Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
It was a very hot day in Darlington for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200. The stage lengths were 45 laps for the first and second stages, and 57 laps for the final stage. Christopher Bell and Sheldon Creed started the race on the front row. With four races remaining before the playoffs, the tempers were tested and the racing got hot.
Action!
Bell had a great start to the race. However, Parker Retzlaff did not get off the line after he missed a shift. He limped his car to pit road and ended up stopped. That brought out the first caution. Creed and Bell restarted on the front row and Bell had another great restart. The race barely got started before the chaos began.
Cut!
Joey Logano’s day ended early after his engine blew on the thirteenth lap. Then, Riley Herbst smacked the wall and limped it to the pits and Anthony Alfredo also got into the wall. All of these events took place within three laps of each other. Herbst was able to make it to the pits and begin repairs.
Sam Mayer turned it on and made his way to Bell who had opened a big lead. Mayer was able to make the pass for the lead. But then, debris on the track brought out the second caution with fifteen laps left in the stage.
Mayer and Bell restarted the race and Mayer took his lead back out of turn two. Old tires at Darlington is a combination for good and tough racing. Suddenly, Mayer had a tire go down and he lost the lead. He spun it around but maintained it, and got to the pits. Bell reassumed the lead and was able to win the stage but not before Shane Van Gisbergen got into Brandon Jones and turned him into the wall to bring out the caution and the stage end.
Settled Down
Bell and Creed took the field back to green. Creed took the lead out of turn two. AJ Allmendinger joined in on the race for the lead. Kyle Weatherman got into the wall after he complained something was broke which led to the accident. The caution came out on the ninth lap of the stage.
Once again, Creed and Bell were on the front row for the restart. Creed took the lead but Bell snatched it right back from him. The field stretched out across the track. Bell opened up a lead of about a second. Creed made up that gap when Bell tried to pass a lapped car but made contact with Greg Van Alst. Allmendinger complained about smoke in the cockpit. Creed was able to run away to over a second as the laps in the stage dwindled. Creed was able to keep it straight and win stage 2, his first of the season.
Ba dum….. Ba dum…. (Jaws Theme Song)
Creed and Bell took the green flag for the final stage. When Bell shot out in front, Creed got some debris on his front grill, so he let Austin Hill by to get the debris off. Then, Creed got back by Hill.
Meanwhile, Bell opened up a lead of over three seconds and Hill fell to sixth. Bell caught the back of the field which slowed him down, allowing Creed to close the gap little by little each lap. Hill complained over the radio of being too loose and too tight. He speculated he might have a tire going down.
Creed got the lead down to a second and a half with fifteen laps to go in the race. Three tenths of a second separated them with ten laps left. Then, Bell clipped the wall. Creed made the pass with nine to go. Creed took off ahead by a second. With five to go, Allmendinger got into Cole Custer and into the wall, bringing out the caution.
Overtime in Darlington
Creed had a very long pit stop that allowed Bell to take back the lead. Custer was also able to pass Creed in the pits. Bell and Custer restarted on the front row. Bell had a great restart but so did Custer. They made contact on the back stretch. That did not slow them down. Bell pulled away from Custer and was able to hold him off and win at Darlington!
Marvin’s Minute
Sheldon Creed will win a race very soon. He was able to race with and pass Bell, a seasoned NASCAR Cup Series winner. Creed just has not had the best luck. He has nearly a dozen second-place finishes. When he gets his first win, they will come pouring in. Bell just had a better final pit stop. He should not hang his head. I also believe Creed could win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.
