Cup Series · 2018 · race 1 of 36
DAYTONA 500
- TrackDaytona International Speedway
- ScheduledSun, Feb 18, 2018 · 2:30 PM ET
- Laps207 of 200 scheduled
- Cars40
- Official winnerAustin Dillon (#3)
- TLS leaderRyan Blaney (#12) · 7,630
Three ways to measure this race
| Official winner | TLS leader | Best ARP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Austin Dillon (#3) | Ryan Blaney (#12) | Ryan Blaney (#12) |
| Finish | P1 | P7 | P7 |
| TLS points | 4,863 | 7,630 | 7,630 |
| ARP | 17.62 | 4.32 | 4.32 |
| Laps led | 1 | 118 | 118 |
Three different ways to measure a race — and they often point to different drivers.
Official winner — Austin Dillon (#3): where the car was at the checkered flag (P1). Led 1 laps with 17.62 average running position and 4,863 TLS points.
TLS leader — Ryan Blaney (#12): most position-weighted points across every scored lap (7,630 points). Finished P7 with 118 laps led and 4.32 ARP. TLS rewards running up front all afternoon, not only the final lap.
Best ARP — same as the TLS leader (4.32). The official winner ran a worse average position (17.62).
The checkered flag reflects who survived the final seconds. TLS reflects where drivers ran across the whole race. ARP tells you the typical running spot — but not who banked the most valuable laps.
Race Notes auto-generated
- Official winner: Austin Dillon (#3), who ranked 15th on TLS with 4,863 points.
- TLS leader: Ryan Blaney (#12) with 7,630 points, finished P7, ARP 4.32.
- Most laps led: Ryan Blaney, 118 laps.
- Luck index ▼ Kurt Busch ran 4th on TLS but finished P26 (22 spots worse than they ran).
- Luck index ▲ Austin Dillon finished P1 after running 15th on TLS (14 spots better than they ran).
Auto-generated stats from TrueLapScore lap data. Not a written story.
Race results
| Fin | TLS rank | Driver | Car | Make | Team | Start | Laps led | ARP | TLS points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | 14 | 1 | 17.62 | 4,863 |
| 2 | 6 | Darrell Wallace Jr. # | 43 | Chevrolet | Richard Petty Motorsports | 7 | 0 | 10.72 | 6,298 |
| 3 | 12 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 2 | 22 | 15.16 | 5,374 |
| 4 | 7 | Joey Logano | 22 | Ford | Team Penske | 5 | 3 | 11.82 | 6,069 |
| 5 | 16 | Chris Buescher | 37 | Chevrolet | JTG Daugherty Racing | 21 | 0 | 19.07 | 4,561 |
| 6 | 3 | Paul Menard | 21 | Ford | Wood Brothers Racing | 16 | 1 | 9.81 | 6,488 |
| 7 | 1 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Ford | Team Penske | 3 | 118 | 4.32 | 7,630 |
| 8 | 8 | Ryan Newman | 31 | Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | 13 | 0 | 12.15 | 6,000 |
| 9 | 13 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Ford | Front Row Motorsports | 22 | 0 | 16.62 | 5,070 |
| 10 | 14 | AJ Allmendinger | 47 | Chevrolet | JTG Daugherty Racing | 20 | 1 | 17.16 | 4,959 |
| 11 | 9 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Ford | Stewart-Haas Racing | 37 | 1 | 13.41 | 5,711 |
| 12 | – | Justin Marks(i) | 51 | Chevrolet | Rick Ware Racing | 29 | 1 | – | 2,854 (i) |
| 13 | 11 | Trevor Bayne | 6 | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 18 | 0 | 14.86 | 5,410 |
| 14 | – | * David Gilliland(i) | 92 | Ford | RBR Enterprises | 39 | 0 | – | 3,361 (i) |
| 15 | 19 | Clint Bowyer | 14 | Ford | Stewart-Haas Racing | 10 | 0 | 20.43 | 4,257 |
| 16 | 24 | Jamie McMurray | 1 | Chevrolet | Chip Ganassi Racing | 19 | 0 | 26.39 | 3,010 |
| 17 | 2 | Alex Bowman | 88 | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 1 | 13 | 7.72 | 6,856 |
| 18 | 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 78 | Toyota | Furniture Row Racing | 24 | 4 | 10.42 | 6,299 |
| 19 | 18 | Kyle Larson | 42 | Chevrolet | Chip Ganassi Racing | 38 | 0 | 20.19 | 4,266 |
| 20 | 23 | Gray Gaulding | 23 | Toyota | BK Racing | 34 | 0 | 24.88 | 3,305 |
| 21 | 22 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | 00 | Chevrolet | StarCom Racing | 27 | 0 | 22.51 | 3,791 |
| 22 | 29 | * Mark Thompson | 66 | Ford | Phoenix Air Racing | 40 | 0 | 31.10 | 2,020 |
| 23 | 20 | William Byron # | 24 | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 33 | 0 | 20.28 | 4,227 |
| 24 | 27 | * DJ Kennington | 96 | Toyota | Gaunt Brothers Racing | 30 | 0 | 30.22 | 2,177 |
| 25 | 25 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 12 | 0 | 28.67 | 2,479 |
| 26 | 4 | Kurt Busch | 41 | Ford | Stewart-Haas Racing | 11 | 16 | 9.28 | 6,313 |
| 27 | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | 32 | Ford | GO FAS Racing | 36 | 0 | 20.03 | 4,172 |
| 28 | 17 | * Brendan Gaughan | 62 | Chevrolet | Beard Motorsports | 25 | 0 | 19.10 | 4,359 |
| 29 | 10 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 17 | Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | 9 | 11 | 13.46 | 5,454 |
| 30 | 30 | David Ragan | 38 | Ford | Front Row Motorsports | 15 | 0 | 23.10 | 1,934 |
| 31 | 26 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Ford | Stewart-Haas Racing | 6 | 0 | 18.73 | 2,361 |
| 32 | 28 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Ford | Team Penske | 31 | 0 | 20.54 | 2,107 |
| 33 | 31 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 4 | 4 | 22.18 | 1,919 |
| 34 | 33 | Kasey Kahne | 95 | Chevrolet | Leavine Family Racing | 26 | 0 | 26.37 | 1,492 |
| 35 | 32 | Danica Patrick | 7 | Chevrolet | Premium Motorsports | 28 | 0 | 25.97 | 1,533 |
| 36 | 34 | Erik Jones | 20 | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 8 | 11 | 26.19 | 888 |
| 37 | 35 | Daniel Suarez | 19 | Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing | 17 | 0 | 28.14 | 772 |
| 38 | 36 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | 35 | 0 | 30.97 | 602 |
| 39 | 37 | Ty Dillon | 13 | Chevrolet | Germain Racing | 23 | 0 | 31.24 | 586 |
| 40 | 38 | Corey LaJoie | 72 | Chevrolet | TriStar Motorsports | 32 | 0 | 38.28 | 24 |
official winner TLS leader · (i) ineligible for series points (lap points shown for reference, not counted) · legend
Season standings through this race
| Rank | Driver | Car | Season points | ARP | Laps led | This race |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | 7,630 | 4.32 | 118 | 7,630 |
| 2 | Alex Bowman | 88 | 6,856 | 7.72 | 13 | 6,856 |
| 3 | Paul Menard | 21 | 6,488 | 9.81 | 1 | 6,488 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | 41 | 6,313 | 9.28 | 16 | 6,313 |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 78 | 6,299 | 10.42 | 4 | 6,299 |
| 6 | Darrell Wallace Jr. # | 43 | 6,298 | 10.72 | 0 | 6,298 |
| 7 | Joey Logano | 22 | 6,069 | 11.82 | 3 | 6,069 |
| 8 | Ryan Newman | 31 | 6,000 | 12.15 | 0 | 6,000 |
| 9 | Aric Almirola | 10 | 5,711 | 13.41 | 1 | 5,711 |
| 10 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 17 | 5,454 | 13.46 | 11 | 5,454 |
| 11 | Trevor Bayne | 6 | 5,410 | 14.86 | 0 | 5,410 |
| 12 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | 5,374 | 15.16 | 22 | 5,374 |
| 13 | Michael McDowell | 34 | 5,070 | 16.62 | 0 | 5,070 |
| 14 | AJ Allmendinger | 47 | 4,959 | 17.16 | 1 | 4,959 |
| 15 | Austin Dillon | 3 | 4,863 | 17.62 | 1 | 4,863 |
| 16 | Chris Buescher | 37 | 4,561 | 19.07 | 0 | 4,561 |
| 17 | * Brendan Gaughan | 62 | 4,359 | 19.10 | 0 | 4,359 |
| 18 | Kyle Larson | 42 | 4,266 | 20.19 | 0 | 4,266 |
| 19 | Clint Bowyer | 14 | 4,257 | 20.43 | 0 | 4,257 |
| 20 | William Byron # | 24 | 4,227 | 20.28 | 0 | 4,227 |
| 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | 32 | 4,172 | 20.03 | 0 | 4,172 |
| 22 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | 00 | 3,791 | 22.51 | 0 | 3,791 |
| 23 | Gray Gaulding | 23 | 3,305 | 24.88 | 0 | 3,305 |
| 24 | Jamie McMurray | 1 | 3,010 | 26.39 | 0 | 3,010 |
| 25 | Kyle Busch | 18 | 2,479 | 28.67 | 0 | 2,479 |
| 26 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | 2,361 | 18.73 | 0 | 2,361 |
| 27 | * DJ Kennington | 96 | 2,177 | 30.22 | 0 | 2,177 |
| 28 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | 2,107 | 20.54 | 0 | 2,107 |
| 29 | * Mark Thompson | 66 | 2,020 | 31.10 | 0 | 2,020 |
| 30 | David Ragan | 38 | 1,934 | 23.10 | 0 | 1,934 |
| 31 | Chase Elliott | 9 | 1,919 | 22.18 | 4 | 1,919 |
| 32 | Danica Patrick | 7 | 1,533 | 25.97 | 0 | 1,533 |
| 33 | Kasey Kahne | 95 | 1,492 | 26.37 | 0 | 1,492 |
| 34 | Erik Jones | 20 | 888 | 26.19 | 11 | 888 |
| 35 | Daniel Suarez | 19 | 772 | 28.14 | 0 | 772 |
| 36 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | 602 | 30.97 | 0 | 602 |
| 37 | Ty Dillon | 13 | 586 | 31.24 | 0 | 586 |
| 38 | Corey LaJoie | 72 | 24 | 38.28 | 0 | 24 |