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: Texas Motor Speedway

Event: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

Race Winner: Cole Custer

Stage Winner(s): Daniel Hemric, Cole Custer

Who Won Big

• Cole Custer: The Round of 8 had been a challenge for Custer, but a last-lap overtake for the lead pushed the Stewart-Haas Racing sophomore through to the Championship 4 with a Texas win. Custer will compete for a title at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the first time in his young career.
• Tyler Reddick: He fell half a lap short of his second victory of 2018, but Reddick’s second-place effort was important for his championship hopes. The Daytona International Speedway winner’s Round of 8 consistency has him sitting in the points lead heading to the cutoff race.
• Elliott Sadler: It was a quiet day for Sadler in Texas, with an eighth-place finish to show for it. That’s nothing fancy, but it did the necessary job – keeping Sadler well above the cutoff heading into the penultimate race of his full-time NASCAR career.

Who Hurt Their Odds

• Christopher Bell: How quickly things have fallen apart. Bell’s enjoyed arguably the best rookie season in Xfinity Series history, but two DNFs in the Round of 8 have the Oklahoman well behind the cut line heading to ISM Raceway. Bell will likely need a win to keep his championship pursuit alive.
• Justin Allgaier and Matt Tifft: A pair of strong runs had Allgaier and Tifft sitting just a handful of points apart in a battle for the final playoff spot entering the last lap. Then Custer won from outside of the top four and threw the playoff picture into disarray. Suddenly the pair head to Phoenix more than 10 points out of the current grid, in need of max stage points or a victory to keep their title fight alive.
• Austin Cindric: A third-place finish was just what the No. 22 Team Penske team needed in the owner’s championship. But it wasn’t enough for Cindric. At 61 points out of the current Championship 4, the rookie will need a Phoenix win to avoid elimination.

Playoff Standings: 

Bold = Locked into the next round

Playoff Points

Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Christopher Bell	36
2	Justin Allgaier	24
3 (tie)	Ross Chastain	9
3 (tie)	Daniel Hemric	9
5	John H. Nemechek	8
6	Cole Custer	7
7 (tie)	Ryan Preece	6
7 (tie)	Tyler Reddick	6
9 (tie)	Spencer Gallagher	5
9 (tie)	Chase Briscoe	5
11	Elliott Sadler	4
12 (tie)	Brandon Jones	1
12 (tie)	Matt Tifft	1
12 (tie)	Austin Cindric	1
12 (tie)	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	1

Stage Points

Texas Results

Season Totals

Camping World Truck Series

Track: Texas Motor Speedway

Event: JAG Metals 350

Race Winner: Justin Haley

Stage Winner(s): Justin Haley, Myatt Snider

Who Won Big

• Justin Haley: If Todd Gilliland’s out front on the last lap, look for Justin Haley. The Hoosier profited at Gilliland’s expense for the second time in the playoffs, surging past his slowed No. 4 on the last lap to claim a playoff-advancing win. Just like that, Haley’s secured an opportunity to compete for a title at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• Brett Moffitt: He hasn’t won in the Round of 6, but Moffitt has done everything else right. The Iowan notched another top-five in Texas to position himself 22 points clear of the cutoff entering the penultimate race of the season.
• Noah Gragson: A 10th-place run is nothing to write home about for a Kyle Busch Motorsports truck, but it was enough for Gragson to keep himself 18 points above fifth-place Matt Crafton with one more race to survive.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• ThorSport Racing: It was a difficult evening in Texas for ThorSport Racing teammates Crafton and Grant Enfinger. The first failed to run well enough to close his large gap in the standings, and the latter ran out of fuel on the final lap to drop well behind the top four. Under certain circumstances either driver could still make the Championship 4 on points, but in truth it’ll likely take a victory for Crafton or Enfinger to avoid elimination in Phoenix.

Playoff Standings: 

Bold = Locked into the next round

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned On-Track
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Johnny Sauter	34
2	Brett Moffitt	21
3	Justin Haley	16
4	Noah Gragson	15
5	Grant Enfinger	10
6	Ben Rhodes	9
7 (tie)	Stewart Friesen	5
7 (tie)	Timothy Peters	5
9	Todd Gilliland	2
10 (tie)	David Gilliland	1
10 (tie)	Christian Eckes	1
10 (tie)	Myatt Snider	1

Total Playoff Points
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Johnny Sauter	49
2	Brett Moffitt	27
3	Noah Gragson	25
4	Justin Haley	20
4	Grant Enfinger	18
6	Matt Crafton	3

Stage Points

Texas Results

Season Totals