| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 21 of 36 in the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 program cover | |||
| Date | July 29, 2018 (2018-07-29) | ||
| Location | Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2.5 miles (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 164 laps, 410 mi (659.831 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 160 laps, 400 mi (643.738 km) | ||
| Average speed | 132.460 miles per hour (213.174 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 50.851 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 52 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBCSN | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ||
| Nielsen ratings | 1.7/1.8 (Overnight)[10] | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace | ||
| Turn announcers | Dave Moody (1), Mike Bagley (2) and Kyle Rickey (3) | ||
The 2018 Gander Outdoors 400 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on July 29, 2018, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Contested over 164 laps – extended from 160 laps due to an overtime finish – on the 2.5-mile (4.0-kilometre) superspeedway, it was the 21st race of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
Leading a race-high 52 laps, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch took his 6th victory of the season, leading home teammate and polesitter Daniel Suárez in a 1–2 finish.
Entry list
Practice
First practice
Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 51.439 seconds and a speed of 174.965 mph (281.579 km/h).[11]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 51.439 | 174.965 |
| 2 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 51.449 | 174.931 |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 51.605 | 174.402 |
| Official first practice results | ||||||
Final practice
Joey Logano was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 51.029 seconds and a speed of 176.370 mph (283.840 km/h).[12]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 51.029 | 176.370 |
| 2 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 51.039 | 176.336 |
| 3 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Toyota | 51.310 | 175.404 |
| Official final practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
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Daniel Suárez scored the pole for the race with a time of 50.851 and a speed of 176.988 mph (284.835 km/h) after Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were both disqualified after failing post-qualifying inspection.[13]
Qualifying results
Race
Stage results
Stage 1 Laps: 50
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 19 | Daniel Suárez | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 50
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 24 | William Byron (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Final stage results
Stage 3 Laps: 60
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 164 | 47 |
| 2 | 3 | 19 | Daniel Suárez | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 164 | 41 |
| 3 | 20 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 164 | 43 |
| 4 | 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 164 | 52 |
| 5 | 8 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 164 | 32 |
| 6 | 6 | 24 | William Byron (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 164 | 32 |
| 7 | 11 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 164 | 49 |
| 8 | 16 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 164 | 29 |
| 9 | 13 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 164 | 31 |
| 10 | 7 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 164 | 35 |
| 11 | 21 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 164 | 39 |
| 12 | 18 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 164 | 28 |
| 13 | 12 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 164 | 24 |
| 14 | 27 | 47 | A. J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 164 | 23 |
| 15 | 14 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Toyota | 164 | 22 |
| 16 | 26 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 164 | 21 |
| 17 | 15 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 164 | 25 |
| 18 | 23 | 6 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 164 | 19 |
| 19 | 29 | 38 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 164 | 18 |
| 20 | 10 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 164 | 25 |
| 21 | 17 | 21 | Paul Menard | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 164 | 16 |
| 22 | 30 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 164 | 15 |
| 23 | 4 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 164 | 20 |
| 24 | 28 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 164 | 13 |
| 25 | 19 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart–Haas Racing | Ford | 164 | 12 |
| 26 | 5 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 164 | 11 |
| 27 | 31 | 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Go Fas Racing | Ford | 164 | 10 |
| 28 | 33 | 23 | J. J. Yeley (i) | BK Racing | Toyota | 164 | 0 |
| 29 | 32 | 96 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Gaunt Brothers Racing | Toyota | 163 | 8 |
| 30 | 24 | 95 | Kasey Kahne | Leavine Family Racing | Chevrolet | 162 | 7 |
| 31 | 36 | 99 | Kyle Weatherman | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 6 |
| 32 | 38 | 7 | Reed Sorenson | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 161 | 5 |
| 33 | 22 | 43 | Bubba Wallace (R) | Richard Petty Motorsports | Chevrolet | 153 | 4 |
| 34 | 37 | 00 | Landon Cassill | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 3 |
| 35 | 35 | 15 | Ross Chastain (i) | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 146 | 0 |
| 36 | 40 | 66 | Timmy Hill (i) | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 142 | 0 |
| 37 | 25 | 37 | Chris Buescher | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 123 | 1 |
| 38 | 9 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 121 | 9 |
| 39 | 34 | 72 | Corey LaJoie | TriStar Motorsports | Chevrolet | 95 | 1 |
| 40 | 39 | 51 | B. J. McLeod (i) | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 77 | 0 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 13 among 10 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 7 for 29 laps
- Red flags: 1 for 10 minutes and 10 seconds
- Time of race: 3 hours, 5 minutes and 43 seconds
- Average speed: 132.460 miles per hour (213.174 km/h)
Media
Television
NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and two-time Pocono winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth, while Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane.
| NBCSN | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap: Rick Allen Color commentator: Jeff Burton Color commentator: Steve Letarte Color commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dave Burns Marty Snider Kelli Stavast |
Radio
Motor Racing Network had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on SiriusXM's NASCAR Radio channel.
| MRN | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Joe Moore Announcer: Jeff Striegle Announcer: Rusty Wallace | Turn 1: Dave Moody Turns 2: Mike Bagley Turn 3: Kyle Rickey | Alex Hayden Winston Kelley Steve Post |
Standings after the race
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Notes
- Harvick failed post-qualifying inspection, losing his pole position and was moved to the back of the field.[14]
- Driver failed post-qualifying inspection, and was moved to the back of the field.
- Qualified for Ross Chastain, who was competing at Iowa Speedway in the U.S. Cellular 250, held as part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chastain started at the rear of the field.
References
- "2018 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. May 5, 2017. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- "Pocono Raceway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- "Entry List". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- "First Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- "Final Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- "Qualifying Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- "Gander Outdoors 400 Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- "Manufacturer standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- "Pocono final TV ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN. August 3, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
- Utter, Jim (July 28, 2018). "Kevin Harvick tops Erik Jones in Saturday's first practice at Pocono". Motorsport.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Motorsport Network. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- Utter, Jim (July 28, 2018). "Joey Logano tops Harvick in final practice at Pocono". Motorsport.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Motorsport Network. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- Gelston, Dan (July 28, 2018). "Harvick goes for 1st career Pocono Raceway win from the pole". Associated Press. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: AP Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- "Daniel Suárez elevated to Pocono pole after Nos. 4 and 18 fail inspection". July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.