Daytona 500
Daytona International Speedway, February 18, 2018
Austin Dillon
Winner
207
Laps
40
Entries
14
Leaders
Austin Dillon won the 2018 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018, leading 1 of 207 laps. Bubba Wallace finished second; Denny Hamlin rounded out the podium. The race featured 14 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Season
2018
Winner
Leaders
14 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | +13 | Austin Dillon |
| 2 | 7 | +5 | Bubba Wallace |
| 3 | 2 | -1 | Denny Hamlin |
| 4 | 5 | +1 | Joey Logano |
| 5 | 21 | +16 | Chris Buescher |
| 6 | 16 | +10 | Paul Menard |
| 7 | 3 | -4 | Ryan Blaney |
| 8 | 13 | +5 | Ryan Newman |
| 9 | 22 | +13 | Michael McDowell |
| 10 | 20 | +10 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 11 | 37 | +26 | Aric Almirola |
| 12 | 29 | +17 | Justin Marks |
| 13 | 18 | +5 | Trevor Bayne |
| 14 | 39 | +25 | David Gilliland |
| 15 | 10 | -5 | Clint Bowyer |
| 16 | 19 | +3 | Jamie McMurray |
| 17 | 1 | -16 | Alex Bowman |
| 18 | 24 | +6 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 19 | 38 | +19 | Kyle Larson |
| 20 | 34 | +14 | Gray Gaulding |
| 21 | 27 | +6 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 22 | 40 | +18 | Mark Thompson |
| 23 | 33 | +10 | William Byron |
| 24 | 30 | +6 | D.J. Kennington |
| 25 | 12 | -13 | Kyle Busch |
| 26 | 11 | -15 | Kurt Busch |
| 27 | 36 | +9 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 28 | 25 | -3 | Brendan Gaughan |
| 29 | 9 | -20 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 30 | 15 | -15 | David Ragan |
| 31 | 6 | -25 | Kevin Harvick |
| 32 | 31 | -1 | Brad Keselowski |
| 33 | 4 | -29 | Chase Elliott |
| 34 | 26 | -8 | Kasey Kahne |
| 35 | 28 | -7 | Danica Patrick |
| 36 | 8 | -28 | Erik Jones |
| 37 | 17 | -20 | Daniel Suarez |
| 38 | 35 | -3 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 39 | 23 | -16 | Ty Dillon |
| 40 | 32 | -8 | Corey LaJoie |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 20 matched drivers, the model averaged 12.3 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Dillon | 21.1 | 1 | +20.1 |
| 2 | Bubba Wallace | 16.9 | 2 | +14.9 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 15.1 | 3 | +12.1 |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 18.5 | 4 | +14.5 |
| 5 | Chris Buescher | 13.6 | 5 | +8.6 |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | 10.4 | 7 | +3.4 |
| 9 | Michael McDowell | 19.2 | 9 | +10.2 |
| 10 | A.J. Allmendinger | 22.9 | 10 | +12.9 |
| 17 | Alex Bowman | 17.4 | 17 | +0.4 |
| 18 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.5 | 18 | +2.5 |
| 19 | Kyle Larson | 20.1 | 19 | +1.1 |
| 23 | William Byron | 13.9 | 23 | -9.1 |
| 29 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 29 | -10.5 |
| 32 | Brad Keselowski | 18.5 | 32 | -13.5 |
| 33 | Chase Elliott | 13.6 | 33 | -19.4 |
| 36 | Erik Jones | 16.0 | 36 | -20.0 |
| 37 | Daniel Suarez | 15.1 | 37 | -21.9 |
| 38 | Jimmie Johnson | 20.0 | 38 | -18.0 |
| 39 | Ty Dillon | 22.9 | 39 | -16.1 |
| 40 | Corey LaJoie | 23.3 | 40 | -16.7 |
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
- Austin Dillon: has 39 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.5 avg finish (3 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Ryan Blaney: was the model’s top pick based on 26 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.5 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P7 on the day.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2018 Daytona 500?
Austin Dillon won the 2018 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway driving for Richard Childress Racing.
Where was the 2018 Daytona 500 held?
The 2018 Daytona 500 was held at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018.