2018 Alpha Energy Solutions 250
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=CUST|Avg={{convert|64.628|mph|km/h}}|Network=Fox Sports 1|Pole_Time=19.737|Description=Race 4 of 23 of the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series|Radio=Motor Racing Network|First_Team=NEMCO Motorsports|First_Driver=John Hunter Nemechek|Most_Driver=Ben Rhodes|Most_Team=ThorSport Racing|Pole_Team=ThorSport Racing|Most_laps=134|Pole_Driver=Ben Rhodes|Car=8|Location=Martinsville, Virginia, Martinsville Speedway|Course_km=0.847|Course_mi=0.526|Scheduled_laps=250|Distance_laps=250|Scheduled_km=211.628|Distance_km=211.628|Scheduled_mi=131.5|Race_Name=Alpha Energy Solutions 250|Official_name=Alpha Energy Solutions 250|Date=March 24–26|Year=2018|Distance_mi=131.5|Announcers=Vince Welch, Phil Parsons, Michael Waltrip|Image=Alpha_Energy_Solutions_250_logo.png}}
The 2018 Alpha Energy Solutions 250 was the 4th stock car race of the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the 24th iteration of the event. The race was originally held on Saturday, March 24, 2018 but after 24 laps, rain and snow postponed the race until Monday, March 26, 2018.{{Cite web|date=2018-03-25|title=NASCAR Truck race halted and postponed after just 24 laps|url=https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-truck/news/nascar-truck-race-halted-and-postponed-after-just-24-laps-1018504/|access-date=2021-10-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325232017/https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-truck/news/nascar-truck-race-halted-and-postponed-after-just-24-laps-1018504/|archive-date=2018-03-25}} The race was held in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. John Hunter Nemechek, driving a part-time schedule for NEMCO Motorsports would win the race after holding off Kyle Benjamin on a late-race restart, garnering the 6th win of his career and the first of the season.{{Cite web|last=McFadin|first=Daniel|date=2018-03-26|title=John Hunter Nemechek wins postponed Truck race at Martinsville|url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2018/03/26/john-hunter-nemechek-wins-postponed-truck-race-at-martinsville/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports|language=en-US}}
The race was the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut for Tyler Matthews,{{Cite web|date=2018-01-20|title=Tyler Matthews Set to Make 2018 Truck Series Debut with MDM Motorsports at Martinsville|url=https://theweeklyracer.com/2018/01/20/tyler-matthews-set-to-make-2018-truck-series-debut-with-mdm-motorsports-at-martinsville/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=The Weekly Racer|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2018-01-27|title=Tyler Matthews joins MDM Motorsports|url=https://www.espn.com/jayski/trucks/2018/story/_/id/22231801/tyler-matthews-joins-mdm-motorsports|access-date=2021-10-05|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Chris|title=Matthews to race in NASCAR Truck Series|url=https://www.jdnews.com/sports/20180122/matthews-to-race-in-nascar-truck-series|access-date=2021-10-05|website=The Daily News|language=en|archive-date=2021-10-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005051910/https://www.jdnews.com/sports/20180122/matthews-to-race-in-nascar-truck-series|url-status=dead}} Cory Roper,{{Cite web|last=Massie|first=Michael|date=2018-06-12|title=Cory Roper, The Definition Of Grassroots Racing|url=https://www.frontstretch.com/2018/06/12/beyond-the-cockpit-cory-roper-the-definition-of-grassroots-racing/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=www.frontstretch.com|language=en-US}} and Reid Wilson.{{Cite web|title=Reid Wilson to make NASCAR Truck debut at Martinsville|url=https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-truck/news/nascar-reid-wilson-debut-at-martinsville-1014227/1396042/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=www.motorsport.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Eggert|first=Seth|title=Reid Wilson to Make Truck Series Debut with Young's Motorsports|url=https://motorsportstribune.com/reid-wilson-to-make-truck-series-debut-with-youngs-motorsports/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=Motorsports Tribune|language=en-US}}
Background
File:Martinsville Speedway track map.png, the venue where the race was held.]]
Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.
= Entry list =
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor |
| 1 |
| 2
|Jegs |
| 02 |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 04
|Ford |
| 6 |
| 8 |
| 10
|[https://Driven2Honor.org/ Driven2Honor.org]{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} |
| 13
|Ford |Liberty Tax "You Do Life, We Do Taxes" |
| 15
|Bubba Bear Sauce Ain't Giving It Up Sauce |
| 16 |
| 18 |
| 20 |
| 21 |
| 22
|Kreuz Market "Shipping Real TX BBQ" |
| 24 |
| 25 |
| 33 |
| 35
| |
| 41
|Ford |
| 45 |
| 49
|[https://SobrietyNation.org/ SobrietyNation.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531123914/https://www.sobrietynation.org/ |date=2018-05-31 }} |
| 50 |
| 51 |
| 52
|Halmar "We Build America" |
| 54 |
| 57
| |
| 63 |
| 74 |
| 83 |
| 87
| |
| 88
|Ford |
| 92
|Ford |
| 98
|Ford |Champion Power Equipment "Powering Your Life." |
| 99 |
| colspan="5" |[http://autoracingdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/T1804_PREENTNUM.jpg Official entry list] |
|---|
Practice
= First practice =
First practice was held on Friday, March 23, at 11:05 AM EST. Justin Haley of GMS Racing would set the fastest time with a 20.118 and an average speed of {{Convert|94.125|mph|km/h}}.{{Cite web|last=Koelle|first=Christian|date=2018-03-23|title=Justin Haley, Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger Lead Martinsville Truck Practices|url=https://www.frontstretch.com/2018/03/23/justin-haley-matt-crafton-grant-enfinger-lead-martinsville-truck-practices/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=www.frontstretch.com|language=en-US}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|24 |20.118 |94.125 |
|---|
| 2
|18 |20.168 |93.891 |
| 3
|88 |Ford |20.201 |93.738 |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/cts04mar2018prac1.pdf Full first practice results] |
= Second practice =
Second practice was held on Friday, March 23, at 1:05 PM EST. Matt Crafton of ThorSport Racing would set the fastest time with a 20.023 and an average speed of {{Convert|94.571|mph|km/h}}.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|88 |Ford |20.023 |94.571 |
|---|
| 2
|16 |20.026 |94.557 |
| 3
|2 |20.032 |94.529 |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/cts04mar2018prac2.pdf Full second practice results] |
= Third and final practice =
Third and final practice was held on Friday, March 23, at 3:05 PM EST. Grant Enfinger of ThorSport Racing would set the fastest time with a 19.921 and an average speed of {{Convert|95.056|mph|km/h}}.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|98 |Ford |19.921 |95.056 |
|---|
| 2
|88 |Ford |19.924 |95.041 |
| 3
|54 |19.959 |94.874 |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/05/cts04mar2018prac3.pdf Full final practice results] |
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Saturday, March 24, at 11:05 AM EST. Since Martinsville Speedway is a short track, the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 15 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 15 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.{{Cite web|date=2018-02-07|title=NASCAR Qualifying Rules|url=https://www.espn.com/jayski/pages/story/_/id/18676661/nascar-qualifying-rules|access-date=2021-10-05|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}
Ben Rhodes of ThorSport Racing would set the fastest time in Round 3, with a 19.737 and an average speed of {{Convert|95.942|mph|km/h}}, thus winning the pole.{{Cite web|last=Catanzareti|first=Zach|date=2018-03-24|title=Ben Rhodes Scores Martinsville Pole In Truck Series|url=https://www.frontstretch.com/2018/03/24/ben-rhodes-scores-martinsville-pole-in-truck-series/|access-date=2021-10-05|website=www.frontstretch.com|language=en-US}}
While Mike Harmon would not set the slowest time (Mike Senica would set the slowest, being a over a second slower than Harmon), Harmon would not have enough owner points to qualify, making Harmon the only driver to fail to qualify for the race.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time (R1) !Speed (R1) !Time (R2) !Speed (R2) !Time (R3) !Speed (R3) |
| 1
|41 |Ford | | | | |19.737 |95.942 |
|---|
| 2
|88 |Ford | | | | |19.786 |95.704 |
| 3
|98 |Ford | | | | |19.810 |95.588 |
| 4
|54 | | | | |19.830 |95.492 |
| 5
|52 | | | | |19.831 |95.487 |
| 6
|21 | | | | |19.832 |95.482 |
| 7
|16 | | | | |19.850 |95.395 |
| 8
|8 | | | | |19.851 |95.391 |
| 9
|13 |Ford | | | | |19.889 |95.208 |
| 10
|2 | | | | |19.902 |95.146 |
| 11
|18 | | | | |19.965 |94.846 |
| 12
|24 | | | | |20.050 |94.444 |
| colspan="11" |Eliminated in Round 2 |
| 13
|51 | | |19.981 |94.770 |— |— |
| 14
|99 | | |20.011 |94.628 |— |— |
| 15
|02 | | |20.047 |94.458 |— |— |
| 16
|92 |Ford | | |20.097 |94.223 |— |— |
| 17
|04 |Ford | | |20.133 |94.055 |— |— |
| 18
|25 | | |20.176 |93.854 |— |— |
| 19
|45 | | |20.227 |93.617 |— |— |
| 20
|20 | | |20.248 |93.520 |— |— |
| 21
|22 | | |20.262 |93.456 |— |— |
| 22
|83 | | |20.406 |92.796 |— |— |
| 23
|4 |19.888 |95.213 |— |— |— |— |
| 24
|15 |20.248 |93.520 |— |— |— |— |
| colspan="11" |Eliminated in Round 1 |
| 25
|3 |20.414 |92.760 |— |— |— |— |
| 26
|33 |20.458 |92.560 |— |— |— |— |
| 27
|63 |20.474 |92.488 |— |— |— |— |
| colspan="11" |Qualified by owner's points |
| 28
|50 |20.532 |92.227 |— |— |— |— |
| 29
|49 |20.783 |91.113 |— |— |— |— |
| 30
|6 |20.998 |90.180 |— |— |— |— |
| 31
|10 |21.669 |87.388 |— |— |— |— |
| 32
|1 |23.001 |82.327 |— |— |— |— |
| colspan="11" |Failed to qualify or withdrew |
| 33
|74 |21.621 |87.582 |— |— |— |— |
| WD
|35 |— |— |— |— |— |— |
| WD
|57 |— |— |— |— |— |— |
| WD
|87 |— |— |— |— |— |— |
| colspan="11" |[https://onpitroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/T1804_STARTROW-page-001.jpg Official starting lineup] |
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 70
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Fin !# !Driver !Team !Make !Pts |
| 1
|41 |Ford |10 |
|---|
| 2
|88 |Ford |9 |
| 3
|98 |Ford |8 |
| 4
|21 |7 |
| 5
|54 |0 |
| 6
|8 |0 |
| 7
|52 |4 |
| 8
|18 |3 |
| 9
|16 |2 |
| 10
|13 |Ford |1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 70
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Fin !# !Driver !Team !Make !Pts |
| 1
|41 |Ford |10 |
|---|
| 2
|4 |9 |
| 3
|21 |8 |
| 4
|88 |Ford |7 |
| 5
|8 |0 |
| 6
|18 |5 |
| 7
|16 |4 |
| 8
|98 |Ford |3 |
| 9
|13 |Ford |2 |
| 10
|51 |1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 110
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!St !# !Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Led !Status !Pts |
| 1
|8 |8 |250 |31 |running |0 |
|---|
| 2
|4 |54 |250 |74 |running |0 |
| 3
|7 |16 |250 |0 |running |41 |
| 4
|3 |98 |Ford |250 |0 |running |44 |
| 5
|11 |18 |250 |0 |running |39 |
| 6
|9 |13 |Ford |250 |0 |running |34 |
| 7
|16 |92 |Ford |250 |0 |running |30 |
| 8
|13 |51 |250 |0 |running |30 |
| 9
|15 |02 |250 |0 |running |28 |
| 10
|12 |24 |250 |0 |running |27 |
| 11
|18 |25 |250 |0 |running |26 |
| 12
|1 |41 |Ford |250 |134 |running |45 |
| 13
|17 |04 |Ford |250 |0 |running |24 |
| 14
|23 |4 |250 |1 |running |32 |
| 15
|2 |88 |Ford |250 |4 |running |38 |
| 16
|20 |20 |250 |0 |running |21 |
| 17
|28 |50 |250 |0 |running |20 |
| 18
|29 |49 |250 |0 |running |19 |
| 19
|6 |21 |249 |0 |running |33 |
| 20
|5 |52 |248 |6 |running |21 |
| 21
|14 |99 |248 |0 |running |16 |
| 22
|25 |3 |248 |0 |running |15 |
| 23
|22 |83 |234 |0 |electrical |14 |
| 24
|24 |15 |227 |0 |engine |13 |
| 25
|26 |33 |227 |0 |running |12 |
| 26
|10 |2 |225 |0 |running |11 |
| 27
|21 |22 |164 |0 |electrical |10 |
| 28
|19 |45 |158 |0 |crash |9 |
| 29
|31 |10 |55 |0 |electrical |8 |
| 30
|27 |63 |49 |0 |brakes |7 |
| 31
|30 |6 |35 |0 |too slow |6 |
| 32
|32 |1 |8 |0 |parked |5 |
| colspan="10" |Failed to qualify or withdrew |
| 33
! rowspan="4" | |74 ! colspan="4" rowspan="4" | |
| WD
|35 |
| WD
|57 |
| WD
|87 |
References
{{Reflist}}{{NASCAR next race|Previous_race=2018 Stratosphere 200|Series=NASCAR Camping World Truck Series|Monsteryear=2018|Next_race=2018 JEGS 200}}{{NASCAR on Fox}}{{2018 NASCAR Truck Series}}
Category:2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Category:NASCAR races at Martinsville Speedway