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Top NASCAR stories and moments from 2018
By NASCAR.com | Published: December 29, 2018 15
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From the thrilling final laps of the Daytona 500 to the best Championship 4 field since the elimination-format was established, the 2018 season delivered. With new faces in new places, frantic last-lap finishes and rivalries taking shape, there was plenty to keep us on the edge of our seats. NASCAR.com has rounded up the top story lines and moments from the year as we prepare to turn the calendar to 2019. -- RJ Kraft
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Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
Honorable mention:
--Xfinity Series opener has thrilling five-overtime finish with Tyler Reddick edging Elliott Sadler in a margin of victory scored as .000 seconds.
--After 18 wins and 15 years in the top series, Kasey Kahne steps away from NASCAR racing.
--Clint Bowyer returns to Victory Lane -- snapping 190-race winless drought. In addition, SHR places all four cars in the Round of 8.
--Xfinity Series opener has thrilling five-overtime finish with Tyler Reddick edging Elliott Sadler in a margin of victory scored as .000 seconds.
--After 18 wins and 15 years in the top series, Kasey Kahne steps away from NASCAR racing.
--Clint Bowyer returns to Victory Lane -- snapping 190-race winless drought. In addition, SHR places all four cars in the Round of 8.
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Loren Orr | Getty Images for NASCAR)
13. Hailie Deegan is a talented driver, a walking soundbite and an entertaining social media personality all in one. Deegan, 17, moved Cole Rouse on the final lap of a K&N Pro Series West race at Meridian Speedway to take her first checkered flag in NASCAR. A part of the NASCAR Next Class of 2018, the win underscored Deegan's best on-track effort yet -- and had a "star is born" feel. -- Brad Norman
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12. Need proof 2018 was a unique season? Consider that in NASCAR's modern era (1972-present), 26 drivers have won three or more races in a row. Now think about that feat being accomplished three times in 2018 alone, with Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. It was a once-in-a-lifetime run. -- George Winkler
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11. The 2018 season started off with Austin Dillon's Daytona 500 win. Dillon made contact with Aric Almirola on the final lap and led just that last lap. He took the checkered flag in the iconic No. 3 car 20 years after Dale Earnhardt did the same for RCR. Rookie Bubba Wallace came home second in the race as well, meaning that the 3 and 43 finished 1-2. -- Jonathan Merryman
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10. Kevin Harvick's personal-best eighth win of the season carried lingering implications. In short: An illegal spoiler cost Harvick the benefits of his fall Texas win -- a Championship 4 berth -- and left him on the cutline entering the Round of 8 finale. His crew chief and car chief were suspended for the final two races. He reached the Championship 4, but "what if" questions remain since the No. 4 team did not win the title. -- Brad Norman
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Sam Martin | Chicagoland Speedway
9. Two supreme talents in Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson showcasing their ability to the fullest in a slam-bam conclusion that was among the most stirring of the season. Add in Dale Jr.'s broadcast debut and his memorable call of the action ("Slide job! Slide job!"), and it's easy to understand why the Overton's 400 won't be a race anyone soon forgets. -- Jordan Bianchi
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8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. came out fast after his move to the booth, bringing a visceral element to NBC's broadcasts. His passion for the sport was a big boost for the season's second-half run through the playoffs. Moments like "Slide job!" are something you can't script. Here's hoping Junior will be in the booth for a long time to come, because his excitement for the sport is infectious. -- George Winkler
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7. Martinsville has cooked up plenty of fall classics. This year's clash between Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. added another chapter, with a tightly contested final 10 laps and a slam-bang finish. Logano's bump-and-run tactics and the subsequent bitter feelings helped fuel one of the season's biggest rivalry moments, which loomed over the rest of the postseason. -- Zack Albert
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6. The Charlotte road course -- a new 2.28-mile, 17-turn course -- provided an instant classic in its first go-round, serving as the elimination race in the Round of 16. The intensity came to a head in the final corner of the last lap. As Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. clashed coming to the checkered flag, it was Ryan Blaney who snuck away with the win, while Johnson was eliminated from the playoffs. -- Chase Wilhelm
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5. The biggest Silly Season move was Martin Truex Jr. and his crew chief Cole Pearn joining Joe Gibbs Racing. The move came after Furniture Row Racing revealed in September that it was shutting down after the 2018 season. There, Pearn and Truex won 17 races together, the 2017 championship and reached the Championship 4 three times in four seasons. -- RJ Kraft
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4. No. 48 driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus -- the longest running driver-crew chief pairing -- shook the industry with the Oct. 10 announcement that they would go separate ways in 2019. Knaus will work with William Byron's No. 24 team, while Kevin Meendering will be Johnson's crew chief. Together, Johnson and Knaus earned a record-tying seven championships and 81 victories in a 17-year span. -- Jessica Ruffin
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3. Eight times Chase Elliott had finished runner-up in 98 starts. At Watkins Glen that changed, as Elliott impressively fended off Truex to secure the win. NASCAR Hall of Famer and Chase's dad, Bill Elliott, served as his spotter and aided the win. When Chase ran out of fuel on his celebratory lap, Jimmie Johnson pushed his teammate to Victory Lane, a gesture that offered plenty of symbolism. -- Jordan Bianchi
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2. Capping off what wound up being a Ford Championship Weekend of underdogs, Joey Logano toppled the season-long dominance of NASCAR's 'Big 3' of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. Logano finished the season strong, coming alive in the playoffs to ride his way to his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title. -- Pat DeCola
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Caroline Fogle | NASCAR Creative Design
1. Visiting Victory Lane became a near-monopoly for three customers in 2018: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. All three former champions dominated the win column, with Busch and Harvick landing eight victories each and Truex adding four. That prowess included a dazzling 17 regular-season wins, leading to the fitting label of the "Big 3" and setting a performance bar for the field to chase. -- Zack Albert