| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 24 of 33 of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | September 4, 2021 | ||
| Official name | Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 | ||
| Location | Darlington, South Carolina, Darlington Raceway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.366 mi (2.198 km) | ||
| Distance | 152 laps, 207.632 mi (334.096 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 147 laps, 200.802 mi (323.159 km) | ||
| Average speed | 102.422 miles per hour (164.832 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Grid positions set by competition-based formula | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 43 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBCSN | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Ricky Carmichael, Steve Letarte | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2021 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 was the 24th stock car race of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on September 4, 2021 in Darlington, South Carolina at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent egg-shaped oval racetrack. The race was extended from its scheduled 147 laps to 152 due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Noah Gragson would be able to hold off the field on the final restart and win the race, his first of the year, fourth of his career, and breaking a 49-race winless streak. [1] Harrison Burton of Joe Gibbs Racing and Austin Cindric of Team Penske would fill out the podium, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Background
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
Starting lineup
Qualifying was determined by a qualifying metric system based on the previous race, the 2021 Wawa 250 and owner's points. As a result, Daniel Hemric of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole. [2]
Race
Pre-race ceremonies
Race
Post-race driver comments
Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 45
| Fin | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Daniel Hemric | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 54 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 6 | 20 | Harrison Burton | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 2 | Myatt Snider | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Fin | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 54 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 3 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 18 | Daniel Hemric | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 20 | Harrison Burton | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 31 | Austin Dillon | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 9 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 2 | Myatt Snider | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 62
References
- ^ "Noah Gragson snaps winless drought with Darlington victory - NBC Sports". NASCAR Talk | NBC Sports. 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
- ^ Tomlinson, Joy (2021-09-01). "Daniel Hemric Claims Pole For Darlington Xfinity Race". www.frontstretch.com. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
- ^ "2021 Sport Clips / VFW Help a Hero 200 - The Third Turn". www.thethirdturn.com. Retrieved 2021-10-01.