2022 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200
{{Short description|24th race of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=CUST|Most_laps=82|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Course_km=2.198|Official_name=30th Annual Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200|Description=Race 24 of 33 of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series|Pole_Driver=Brandon Jones|Network=USA Network|Date=September 3|Pole_Team=Joe Gibbs Racing|Pole_Time=29.722|Most_Team=JR Motorsports|Most_Driver=Noah Gragson|Location=Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina|First_Team=JR Motorsports|First_Driver=Noah Gragson|Car=9|Avg={{Convert|97.979|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}|Scheduled_km=323.156|Scheduled_laps=147|Course_mi=1.366|Scheduled_mi=200.8|Race_Name=Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200|Year=2022|Announcers=Dave Burns, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte,|Image=Darlington raceway.svg|Distance_mi=200.8|Distance_laps=147|Distance_km=323.156}}
The 2022 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 was the 24th stock car race of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 30th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 3, 2022, in Darlington, South Carolina at Darlington Raceway, a {{Convert|1.366|mi|km}} permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 147 laps to complete. In an exciting battle for the finish, Noah Gragson, driving for JR Motorsports, took advantage of the lead on the last lap, and earned his ninth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, along with his fourth of the season.{{Cite web |last=Hembree |first=Mike |date=2022-09-03 |title=Noah Gragson wins wild Xfinity race at Darlington Raceway |url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2022/09/03/noah-gragson-wins-xfinity-race-at-darlington-raceway/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports}} To fill out the podium, Sheldon Creed, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and A. J. Allmendinger, driving for Kaulig Racing, finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
On the final lap of the race, Sheldon Creed and Kyle Larson were side by side, battling for the win. Creed and Larson made big contact coming through turns one and two. Noah Gragson went to the inside lane through the straightaway, causing it to be three wide. Creed would eventually get loose, causing him to hit the outside wall. He continued to ride the wall through turns three and four, trying to stay in front of the leader, Gragson. It would be unsuccessful, and Gragson was able to steal the win. Creed ultimately finished 2nd, and Larson fell back to finish 5th. Gragson dominated the race in general, leading 82 laps.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-03 |title=Xfinity Series Highlights - Gragson Bests Larson, Creed in three-way Battle For The Win at Darlington |url=https://www.nascar.com/video/franchise/xfinity-series-highlights/gragson-bests-larson-creed-in-three-way-battle-for-the-win-at-darlington/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=NASCAR.com}}
Background
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located in Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition." It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.
= Entry list =
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor |
| 1
|[https://acceleratepros.com AcceleratePros.com] |
| 02
|Ty Dillon (i) |
| 2
|Sheldon Creed (R) |
| 4 |
| 5
|Ford |
| 6 |
| 07
|Ford |
| 7 |
| 08
|Ford |
| 8 |
| 9
|nowrap|Bass Pro Shops, Black Rifle Coffee Company |
| 10 |
| 11 |
| 13
|Ford |
| 16
|nowrap|A. J. Allmendinger |
| 17
|Kyle Larson (i) |
| 18
|Christopher Bell (i) |
| 19 |
| 21
|Austin Hill (R) |
| 23 |
| 26
|nowrap|John Hunter Nemechek (i) |
| 27 |
| 31 |
| 34
|nowrap|Jesse Iwuji Motorsports |
| 35
|nowrap|Emerling-Gase Motorsports |
| 36 |
| 38
|Kyle Sieg (R) |Ford |
| 39
|Ford |
| 44 |
| 45
|Stefan Parsons (i) |
| 47
|Brennan Poole (i) |
| 48
|Ross Chastain (i) |
| 51 |
| 54 |
| 66
|nowrap|Wild Willies |
| 68 |
| 78 |
| 91 |
| 98
|Ford |
| colspan="5" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2022/9/3/24-nxs-2022-entry-final.pdf Official entry list] |
|---|
Practice
The only 30-minute practice session was held on Saturday, September 3, at 10:00 AM EST.{{Cite web |title=2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Darlington Summer Race Page |url=https://www.jayski.com/xfinity-series/2022-nascar-xfinity-series-darlington-summer-race-page/ |access-date=2022-08-28 |website=Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site |language=en-US}} Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, was the fastest in the session, with a lap of 29.632, and an average speed of {{Convert|165.956|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|7 |29.632 |165.956 |
|---|
| 2
|9 |29.770 |165.186 |
| 3
|2 |Sheldon Creed (R) |29.785 |165.103 |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2022/9/3/24-nxs-2022-practice.pdf Full practice results] |
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Saturday, September 3, at 10:30 AM EST. Since Darlington Raceway is a tri-oval track, the qualifying system used is a single-car, single-lap system with only one round. Whoever sets the fastest time in the round wins the pole.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-19 |title=NASCAR announces practice, qualifying return in 2022 |url=https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/11/19/nascar-announces-practice-qualifying-return-in-2022-with-knockout-style-format/ |access-date=2022-08-28 |website=Official Site Of NASCAR |language=en-US}}{{cbignore}} Brandon Jones, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, scored the pole for the race, with a lap of 29.722, and an average speed of {{Convert|165.453|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web |last=Hembree |first=Mike |date=2022-09-03 |title=Brandon Jones wins Xfinity Series pole at Darlington Raceway |url=https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2022/09/03/brandon-jones-wins-xfinity-series-pole-at-darlington-raceway/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=NASCAR Talk {{!}} NBC Sports}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|19 |29.722 |165.453 |
|---|
| 2
|9 |29.762 |165.231 |
| 3
|2 |Sheldon Creed (R) |29.916 |164.380 |
| 4
|21 |Austin Hill (R) |29.942 |164.238 |
| 5
|54 |29.965 |164.111 |
| 6
|7 |29.987 |163.991 |
| 7
|17 |Kyle Larson (i) |29.988 |163.986 |
| 8
|98 |Ford |29.996 |163.942 |
| 9
|10 |30.021 |163.805 |
| 10
|11 |30.061 |163.587 |
| 11
|48 |Ross Chastain (i) |30.074 |163.517 |
| 12
|1 |30.107 |163.337 |
| 13
|51 |30.132 |163.202 |
| 14
|45 |Stefan Parsons (i) |30.137 |163.175 |
| 15
|8 |30.184 |162.921 |
| 16
|34 |30.227 |162.689 |
| 17
|26 |John Hunter Nemechek (i) |30.249 |162.571 |
| 18
|27 |30.283 |162.388 |
| 19
|16 |30.304 |162.276 |
| 20
|07 |Ford |30.352 |162.019 |
| 21
|31 |30.404 |161.742 |
| 22
|4 |30.431 |161.598 |
| 23
|66 |30.439 |161.556 |
| 24
|02 |Ty Dillon (i) |30.445 |161.524 |
| 25
|39 |Ford |30.460 |161.445 |
| 26
|6 |30.566 |160.885 |
| 27
|91 |30.621 |160.596 |
| 28
|47 |Brennan Poole (i) |30.820 |159.559 |
| 29
|36 |30.853 |159.388 |
| 30
|08 |Ford |30.937 |158.955 |
| 31
|44 |30.958 |158.847 |
| 32
|78 |30.979 |158.740 |
| 33
|5 |31.091 |158.168 |
| colspan="7" |Qualified by owner's points |
| 34
|68 |31.298 |157.122 |
| 35
|35 |Ford |31.576 |155.739 |
| 36
|18 |Christopher Bell (i) | - | - |
| 37
|23 | - | - |
| 38
|38 |Ford | - | - |
| colspan="7" |Failed to qualify |
| 39
|13 | - | - |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2022/9/3/24-nxs-2022-qual-results.pdf Official qualifying results] |
| colspan="7" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2022/9/3/24-nxs-2022-lineup.pdf Official starting lineup] |
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 45
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Pts |
| 1
|9 |Noah Gragson |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |10 |
|---|
| 2
|19 |Brandon Jones |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |9 |
| 3
|54 |Ty Gibbs |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |8 |
| 4
|7 |Justin Allgaier |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |7 |
| 5
|2 |Sheldon Creed (R) |Richard Childress Racing |Chevrolet |6 |
| 6
|98 |Riley Herbst |Stewart-Haas Racing |Ford |5 |
| 7
|21 |Austin Hill (R) |Richard Childress Racing |Chevrolet |4 |
| 8
|18 |Christopher Bell (i) |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |0 |
| 9
|34 |Kyle Weatherman |Jesse Iwuji Motorsports |Chevrolet |2 |
| 10
|48 |Ross Chastain (i) |Big Machine Racing |Chevrolet |0 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Pos. !# !Driver !Team !Make !Pts |
| 1
|7 |Justin Allgaier |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |10 |
|---|
| 2
|9 |Noah Gragson |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |9 |
| 3
|18 |Christopher Bell (i) |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |0 |
| 4
|19 |Brandon Jones |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |7 |
| 5
|21 |Austin Hill (R) |Richard Childress Racing |Chevrolet |6 |
| 6
|2 |Sheldon Creed (R) |Richard Childress Racing |Chevrolet |5 |
| 7
|54 |Ty Gibbs |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |4 |
| 8
|26 |John Hunter Nemechek (i) |Sam Hunt Racing |Toyota |0 |
| 9
|16 |A. J. Allmendinger |Kaulig Racing |Chevrolet |2 |
| 10
|8 |Josh Berry |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 57
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Fin. !St !# !Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Led !Status !Pts |
| 1
|2 |9 |Noah Gragson |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |82 |Running |59 |
|---|
| 2
|3 |2 |Sheldon Creed (R) |Richard Childress Racing |Chevrolet |147 |47 |Running |46 |
| 3
|19 |16 |A. J. Allmendinger |Kaulig Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |36 |
| 4
|6 |7 |Justin Allgaier |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |12 |Running |50 |
| 5
|7 |17 |Kyle Larson (i) |Hendrick Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |1 |Running |0 |
| 6
|5 |54 |Ty Gibbs |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |147 |0 |Running |43 |
| 7
|36 |18 |Christopher Bell (i) |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |147 |0 |Running |0 |
| 8
|15 |8 |Josh Berry |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |30 |
| 9
|17 |26 |John Hunter Nemechek (i) |Sam Hunt Racing |Toyota |147 |0 |Running |0 |
| 10
|4 |21 |Austin Hill (R) |Richard Childress Racing |Chevrolet |147 |2 |Running |37 |
| 11
|12 |1 |Sam Mayer |JR Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |26 |
| 12
|9 |10 |Landon Cassill |Kaulig Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |25 |
| 13
|10 |11 |Daniel Hemric |Kaulig Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |24 |
| 14
|1 |19 |Brandon Jones |Joe Gibbs Racing |Toyota |147 |3 |Running |39 |
| 15
|11 |48 |Ross Chastain (i) |Big Machine Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |0 |
| 16
|16 |34 |Kyle Weatherman |Jesse Iwuji Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |23 |
| 17
|14 |45 |Stefan Parsons (i) |Alpha Prime Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |0 |
| 18
|25 |39 |Ryan Sieg |RSS Racing |Ford |147 |0 |Running |19 |
| 19
|22 |4 |Bayley Currey |JD Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |18 |
| 20
|27 |91 |Mason Massey |DGM Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |17 |
| 21
|13 |51 |Jeremy Clements |Jeremy Clements Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |16 |
| 22
|31 |44 |Ryan Ellis |Alpha Prime Racing |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |15 |
| 23
|38 |38 |Kyle Sieg |RSS Racing |Ford |147 |0 |Running |14 |
| 24
|18 |27 |Jeb Burton |Our Motorsports |Chevrolet |147 |0 |Running |13 |
| 25
|30 |08 |David Starr |SS-Green Light Racing |Ford |147 |0 |Running |12 |
| 26
|29 |36 |Alex Labbé |DGM Racing |Chevrolet |146 |0 |Running |11 |
| 27
|26 |6 |Ryan Vargas |JD Motorsports |Chevrolet |146 |0 |Running |10 |
| 28
|21 |31 |Myatt Snider |Jordan Anderson Racing |Chevrolet |145 |0 |Running |9 |
| 29
|32 |78 |Brandon Brown |B. J. McLeod Motorsports |Chevrolet |145 |0 |Running |8 |
| 30
|35 |35 |Dawson Cram |Emerling-Gase Motorsports |Ford |145 |0 |Running |7 |
| 31
|28 |47 |Brennan Poole (i) |Mike Harmon Racing |Chevrolet |86 |0 |Axle |0 |
| 32
|23 |66 |J. J. Yeley |MBM Motorsports |Toyota |83 |0 |Engine |5 |
| 33
|20 |07 |Joe Graf Jr. |SS-Green Light Racing |Ford |61 |0 |Accident |4 |
| 34
|8 |98 |Riley Herbst |Stewart-Haas Racing |Ford |56 |0 |DVP |3 |
| 35
|24 |02 |Ty Dillon (i) |Our Motorsports |Chevrolet |55 |0 |Electrical |0 |
| 36
|34 |68 |Kris Wright |Brandonbilt Motorsports |Chevrolet |55 |0 |Accident |1 |
| 37
|37 |23 |Anthony Alfredo |Our Motorsports |Chevrolet |51 |0 |Accident |1 |
| 38
|33 |5 |Tommy Joe Martins |B. J. McLeod Motorsports |Chevrolet |44 |0 |Radiator |1 |
| colspan="10" |[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2022/8/27/23-nxs-2022-result.pdf Official race results] |
Standings after the race
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Drivers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| ! Pos
! Driver ! Points |
|---|
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 964 |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2 | Ty Gibbs | style="text-align:center;"| 913 (-51) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 898 (-66) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 872 (-92) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 830 (-134) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 740 (-224) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 708 (-256) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 651 (-313) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 648 (-316) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 593 (-371) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 11 | style="text-align:center;"| 573 (-391) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 12 | style="text-align:center;"| 555 (-409) |
| class="sortbottom"
!colspan="9"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2022/9/3/22224_UNOFFDRIVPTS.pdf Official driver's standings] |
- Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}{{NASCAR next race|Previous_race=2022 Wawa 250|Series=NASCAR Xfinity Series|Monsteryear=2022|Next_race=2022 Kansas Lottery 300}}
{{NASCAR on NBC}}{{2022 NASCAR Xfinity}}
Category:2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series