In an overtime dash, Christopher Bell wins the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
DARLINGTON, S.C.—Christopher Bell survived a near-disaster with Cole Custer on the first overtime lap and held on to win Saturday’s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 over Custer and snakebit Sheldon Creed.
In an Overtime Dash, Christopher Bell Wins the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Darlington
During a green-flag run that started on lap 97 of 150, Creed caught and passed Bell for the lead on lap 139 and was poised to claim his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory after a record 11 runner-up finishes in the series.
But Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger slapped the outside wall on lap 143, causing the sixth caution of the afternoon, and Creed lost the top spot with a slow 15-second stop on pit road, thanks to issues with the right rear tire.
Creed restarted third behind Bell in the outside lane. Contact between the cars of Bell and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Custer on the backstretch got both cars out of shape below the normal racing line, but the drivers recovered and held their positions.
“That was wild, for sure,” said Bell, who started from the pole and led 108 laps. “I thought I was headed nose-first into the inside wall… It’s a tough race track, and off of (Turn) 2, whether you’re on the bottom of the top, it flushes you to the wall, and then you kind of get a little bit of a wiggle coming down.
“Once again, I feel terrible for Sheldon, to essentially win the race on the long run there and then lose it on pit road. It’s a big bummer… It seemed like our car was really good on the short runs. Obviously, the 18, Sheldon, was really good on the long runs.
“Unfortunately for him, the race played out differently, and fortunately for us, we got another shot at it.”
The victory was Bell’s second of the season in as many starts, with the first victory having come at New Hampshire in June. But Bell’s triumph came at the expense of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.
Sheldon Creed Reflects on Another Race He ‘Almost’ Won
As expected, Creed was disconsolate as he reflected on the race that got away.
“I lost one the same way a few years ago here,” lamented Creed, who led 30 laps and was pulling away from Bell before the final caution. “This has been a really good place for me. I’ve always loved racing here. Man, I don’t know if we could be any better than that.
“I felt like I put in one of my best performances today… Man, it’s a bummer. I’m so proud of everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing on this 18 team. I took a chance on myself and brought all the money we could. I’m literally not even making a dollar this year.”
Creed will leave Joe Gibbs Racing to drive a Ford for the Haas Factory Team next year.
The Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott finished fourth, followed by Sammy Smith, who leap-frogged Ryan Sieg into the final Playoff-eligible position on points. Smith leads Sieg by ten points with three races left in the Xfinity regular season.
Jesse Love, Shane van Gisbergen, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, and Justin Allgaier completed the top ten.
Creed did pick up his first stage win of the season, beating Bell to the finish line in Stage 2. Bell won the opening 45-lap stage over Hill.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Point Standings
Justin Allgaier holds a 28-point advantage over Cole Custer in second place. Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, and Sheldon Creed rank in the top five.
Next Up
Atlanta Motor Speedway is the next stop for the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday, September 7th at 3 pm ET. Coverage is available on USA, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. John Hunter Nemechek won the race at Atlanta last year.