By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

Following each 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: Kansas Speedway

Event: Kansas Lottery 300

Race Winner: John Hunter Nemechek

Stage Winner(s): Daniel Hemric, John Hunter Nemechek

Who Won Big

• Daniel Hemric: It was a wonderful weekend in Kansas for Hemric. He fell short of bringing home that elusive victory, but the North Carolinian claimed a stage and contended up front throughout the day while others faltered to secure a solid points advantage at the open of the Round of 8. He may see a penalty for failing post-race heights, but should still be clear of the playoff bubble.
• Elliott Sadler: The JR Motorsports veteran continued yet another consistent playoff run with a third-place performance in Kansas. Sadler heads into the final two races of the round with a 14-point advantage over the playoff bubble.
• Tyler Reddick and Matt Tifft: This duo entered the Round of 8 quietly, in need of help to make a Championship 4 push. They got just that with the early crash in Kansas, and salvaged strong finishes to place themselves in contention. Reddick sits 11 points clear of the bubble in third, while Tifft is just one point out in fifth.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• The championship favorites…: When Justin Allgaier got loose and drifted into Christopher Bell at the start of the race, he initiated a crash that suddenly put the title favorites in danger. Both drivers crashed out, and while Bell is still on the right side of the playoff bubble by a point, Allgaier finds himself five positions out heading into Texas.
• …And two others: The Allgaier-Bell crash did the most damage to two other playoff contenders. Cole Custer and Austin Cindric were innocent victims included in the crash, severely damaging both of their playoff runs. Custer now trails fourth-place Bell by 23 points, and Cindric sits in must-win territory with a 43-point deficit to the cutoff point.

Playoff Standings: 

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned On-Track
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Christopher Bell	36
2	Justin Allgaier	24
3	Ross Chastain	9
4 (tie)	Daniel Hemric	8
4 (tie)	John H. Nemechek	8
6 (tie)	Ryan Preece	6
6 (tie)	Tyler Reddick	6
8 (tie)	Spencer Gallagher	5
8 (tie)	Chase Briscoe	5
10	Elliott Sadler	4
11 (tie)	Brandon Jones	1
11 (tie)	Cole Custer	1
11 (tie)	Matt Tifft	1
11 (tie)	Austin Cindric	1
11 (tie)	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	1

Stage Points

Kansas Results

Season Totals