STP 500
Martinsville Speedway, March 26, 2018
Clint Bowyer
Winner
500
Laps
38
Entries
6
Leaders
Clint Bowyer won the 2018 STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 26, 2018, leading 215 of 500 laps. Kyle Busch finished second; Ryan Blaney rounded out the podium. The race featured 6 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Monday, March 26, 2018
Track
Season
2018
Winner
Leaders
6 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | +8 | Clint Bowyer |
| 2 | 2 | — | Kyle Busch |
| 3 | 5 | +2 | Ryan Blaney |
| 4 | 1 | -3 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 5 | 8 | +3 | Kevin Harvick |
| 6 | 3 | -3 | Joey Logano |
| 7 | 16 | +9 | Alex Bowman |
| 8 | 25 | +17 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 9 | 21 | +12 | Chase Elliott |
| 10 | 4 | -6 | Brad Keselowski |
| 11 | 11 | — | Kurt Busch |
| 12 | 6 | -6 | Denny Hamlin |
| 13 | 15 | +2 | Paul Menard |
| 14 | 10 | -4 | Aric Almirola |
| 15 | 18 | +3 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 16 | 7 | -9 | Kyle Larson |
| 17 | 13 | -4 | Erik Jones |
| 18 | 23 | +5 | Daniel Suarez |
| 19 | 14 | -5 | Ryan Newman |
| 20 | 20 | — | William Byron |
| 21 | 24 | +3 | Michael McDowell |
| 22 | 32 | +10 | Ty Dillon |
| 23 | 22 | -1 | Chris Buescher |
| 24 | 29 | +5 | Kasey Kahne |
| 25 | 28 | +3 | David Ragan |
| 26 | 26 | — | Jamie McMurray |
| 27 | 35 | +8 | Cole Whitt |
| 28 | 37 | +9 | D.J. Kennington |
| 29 | 33 | +4 | Ross Chastain |
| 30 | 12 | -18 | Austin Dillon |
| 31 | 38 | +7 | J.J. Yeley |
| 32 | 31 | -1 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 33 | 27 | -6 | Trevor Bayne |
| 34 | 19 | -15 | Bubba Wallace |
| 35 | 30 | -5 | Harrison Rhodes |
| 36 | 34 | -2 | Gray Gaulding |
| 37 | 17 | -20 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 38 | 36 | -2 | Landon Cassill |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 21 matched drivers, the model averaged 7.6 positions off — better than the season average of 8.5. Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ryan Blaney | 6.8 | 3 | +3.8 |
| 4 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 14.0 | 4 | +10.0 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 10.3 | 6 | +4.3 |
| 7 | Alex Bowman | 15.6 | 7 | +8.6 |
| 8 | A.J. Allmendinger | 20.1 | 8 | +12.1 |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 9.9 | 9 | +0.9 |
| 10 | Brad Keselowski | 13.8 | 10 | +3.8 |
| 12 | Denny Hamlin | 6.8 | 12 | -5.2 |
| 15 | Jimmie Johnson | 18.0 | 15 | +3.0 |
| 16 | Kyle Larson | 10.3 | 16 | -5.7 |
| 17 | Erik Jones | 17.7 | 17 | +0.7 |
| 18 | Daniel Suarez | 14.0 | 18 | -4.0 |
| 20 | William Byron | 10.8 | 20 | -9.2 |
| 21 | Michael McDowell | 15.6 | 21 | -5.4 |
| 22 | Ty Dillon | 23.1 | 22 | +1.1 |
| 23 | Chris Buescher | 12.0 | 23 | -11.0 |
| 29 | Ross Chastain | 12.6 | 29 | -16.4 |
| 30 | Austin Dillon | 17.7 | 30 | -12.3 |
| 31 | J.J. Yeley | 27.3 | 31 | -3.7 |
| 34 | Bubba Wallace | 12.6 | 34 | -21.4 |
(showing top 20 finishers)
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Clint Bowyer: has 33 career starts at Martinsville Speedway with a 13.7 avg finish (1 win) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Ryan Blaney: was the model’s top pick based on 26 career starts at Martinsville Speedway with a 8.0 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P3 on the day.
- A.J. Allmendinger: was the biggest surprise, finishing P8 vs predicted P20. Track history: 35 starts, 20.7 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2018 STP 500?
Clint Bowyer won the 2018 STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway driving for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Where was the 2018 STP 500 held?
The 2018 STP 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on March 26, 2018.