2019 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200


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.
DriverTeamManufacturer
00Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste Racing		Ford
0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet
01Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet
1Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet
2Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
4B. J. McLeodJD MotorsportsChevrolet
5Matt MillsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet
07Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet
7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet
08Gray Gaulding 'SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet
8Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet
9Noah Gragson 'JR MotorsportsChevrolet
11Justin Haley 'Kaulig RacingChevrolet
12Ryan Blaney 'Team PenskeFord
13Tommy Joe MartinsMBM MotorsportsToyota
15Stephen LeichtJD MotorsportsChevrolet
17Joe Nemechek 'Rick Ware RacingChevrolet
18Denny Hamlin 'Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord
23John Hunter Nemechek 'GMS RacingChevrolet
35Joey GaseMBM MotorsportsToyota
36Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet
38J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet
39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet
51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet
52David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet
61Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota
66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota
74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet
78Vinnie MillerB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet
86Brandon Brown 'Brandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet
89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet
90Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet
93Camden MurphyRSS RacingChevrolet
98Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste Racing		Ford
99Stefan ParsonsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota

Practice

First practice

was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 29.340 seconds and a speed of.
PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime
100Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste Racing		Ford29.340167.607
218Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs RacingToyota29.381167.373
37Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet29.423167.135

Final practice

was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.575 seconds and a speed of.
PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime
19Noah Gragson JR MotorsportsChevrolet29.575166.276
27Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet29.673165.726
320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota29.704165.553

Qualifying

scored the pole for the race with a time of 28.696 seconds and a speed of.

Qualifying results

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 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
PosDriverTeamManufacturerPoints
12Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet10
212Ryan Blaney 'Team PenskeFord0
320Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota8
498Chase Briscoe 'Stewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste		Ford7
57Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet6
600Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste		Ford5
78Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet4
819Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3
911Justin Haley 'Kaulig RacingChevrolet2
1001Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet1

Stage Two
Laps: 45
PosDriverTeamManufacturerPoints
112Ryan Blaney 'Team PenskeFord0
27Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet9
32Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet8
400Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste		Ford7
520Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota6
68Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet5
798Chase Briscoe 'Stewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste		Ford4
819Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota3
922Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord2
109Noah Gragson 'JR MotorsportsChevrolet1

Final Stage Results

Stage Three
Laps: 57
PosGridDriverTeamManufacturerLapsPoints
1300Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste		Ford14752
262Tyler ReddickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet14753
3112Ryan Blaney 'Team PenskeFord1470
4220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota14747
5148Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR MotorsportsChevrolet14741
6598Chase Briscoe 'Stewart-Haas Racing with
Biagi-DenBeste		Ford14742
7719Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota14736
889Noah Gragson 'JR MotorsportsChevrolet14730
947Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet14743
10922Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord14729
111211Justin Haley 'Kaulig RacingChevrolet14728
122051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet14725
13101Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevrolet14724
141339Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet14723
151508Gray GauldingSS-Green Light RacingChevrolet14722
161807Ray Black Jr.SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet14721
171790Alex LabbéDGM RacingChevrolet14720
181101Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet14720
19234B. J. McLeodJD MotorsportsChevrolet14718
202293Camden MurphyRSS RacingChevrolet14617
211623John Hunter Nemechek 'GMS RacingChevrolet14616
222199Stefan ParsonsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsToyota14615
232766Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsToyota14614
242836Josh WilliamsDGM RacingChevrolet14413
252635Joey GaseMBM MotorsportsToyota14412
262415Stephen LeichtJD MotorsportsChevrolet14411
273352David StarrJimmy Means RacingChevrolet14410
283678Vinnie MillerB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1439
29290Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevrolet1438
303361Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyota1337
31345Matt MillsB. J. McLeod MotorsportsChevrolet1286
323574Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevrolet1145
331986Brandon Brown 'Brandonbilt MotorsportsChevrolet854
342517Joe Nemechek 'Rick Ware RacingChevrolet720
353213Tommy Joe MartinsMBM MotorsportsToyota612
363038J. J. YeleyRSS RacingChevrolet341
373889Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet271
383718Denny Hamlin 'Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1470

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.