By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

On the Tuesday following each regular season points race, Kickin’ the Tires takes a deep look at the current playoff grids for both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series, evaluating the postseason picture for NASCAR’s second and third tours. 

XFINITY Series

Track: Iowa Speedway

Event: American Ethanol E15 250

Race Winner: William Byron

Stage Winner(s): Christopher Bell, Brendan Gaughan

Who Won Big

• William Byron: No heartbreak this week. Byron took advantage of Bell’s crash and surged to his first-career XFINITY Series win. As a result, the Charlotte, North Carolina native officially stamps his bid into the playoffs, and brings along the five playoff points that come with a race win.
• Ryan Sieg: One of 2016’s playoff surprises, Sieg took a major step toward rejoining the postseason field with a surprising second-place run in Iowa. The underdog Sieg now finds himself just 24 markers behind Blake Koch, with a wildcard race at Daytona International Speedway next on the schedule.
• Dakoda Armstrong: If Sieg took a big step towards joining the playoff field, then Armstrong took a similar stride in maintaining his place on the postseason grid. Armstrong’s fifth-place finish proved enough to elevate the Hoosier to 11th in the championship standings, 25 points ahead of Sieg and one marker above Koch.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Richard Childress Racing: It’s been a tough year for Richard Childress Racing in the XFINITY Series, and Saturday’s run did little to change that. Brendan Gaughan claimed his first stage win with a strategy call, but otherwise the organization had little to cheer about, finishing no better than 20th with any of their cars. With Gaughan and Brandon Jones both still chasing a spot in the playoffs, runs like Saturday’s need to stop.
• Blake Koch: It wasn’t necessarily the team’s fault, but Koch’s 25th-place showing in Iowa dropped 2016’s underdog Kaulig Racing to within 24 markers of the wrong side of the playoff grid. It appears Koch and co. are due for another stressful summer.

Playoff Standings: 

*Technically ineligible due to missed races. Would require a waiver to make the playoffs.

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Season Totals

Camping World Truck Series

Track: Iowa Speedway

Event: M&M’s 200

Race Winner: John Hunter Nemechek

Stage Winner(s): Christopher Bell, Johnny Sauter

Who Won Big

• John Hunter Nemechek: Just two weeks ago, Nemechek and NEMCO Motorsport faced an uncertain future as they worked to erase a large gap in both points and sponsorship. Their sponsorship troubles may not yet be completely resolved, but after back-to-back wins, Nemechek is well placed for a potential playoff run.
• Christopher Bell and Johnny Sauter: Neither driver was able to get the win they desired, but both of the championship contenders added a playoff point for stage wins to their totals – a perk that should pay dividends when the postseason arrives.
• Grant Enfinger: While he scored just two stage points, Enfinger’s fourth-place finish helped him rise to eight points ahead of Ryan Truex for what is currently the final playoff position.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Ryan Truex: Ouch. Looking to burst into the playoff field, Truex and Hattori Racing scored 10 critical stage points. But their run in Iowa ultimately proved unfavorable when overheating issues forced Truex off-track after 166 of 200 laps.
• Matt Crafton: He still holds a healthy advantage over the playoff bubble, but Crafton’s crash in Iowa saw the winless two-time Truck Series champion’s gap drop to 46 points. Crafton can still afford one more slip-up, but his team will continue to sit uneasy as long as their winless streak continues.

Playoff Standings: 

*Technically ineligible due to missed races. Would require a waiver to make the playoffs.

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Season Totals