Overview

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was the 70th season of NASCAR's top level of stock car racing. The championship consisted of 36 points-paying events, a multi-race playoff to determine the champion, and several exhibition and qualifying events that opened the year. The season officially began with the non-points Advance Auto Parts Clash, followed by the Can-Am Duel qualifying races and the signature points race, the Daytona 500.

Format and Competition

Races were contested under the stage-racing format introduced in the prior season: each points race was divided into stages with points awarded to the top finishers in each stage as well as the final race result. The season culminated with a four-driver Championship 4 at the season finale, the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead–Miami Speedway on November 18. Throughout the year teams and drivers competed for race wins, stage points, and positions in the playoff field.

Notable changes and developments

A major alteration in 2018 was the introduction of the Charlotte "Roval" layout for the Bank of America Roval 400. Rather than using the track's traditional quad-oval, organizers combined portions of the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval with an infield road-course section to create a hybrid circuit. The change added a distinctive road-course element to a schedule that otherwise featured a mix of ovals and a limited number of true road courses.

Schedule highlights

  • Season opener: Advance Auto Parts Clash (exhibition) and Can-Am Duel qualifying races.
  • Florida tradition: Daytona 500 as the first points race of the season.
  • Midseason: a varied sequence of short tracks, intermediate ovals and the new Roval road-course event.
  • Finale: Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead–Miami Speedway on Nov 18 to decide the champion.

Significance and legacy

The 2018 season continued to showcase NASCAR's attempts to balance traditional oval racing with changes intended to enhance competition and variety, including track reconfigurations like the Charlotte Roval and the continued use of stage racing to reward consistent performance. The schedule and format reinforced the emphasis on winning races to secure playoff berths and on accumulating stage points to improve championship prospects.

For further details on the opening events and race results, see the listed event pages linked above.