2018 Daytona 500 Results – February 18, 2018 – MENCS

2018 Daytona 500 race results from February 18, 2018 featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Today, the new NASCAR season gets underway. The Daytona 500 hosts 40 of the best drivers on pavement via the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

View full 2018 Daytona 500 results below.

Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin will lead the field to the green flag. 60 laps in stage one, 60 laps in stage 2 and 80 laps in stage three will complete the 200 lap event. The Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway is next…

Stage 1 – Report

Green, Bowman is clear into turn 1. He leaves the lane open and Hamlin fills the gap. Hamlin takes over the top spot. Of active drivers, Hamlin has the most laps led at Daytona.

2018 Daytona 500 start - Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Actress Charlize Theron waves the green flag to start the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Lap 3, Bubba Wallace is looking for the lead! Wallace has help from Stenhouse. 3 wide behind them. The caution is out for Corey LaJoie. Pit lane violation for Denny Hamlin, he’ll be held and sent to the back. Kurt Busch is first off pit road.

lap 16, Bowman is fighting for the lead. Denny Hamlin did not catch the draft in time for the green after serving his penalty.

Kasey Kahne is sideways off turn 4. He’s sideways but saves it. Kahne is pointed at the pit entance, he hits it at 200 mph. Kahne slows down on his trip through the lane, no caution and no penalty. Kahne was running 6th. Hamlin radio on Kahne, “I think I might have a drafting partner.”

Lap 28, Stenhouse pushes Erik Jones to the lead on the high side. The field has strung out into a single file line around the top. As the pack reforms, Stenhouse to the lead.

Lap 45, Chase Elliott was hung out to dry about 15 laps ago. He’s just recovered and returned to the front with help from Joey Logano.

Caution, Kyle Busch has blown a tire. He loops it in turn 3 and DJ Kennington catches his rear bumper on the way by. The top 10 skips pit road.

5 to go, green flag is out. Elliott pushes Kurt Busch to the lead. Elliott looks for the lead down the back, Busch throws a block. Erik Jones looks to the outside with help from Stenhouse. Elliott is lost in the middle. Stenhouse dives to the bottom to take over 2nd.

1 to go in stage one, Kurt Busch leads by 3 cars lengths down the back. Stenhouse slides from the top to the bottom to catch the front bumper of Blaney. Stenhouse is sideways down the back! He saves it! But, the rest of the field stacks up behind him. Jones, Johnson, Bowman, Suarez, Byron, Ty Dillon, Larson, Truex and more are involved.

Related: Jimmie Johnson comments after early crash

Big One in 2018 Daytona 500 - Stage 1 crash
Big One in 2018 Daytona 500 – Stage 1 crash

Stage 1 Results: 1. Kurt Busch; 2. Alex Bowman; 3. Ryan Blaney; 4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr; 5. Martin Truex Jr; 6. Michael McDowell; 7. Chase Elliott; 8. Kevin Harvick; 9. Paul Menard; 10. Trevor Bayne;

Stage 2 – Report

Kurt Busch has overshot his pit stall. Denny Hamlin is back on the lead lap. Green, Bowman and Blaney are side by side for the lead. Blaney wins the battle and drops to the bottom.

Lap 93, the caution is out. William Byron got into the wall. Damage from earlier might have caused a blown tire. Most of the field hits the pits. Martin Truex Jr stays out.

Green, Truex leads with fresh tires behind him. Blaney to the lead with a push from Harvick.

Lap 102, big crash at the front! Elliott had a huge run on Ryan Blaney and help from behind with Brad Keselowski. Elliott faked a move to the low side heading into turn 3. Keselowski started to go low with him. At the last second, Elliott took it to the right. Keselowski got into the left rear of Elliott and set him hard into the wall. He spun violently against the outside wall and collected Keselowski, Harvick, Danica Patrick and more.

Related: Danica Patrick comments after Daytona crash

Danica Patrick crashes out of the 2018 Daytona 500
Danica Patrick crashes out of the 2018 Daytona 500 (Photo: FOX Sports)

Green, Blaney leads. Stenhouse has jumped out of line, his car is running a little hot, steam flows from the hood of the #17. Stenhouse hits the pits! The top 8 run single file around the highside.

1 to go in stage 2, Blaney leads Paul Menard at the front. Still single file around the top. Blaney cruises to win stage number tow.

Stage 2 Results: 1. Ryan Blaney; 2. Paul Menard; 3. Joey Logano; 4. Aric Almirola; 5. Michael McDowell; 6. Martin Truex Jr; 7. Darrell Wallace Jr; 8. Trevor Bayne; 9. Austin Dillon; 10. Denny Hamlin;

Stage 3 – Report

Blaney is first in and first off pit road. Green, Blaney leads into turn 1 with help from Joey Logano.

Blaney has taken control of this race. Still single file around the top.

Ryan Blaney leads the Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Peak Ford, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

29 to go, green flag pit stops are underway. Blaney leads the field to the pits, they all follow. Hamlin remains on the track to lead a lap, Hamlin comes in the following lap. Blaney has already cycled back to the lead.

Joey Logano came into the pits in 2nd. He’ll cycle out to last. Too fast entering, pass through penalty for Joey Logano.

Blaney leads Martin Truex Jr and Kurt Busch.

16 to go, Joey Logano has just gone a lap down.

10 to go, 14 cars are single file at the front. Caution! William Byron has blown a tire and spun. This race just changed dramatically. Joey Logano will get the free pass and be put back on the lead lap.

Green flag, 7 laps to go. Blaney gets the jump on Martin Truex Jr. The top line loses ground. Hamlin weaves from the bottom to the top. He looks to the outside of Blaney! Hamlin to the lead! Blaney is stuck in the middle and going backwards.

Blaney has another run. He’s on the outside of Kurt Busch but he has no help. Kurt Busch back to the lead. Another run, Busch blocks and Almirola fills the bottom. Almirola to the lead.

Blaney has a another run on the highside. Almirola has one on the bottom. Busch can only block one of them, he drops low. Blaney powers by on the outside.

3 to go, Blaney and Hamlin are side by side into turn 3. Hamlin catches a push from Kurt Busch. Hamlin throws a block to Kurt Busch exiting the tri-oval. Busch is sideways into turn 1!

Hamlin stacked up the top lane after the block to Kurt Busch. Blaney was all over the rear bumper of Kurt Busch into turn 1. No contact, packing air into the left rear bumper sent Busch around in front of the field. At least 10 cars are involved. Busch, Stenhouse, Bowman, Truex, DiBenedetto, Gaughan and more are involved.

NASCAR overtime! The first attempt at green-white-checkered is up next. Hamlin and Almirola will lead them to the green flag.

Green,  they’re even into turn 1. Almirola side drafts through the middle of turns 1-2. Almirola has momentum off turn 2. Hamlin has no help on the bottom.

1 to go, Almirola leads by a car length. Austin Dillon has a run on the highside. He pulls up to block. Almirola is around off the front bumper of Almirola.

Austin Dillon wins the 60th running of the Daytona 500!

View full 2018 Daytona 500 results below.

Austin Dillon wins the Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 DOW Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

2018 Daytona 500 Results
February 18, 2018
NASCAR Cup Series

POS | Driver

1. Austin Dillon
2. Darrell Wallace Jr
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Joey Logano
5. Chris Buescher
6. Paul Menard
7. Ryan Blaney
8. Ryan Newman
9. Michael McDowell
10. AJ Allmendinger
11. Aric Almirola
12. Trevor Bayne
13. Justin Marks
14. David Gilliland
15. Clint Bowyer
16. Jamie McMurray
17. Alex Bowman
18. Martin Truex Jr
19. Kyle Larson
20. Gray Gaulding
21. Jeffrey Earnhardt
22. Mark Thompson
23. William Byron
24. DJ Kennington
25. Kyle Busch
26. Kurt Busch
27. Matt DiBenedetto
28. Brendan Gaughan
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
30. David Ragan
31. Kevin Harvick
32. Brad Keselowski
33. Chase Elliott
34. Kasey Kahne
35. Danica Patrick
36. Erik Jones
37. Daniel Suarez
38. Jimmie Johnson
39. Ty Dillon
40. Corey LaJoie

Austin Dillon wins the 2018 Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 DOW Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
2018 Daytona 500 Video Highlights
February 18, 2018
NASCAR Cup Series

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Related: Daytona Xfinity Results – February 17, 2018

Related: Daytona Truck Results – February 16, 2018

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Daytona | NASCAR | Shane Walters

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