The 2019 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held on August 31, 2019, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Contested over 147 laps on the egg-shaped oval, it was the 24th race of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Background
Track
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near 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 is effective at both ends.
Entry list The entry list included semi-retired driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who decided to participate in the race despite being in a plane accident in mid-August 2019.
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 0 Garrett Smithley JD Motorsports Chevrolet 01 Landon Cassill JD Motorsports Chevrolet 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 B. J. McLeod JD Motorsports Chevrolet 5 Matt Mills B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 07 Ray Black Jr. SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 08 Gray Gaulding (R) SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. JR Motorsports Chevrolet 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 12 Ryan Blaney (i) Team Penske Ford 13 Tommy Joe Martins MBM Motorsports Toyota 15 Stephen Leicht JD Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Joe Nemechek (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 18 Denny Hamlin (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 35 Joey Gase MBM Motorsports Toyota 36 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet 38 J. J. Yeley RSS Racing Chevrolet 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 52 David Starr Jimmy Means Racing Chevrolet 61 Chad Finchum MBM Motorsports Toyota 66 Timmy Hill MBM Motorsports Toyota 74 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 78 Vinnie Miller B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 86 Brandon Brown (R) Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 89 Morgan Shepherd Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevrolet 90 Alex Labbé DGM Racing Chevrolet 93 Camden Murphy RSS Racing Chevrolet 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 99 Stefan Parsons B. J. McLeod Motorsports Toyota
Practice
First practice Cole Custer was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 29.340 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 29.340 167.607 2 18 Denny Hamlin (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.381 167.373 3 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 29.423 167.135
Final practice Noah Gragson was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.575 seconds and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 29.575 166.276 2 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 29.673 165.726 3 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.704 165.553
Qualifying Ryan Blaney scored the pole for the race with a time of 28.696 seconds and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 12 Ryan Blaney (i) Team Penske Ford 28.696 2 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.828 3 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 28.874 4 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 28.928 5 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste Racing Ford 28.955 6 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.020 7 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.077 8 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 29.098 9 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 29.162 10 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 29.178 11 01 Landon Cassill JD Motorsports Chevrolet 29.178 12 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 29.241 13 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 29.441 14 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. JR Motorsports Chevrolet 29.453 15 08 Gray Gaulding (R) SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 29.636 16 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 29.641 17 90 Alex Labbé DGM Racing Chevrolet 29.726 18 07 Ray Black Jr. SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 29.799 19 86 Brandon Brown (R) Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 29.874 20 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 29.879 21 99 Stefan Parsons B. J. McLeod Motorsports Toyota 29.966 22 93 Camden Murphy RSS Racing Chevrolet 30.037 23 4 B. J. McLeod JD Motorsports Chevrolet 30.113 24 15 Stephen Leicht JD Motorsports Chevrolet 30.121 25 17 Joe Nemechek (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 30.229 26 35 Joey Gase MBM Motorsports Toyota 30.248 27 66 Timmy Hill MBM Motorsports Toyota 30.317 28 36 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet 30.405 29 0 Garrett Smithley JD Motorsports Chevrolet 30.468 30 38 J. J. Yeley RSS Racing Chevrolet 30.823 31 61 Chad Finchum MBM Motorsports Toyota 31.055 32 13 Tommy Joe Martins MBM Motorsports Toyota 31.109 33 52 David Starr Jimmy Means Racing Chevrolet 31.163 34 5 Matt Mills B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 31.419 35 74 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 31.654 36 78 Vinnie Miller B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 32.130 37 18 Denny Hamlin (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39.102 38 89 Morgan Shepherd Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevrolet 42.078
Race
Summary Ryan Blaney started on pole and led early, holding off Tyler Reddick. After John Hunter Nemechek spun and caused a caution, Blaney pitted and gave the lead to Reddick, who won Stage 1. After Brandon Brown spun and hit the inside wall, Blaney and Justin Allgaier caught up to Reddick, with Blaney taking the Stage 2 victory. Allgaier and Cole Custer battled Reddick for top positions, while Denny Hamlin (who started at the rear of the field) caught up to the top 5.
Blaney left pit road with Custer and Hamlin behind him. Hamlin got by Custer and then slid past Blaney for the lead with 27 remaining. The final caution occurred with around 15 laps remaining, stacking up the field. Hamlin stayed in the lead while Custer took the second position. The restart happened with 10 laps to go. Hamlin took off and retained the lead, while Custer chased him closely.
On the final lap, Custer got right up to Hamlin's back and dove into turn 3. Custer was unable to make it stick, causing Hamlin to cross the finish line in first place and take the apparent victory. Although Hamlin was later disqualified, which gave Custer the race win despite him not leading a single lap.
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 45
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 102 12 Ryan Blaney (i) Team Penske Ford 03 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 75 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 66 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 57 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. JR Motorsports Chevrolet 48 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 210 01 Landon Cassill JD Motorsports Chevrolet 1
Stage Two Laps: 45
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 12 Ryan Blaney (i) Team Penske Ford 02 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 93 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 84 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 75 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. JR Motorsports Chevrolet 57 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 48 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 39 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 210 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 1
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 57
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 3 00 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 147 522 6 2 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 147 533 1 12 Ryan Blaney (i) Team Penske Ford 147 04 2 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 147 475 14 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. JR Motorsports Chevrolet 147 416 5 98 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing withBiagi-DenBeste Ford 147 427 7 19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 147 368 8 9 Noah Gragson (R) JR Motorsports Chevrolet 147 309 4 7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet 147 4310 9 22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford 147 2911 12 11 Justin Haley (R) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 147 2812 20 51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet 147 2513 10 1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet 147 2414 13 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 147 2315 15 08 Gray Gaulding SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 147 2216 18 07 Ray Black Jr. SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet 147 2117 17 90 Alex Labbé DGM Racing Chevrolet 147 2018 11 01 Landon Cassill JD Motorsports Chevrolet 147 2019 23 4 B. J. McLeod JD Motorsports Chevrolet 147 1820 22 93 Camden Murphy RSS Racing Chevrolet 146 1721 16 23 John Hunter Nemechek (R) GMS Racing Chevrolet 146 1622 21 99 Stefan Parsons B. J. McLeod Motorsports Toyota 146 1523 27 66 Timmy Hill MBM Motorsports Toyota 146 1424 28 36 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet 144 1325 26 35 Joey Gase MBM Motorsports Toyota 144 1226 24 15 Stephen Leicht JD Motorsports Chevrolet 144 1127 33 52 David Starr Jimmy Means Racing Chevrolet 144 1028 36 78 Vinnie Miller B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 143 929 29 0 Garrett Smithley JD Motorsports Chevrolet 143 830 33 61 Chad Finchum MBM Motorsports Toyota 133 731 34 5 Matt Mills B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet 128 632 35 74 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 114 533 19 86 Brandon Brown (R) Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet 85 434 25 17 Joe Nemechek (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 72 035 32 13 Tommy Joe Martins MBM Motorsports Toyota 61 236 30 38 J. J. Yeley RSS Racing Chevrolet 34 137 38 89 Morgan Shepherd Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevrolet 27 138 37 18 Denny Hamlin (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 147 0
After the race Denny Hamlin was disqualified and stripped of his race win when his car failed a pair of height requirements, being deemed too low in the left front and too high in the right rear, ultimately giving the race win to runner-up Cole Custer. This was the first disqualification of an Xfinity Series race winner and the fourth overall disqualification in the Xfinity Series this season since the 2019 rules were established.
References