# 2017 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200

The 2017 Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 was the 24th stock car race of the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, and the 25th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 2, 2017, in Darlington, South Carolina at Darlington Raceway, a 1.366 miles (2.198 km) permanent tri-oval racetrack. The race was increased from 147 laps to 148 laps, due to a NASCAR overtime finish. Denny Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, held off Joey Logano in an exciting battle with 2 laps to go, and would earn his 17th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, along with his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Kevin Harvick, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, would finish in 3rd, respectively.

## Background

The race was held at Darlington Raceway, which 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 is ineligible for series driver points.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor/Throwback |
| 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | Haas Automation - Sam Ard's 1980s Xfinity paint scheme. |
| 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | JD Motorsports |
| 01 | Harrison Rhodes | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | JD Motorsports |
| 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | Armour Vienna Sausage - Cale Yarborough's 1983-86 Hardee's paint scheme. |
| 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Rheem - Richard Childress throwback. |
| 3 | Ty Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats |
| 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | South Carolina Education Lottery - Mike Duvall's 1978-1980 Modified paint scheme. |
| 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | TMC Transportation - Brad Doty Tribute throwback. |
| 07 | Ray Black Jr. | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | Learn Underwater Welding - Butch Miller throwback. |
| 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | Advance Auto Parts - Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 1990s late model paint scheme. |
| 8 | B. J. McLeod | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | CorvetteParts.net |
| 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | Liberty University - Ricky Hendrick's 2001 GMAC Truck paint scheme. |
| 11 | Blake Koch | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | LeafFilter Gutter Protection - Darrell Waltrip's 1985-86 Budweiser paint scheme. |
| 13 | Carl Long | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | OCR Gaz Bar |
| 14 | J. J. Yeley | TriStar Motorsports | Toyota | TriStar Motorsports - A. J. Foyt's 1986-87 Copenhagen paint scheme. |
| 15 | Reed Sorenson (i) | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | JD Motorsports |
| 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | Lilly Diabetes - Alan Kulwicki's 1989 Zerex paint scheme. |
| 18 | Denny Hamlin (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Sport Clips - Ray Hendrick's 1980s late model paint scheme. |
| 19 | Matt Tifft (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Ron Jon Surf Shop - Dale Earnhardt's 1977 Cup paint scheme. |
| 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Reser's Main Street Bistro - Davey Allison's 1989 Havoline paint scheme. |
| 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Blue Gate Bank - Jeff Green's 2002 Rockwell Automation paint scheme. |
| 22 | Joey Logano (i) | Team Penske | Ford | Fitzgerald Glider Kits |
| 23 | Spencer Gallagher (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | Allegiant Air - Michael Waltrip's 1986 Hawaiian Punch paint scheme. |
| 24 | Dylan Lupton | JGL Racing | Toyota | Nut Up - Jeff Gordon's 1992-2000 Rainbow DuPont paint scheme. |
| 28 | Dakoda Armstrong | JGL Racing | Toyota | JGL Racing - Cale Yarborough's 1983-84 Hardee's paint scheme. |
| 33 | Brandon Jones | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | KCMG |
| 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | RSS Racing - Shane Sieg's 2003 late model paint scheme. |
| 40 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | OCR Gaz Bar - Pete Hamilton's 1970 Daytona 500 paint scheme. |
| 41 | Kevin Harvick (i) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | Hunt Brothers Pizza first paint scheme. |
| 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | Broken Bow Records, Jason Aldean |
| 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | DC Solar |
| 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | RepairableVehicles.com - A. J. Foyt's 1964 Daytona Firecracker 400 paint scheme. |
| 52 | Joey Gase | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | Agri Supply, Eternal Fan - Jimmy Means' 1987 Folgers paint scheme. |
| 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts - Gaughan's 2000 NAPA Truck paint scheme. |
| 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Dodge | WCIParts.com - Red Farmer's 1975 Cup paint scheme. |
| 78 | Tommy Joe Martins | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | B. J. McLeod Motorsports |
| 90 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | Coastal Carolina University - Dick Trickle's 1996 Heilig-Meyers paint scheme. |
| 93 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | RSS Racing |
| 96 | Ben Kennedy (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | Hurricane Harvey Relief - Dale Earnhardt's 1978 Cardinal Tractor paint scheme. |
| 99 | David Starr | BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first 55-minute practice session was held on Friday, September 1, at 12:00 PM EST. Denny Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.824 and an average speed of 170.608 mph (274.567 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Denny Hamlin (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.824 | 170.608 |
| 2 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 28.875 | 170.306 |
| 3 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.913 | 170.083 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Final practice

The final 55-minute practice session was held on Friday, September 1, at 2:30 PM EST. Once again, Denny Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.403 and an average speed of 167.248 mph (269.160 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Denny Hamlin (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.403 | 167.248 |
| 2 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.517 | 166.602 |
| 3 | 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 29.579 | 166.253 |
| Full final practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Saturday, September 2, at 12:05 PM EST. Since Darlington Raceway is under 2 miles (3.2 km), the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 15 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 15 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.
Denny Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, scored the pole for the race, with a lap of 28.556 and an average speed of 172.209 mph (277.144 km/h).

### Full starting lineup

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time (R1) | Speed (R1) | Time (R2) | Speed (R2) | Time (R3) | Speed (R3) |
| 1 | 18 | Denny Hamlin (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.711 | 171.279 | 28.657 | 171.602 | 28.556 | 172.209 |
| 2 | 41 | Kevin Harvick (i) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 28.808 | 170.703 | 28.703 | 171.327 | 28.685 | 171.435 |
| 3 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.728 | 171.178 | 28.613 | 171.866 | 28.736 | 171.130 |
| 4 | 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 28.761 | 170.982 | 28.707 | 171.303 | 28.755 | 171.017 |
| 5 | 3 | Ty Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.785 | 170.839 | 28.856 | 170.419 | 28.791 | 170.803 |
| 6 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.119 | 168.879 | 28.809 | 170.697 | 28.839 | 170.519 |
| 7 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.858 | 170.407 | 28.789 | 170.815 | 28.858 | 170.407 |
| 8 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 28.938 | 169.936 | 28.886 | 170.242 | 28.861 | 170.389 |
| 9 | 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.022 | 169.444 | 28.755 | 171.017 | 28.869 | 170.342 |
| 10 | 22 | Joey Logano (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 28.743 | 171.089 | 28.805 | 170.720 | 28.880 | 170.277 |
| 11 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.738 | 171.118 | 28.811 | 170.685 | 28.996 | 169.596 |
| 12 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 28.842 | 170.501 | 28.868 | 170.348 | 29.004 | 169.549 |
| Eliminated from Round 2 |||||||||||
| 13 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.797 | 170.768 | 28.968 | 169.760 | - | - |
| 14 | 19 | Matt Tifft (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.862 | 170.383 | 29.008 | 169.526 | - | - |
| 15 | 96 | Ben Kennedy (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 28.895 | 170.189 | 29.019 | 169.461 | - | - |
| 16 | 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.805 | 170.720 | 29.038 | 169.351 | - | - |
| 17 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 28.993 | 169.613 | 29.075 | 169.135 | - | - |
| 18 | 11 | Blake Koch | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 29.117 | 168.891 | 29.108 | 168.943 | - | - |
| 19 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.166 | 168.607 | 29.139 | 168.764 | - | - |
| 20 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 28.970 | 169.748 | 29.159 | 168.648 | - | - |
| 21 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.215 | 168.324 | 29.174 | 168.561 | - | - |
| 22 | 14 | J. J. Yeley | TriStar Motorsports | Toyota | 29.088 | 169.059 | 29.426 | 167.118 | - | - |
| 23 | 24 | Dylan Lupton | JGL Racing | Toyota | 29.404 | 167.243 | 29.718 | 165.475 | - | - |
| 24 | 28 | Dakoda Armstrong | JGL Racing | Toyota | 29.406 | 167.231 | - | - | - | - |
| Eliminated from Round 1 |||||||||||
| 25 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 29.406 | 167.231 | - | - | - | - |
| 26 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 29.418 | 167.163 | - | - | - | - |
| 27 | 33 | Brandon Jones | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.425 | 167.123 | - | - | - | - |
| 28 | 93 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 29.612 | 166.068 | - | - | - | - |
| 29 | 07 | Ray Black Jr. | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 29.762 | 165.231 | - | - | - | - |
| 30 | 40 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | 29.942 | 164.238 | - | - | - | - |
| 31 | 90 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.948 | 164.205 | - | - | - | - |
| 32 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.952 | 164.183 | - | - | - | - |
| 33 | 8 | B. J. McLeod | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.018 | 163.822 | - | - | - | - |
| Qualified by owner's points |||||||||||
| 34 | 52 | Joey Gase | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 30.038 | 163.713 | - | - | - | - |
| 35 | 99 | David Starr | BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 30.134 | 163.191 | - | - | - | - |
| 36 | 01 | Harrison Rhodes | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.232 | 162.662 | - | - | - | - |
| 37 | 78 | Tommy Joe Martins | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.337 | 162.099 | - | - | - | - |
| 38 | 13 | Carl Long | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | 30.502 | 161.222 | - | - | - | - |
| 39 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Chevrolet | 30.861 | 158.596 | - | - | - | - |
| 40 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Dodge | 31.007 | 159.347 | - | - | - | - |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 41 | 15 | Reed Sorenson (i) | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Official qualifying results |||||||||||
| Official starting lineup |||||||||||

## Race results

Stage 1 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
| 1 | 41 | Kevin Harvick (i) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 3 | Ty Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 4 | 18 | Denny Hamlin (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 5 | 22 | Joey Logano (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 6 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 7 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 9 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 2 Laps: 45
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
| 1 | 41 | Kevin Harvick (i) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 0 |
| 2 | 18 | Denny Hamlin (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 0 |
| 4 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 6 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 3 | Ty Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 8 | 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 9 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 1 |
Stage 3 Laps: 58
| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
| 1 | 1 | 18 | Denny Hamlin (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 148 | 33 | Running | 0 |
| 2 | 10 | 22 | Joey Logano (i) | Team Penske | Ford | 148 | 58 | Running | 0 |
| 3 | 2 | 41 | Kevin Harvick (i) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 148 | 54 | Running | 0 |
| 4 | 11 | 20 | Erik Jones (i) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 148 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 5 | 6 | 9 | William Byron (R) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 36 |
| 6 | 8 | 48 | Brennan Poole | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 40 |
| 7 | 5 | 3 | Ty Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 8 | 13 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 29 |
| 9 | 4 | 00 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 148 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 10 | 9 | 2 | Austin Dillon (i) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 11 | 18 | 11 | Blake Koch | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 12 | 15 | 96 | Ben Kennedy (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 25 |
| 13 | 19 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 24 |
| 14 | 16 | 4 | Ross Chastain | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 23 |
| 15 | 17 | 16 | Ryan Reed | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 148 | 0 | Running | 22 |
| 16 | 12 | 42 | Tyler Reddick | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 21 | 5 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 20 |
| 18 | 3 | 21 | Daniel Hemric (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 19 | 22 | 14 | J. J. Yeley | TriStar Motorsports | Toyota | 148 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 31 | 90 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 17 |
| 21 | 25 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 16 |
| 22 | 26 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 15 |
| 23 | 27 | 33 | Brandon Jones | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 14 |
| 24 | 36 | 01 | Harrison Rhodes | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 29 | 07 | Ray Black Jr. | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 12 |
| 26 | 32 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 11 |
| 27 | 33 | 8 | B. J. McLeod | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 34 | 52 | Joey Gase | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 148 | 0 | Running | 9 |
| 29 | 24 | 28 | Dakoda Armstrong | JGL Racing | Toyota | 147 | 0 | Running | 8 |
| 30 | 23 | 24 | Dylan Lupton | JGL Racing | Toyota | 147 | 0 | Running | 7 |
| 31 | 37 | 78 | Tommy Joe Martins | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 145 | 0 | Running | 6 |
| 32 | 30 | 40 | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | 145 | 0 | Running | 5 |
| 33 | 7 | 1 | Elliott Sadler | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 142 | 1 | Accident | 20 |
| 34 | 20 | 23 | Spencer Gallagher (R) | GMS Racing | Chevrolet | 140 | 0 | Accident | 3 |
| 35 | 40 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Mike Harmon Racing | Dodge | 135 | 0 | Running | 2 |
| 36 | 35 | 99 | David Starr | BJMM with SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 132 | 0 | Running | 1 |
| 37 | 39 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Chevrolet | 51 | 2 | Fuel Pump | 1 |
| 38 | 38 | 13 | Carl Long | MBM Motorsports | Dodge | 29 | 0 | Handling | 1 |
| 39 | 28 | 93 | Jeff Green | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 8 | 0 | Rear Gear | 1 |
| 40 | 14 | 19 | Matt Tifft (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1 | 0 | Accident | 1 |
| Official race results ||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Elliott Sadler | 858 |
| | 2 | William Byron | 767 (-91) |
| | 3 | Justin Allgaier | 739 (–119) |
| | 4 | Brennan Poole | 674 (–184) |
| | 5 | Daniel Hemric | 654 (–204) |
| | 6 | Cole Custer | 590 (-268) |
| | 7 | Matt Tifft | 558 (-300) |
| | 8 | Blake Koch | 511 (-347) |
| | 9 | Michael Annett | 490 (-368) |
| | 10 | Ryan Reed | 487 (-371) |
| | 11 | Brendan Gaughan | 487 (-371) |
| | 12 | Dakoda Armstrong | 467 (-391) |
| Official driver's standings ||||