NASCAR at Darlington live race updates: Daniel Hemric wins Stage 1 of Xfinity race

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway is today. The Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 is 200.1 miles (147 laps) with stages ending on laps 45, 90 and 147. All times are Eastern.

Follow NASCAR reporter Alex Andrejev on Twitter at @AndrejevAlex.

Stage 1

4:20 p.m., Lap 45: Denny Hamlin held a lead of more than two seconds just before the stage finish but he goes for a big spin before it’s over! So Daniel Hemric, who drove back from an earlier engine issue, wins the stage just before the flag! The finishing order for the stage finish is Hemric, Noah Gragson, A.J. Allmendinger, Justin Haley, Hamlin, Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Brandon Jones and Myatt Snider.

4:11 p.m., Lap 26: Justin Allgaier gets the jump in the restart, choosing the outside lane. Noah Gragson, in second, rides along the wall but Denny Hamlin is stalking him in third and looking to move low.

4:14 p.m., Lap 32: Noah Gragson uses the outside lane off turn 4 to clear Justin Allgaier for the race lead. Denny Hamlin also passes Allgaier for second, but a few laps later, Hamlin moves by Gragson, who reports a break issue.

4:04 p.m., Lap 20: The competition caution is out with Justin Allgaier in the lead followed by Noah Gragson, Denny Hamlin, A.J. Allmendinger, Justin Haley and Harrison Burton up front. Leaders stay out under the caution, so that will be the order for the next restart.

4 p.m., Lap 14: The caution flag comes out for Carson Ware and previous leader Daniel Hemric pits for an apparent engine issue after giving up the lead to Justin Allgaier. Hemric had debris on the grille that slowed him before, but with the long pit stop, he drops to 38th.

3:50 p.m.: Green flag! Sam Mayer slaps the wall early in Turn 2 going two-wide in the repaved area. The team reports that there’s no smoke, but that Mayer hit the wall hard.

Pre-race

Story continues

3:40 p.m.: Engines are fired at Darlington! JGR’s Daniel Hemric is rolling off first. Teams are commenting on the “patch” of newly paved track in Turn 2, with Jeb Burton’s radio calling it “sketchy.”

3:36 p.m.: The anthem and pre-race ceremonies are complete. NASCAR announces that Gray Gaulding will join Ty Dillon in dropping to the rear today for missing the drivers meeting. Dillon was slated to drop to the rear, as of today, due to a driver change.

3:09 p.m.: Driver intros are underway under bright and almost cloudless sky. Entered in today’s lineup are full-time Cup drivers Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon, who will race in tomorrow’s Cup event at the track.

Drivers are on the grid and discussing the repave in Turn 2, which was completed ahead of today’s race and will present different grip levels as the track wears in.

Pre-race lineup changes

Prior to Saturday’s race, JR Motorsports announces that team engineer Allen Hart will fill in as crew chief for Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 Chevrolet team. Crew chief Jason Burdett will miss the event due to NASCAR’s COVID-19 protocols, the team said.

Additionally, NASCAR announces a driver change for the No. 02 team. Ty Dillon will substitute for driver Brett Moffitt, as Moffitt is out due to “medical reasons,” Frontstretch first reported. Moffitt was slated to start 10th.

There were no issues during pre-race inspection, so Dillon so far will be the only driver dropping to the rear for the start of the race. Daniel Hemric is starting on the pole with A.J. Allmendinger in the front row.

How to watch NASCAR Xfinity race at Darlington

• Race: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200

• When: Saturday, Sept. 4

• Time: 3:30 p.m. EST

• TV: NBCSN

• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

• Distance: 200.1 miles (147 Laps) with stages ending on laps 45, 90 and 147

NASCAR Xfinity race at Darlington lineup

* driver change (substitute for Brett Moffitt)

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