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 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. 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.
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.
#DriverTeamMake1Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet02Ty Dillon (i)Our MotorsportsChevrolet2Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet5Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet6Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet07Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet08David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord8Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet9Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet10Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet11Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet13Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsFord16A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet17Kyle Larson (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet18Christopher Bell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet23Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet26John Hunter Nemechek (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota27Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet31Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet34Kyle WeathermanJesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet35Dawson CramEmerling-Gase MotorsportsToyota36Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet38Kyle Sieg (R)RSS RacingFord39Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord44Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet45Stefan Parsons (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet47Brennan Poole (i)Mike Harmon RacingChevrolet48Ross Chastain (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet54Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota66J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsChevrolet68Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet78Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet91Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet98Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice The only 30-minute practice session was held on Saturday, September 3, at 10:00 AM EST. Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, was the fastest in the session, with a lap of 29.632, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet29.632165.95629Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet29.770165.18632Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet29.785165.103Full 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. Brandon Jones, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, scored the pole for the race, with a lap of 29.722, and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed119Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota29.722165.45329Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet29.762165.23132Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet29.916164.380421Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet29.942164.238554Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota29.965164.11167Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet29.987163.991717Kyle Larson (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.988163.986898Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord29.996163.942910Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet30.021163.8051011Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet30.061163.5871148Ross Chastain (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet30.074163.517121Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.107163.3371351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet30.132163.2021445Stefan Parsons (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet30.137163.175158Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet30.184162.9211634Kyle WeathermanJesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet30.227162.6891726John Hunter Nemechek (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota30.249162.5711827Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet30.283162.3881916A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet30.304162.2762007Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord30.352162.0192131Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet30.404161.742224Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet30.431161.5982366J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsToyota30.439161.5562402Ty Dillon (i)Our MotorsportsChevrolet30.445161.5242539Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord30.460161.445266Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet30.566160.8852791Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet30.621160.5962847Brennan Poole (i)Mike Harmon RacingChevrolet30.820159.5592936Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet30.853159.3883008David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord30.937158.9553144Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet30.958158.8473278Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet30.979158.740335Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet31.091158.168Qualified by owner's points3468Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet31.298157.1223535Dawson CramEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord31.576155.7393618Christopher Bell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota - -3723Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet - -3838Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord - -Failed to qualify3913Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota - -Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts19Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet10219Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9354Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs RacingToyota847Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet752Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet6698Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord5721Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4818Christopher Bell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0934Kyle WeathermanJesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet21048Ross Chastain (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet0 Stage 2 Laps: 45 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet1029Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet9318Christopher Bell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota0419Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota7521Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet662Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet5754Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota4826John Hunter Nemechek (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota0916A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet2108Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 3 Laps: 57 Fin.St#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts129Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevrolet14782Running59232Sheldon Creed (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet14747Running4631916A. J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet1470Running36467Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet14712Running505717Kyle Larson (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1471Running06554Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1470Running4373618Christopher Bell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1470Running08158Josh BerryJR MotorsportsChevrolet1470Running3091726John Hunter Nemechek (i)Sam Hunt RacingToyota1470Running010421Austin Hill (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1472Running3711121Sam MayerJR MotorsportsChevrolet1470Running2612910Landon CassillKaulig RacingChevrolet1470Running25131011Daniel HemricKaulig RacingChevrolet1470Running2414119Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1473Running39151148Ross Chastain (i)Big Machine RacingChevrolet1470Running0161634Kyle WeathermanJesse Iwuji MotorsportsChevrolet1470Running23171445Stefan Parsons (i)Alpha Prime RacingChevrolet1470Running0182539Ryan SiegRSS RacingFord1470Running1919224Bayley CurreyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1470Running18202791Mason MasseyDGM RacingChevrolet1470Running17211351Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet1470Running16223144Ryan EllisAlpha Prime RacingChevrolet1470Running15233838Kyle SiegRSS RacingFord1470Running14241827Jeb BurtonOur MotorsportsChevrolet1470Running13253008David StarrSS-Green Light RacingFord1470Running12262936Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet1460Running1127266Ryan VargasJD MotorsportsChevrolet1460Running10282131Myatt SniderJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet1450Running9293278Brandon BrownB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1450Running8303535Dawson CramEmerling-Gase MotorsportsFord1450Running7312847Brennan Poole (i)Mike Harmon RacingChevrolet860Axle0322366J. J. YeleyMBM MotorsportsToyota830Engine5332007Joe Graf Jr.SS-Green Light RacingFord610Accident434898Riley HerbstStewart-Haas RacingFord560DVP3352402Ty Dillon (i)Our MotorsportsChevrolet550Electrical0363468Kris WrightBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet550Accident1373723Anthony AlfredoOur MotorsportsChevrolet510Accident138335Tommy Joe MartinsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet440Radiator1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 A. J. Allmendinger 964 2 Ty Gibbs 913 (-51) 3 Justin Allgaier 898 (-66) 4 Noah Gragson 872 (-92) 5 Josh Berry 830 (-134) 6 Austin Hill 740 (-224) 7 Brandon Jones 708 (-256) 8 Riley Herbst 651 (-313) 9 Sam Mayer 648 (-316) 10 Daniel Hemric 593 (-371) 11 Landon Cassill 573 (-391) 12 Ryan Sieg 555 (-409)Official driver's standings
Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.
References