2022 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200
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 1.366 miles (2.198 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. 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.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 24 of 33 of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series | |||
| Date | September 3, 2022 | ||
| Official name | 30th Annual Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 | ||
| Location | Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.366 mi (2.198 km) | ||
| Distance | 147 laps, 200.8 mi (323.156 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 147 laps, 200.8 mi (323.156 km) | ||
| Average speed | 97.979 mph (157.682 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 29.722 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 82 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | USA Network | ||
| Announcers | Dave Burns, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte, | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
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.