Network. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- Fryer, Jenna (November 9, 2018). "Harvick shakes off cheating scandal to win pole at Phoenix". Associated Press. Avondale, Arizona: AP Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- Utter, Jim (November 10, 2018). "Kevin Harvick fastest in Saturday's first practice at Phoenix". Motorsport.com. Avondale, Arizona: Motorsport Network. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- Utter, Jim (November 10, 2018). "Kevin Harvick tops final Cup practice at Phoenix, Menard wrecks". Motorsport.com. Avondale, Arizona: Motorsport Network. Retrieved November 10, 2018.