By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

On the day 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: Dover International Speedway

Event: OneMain Financial 200

Race Winner: Justin Allgaier

Stage Winner(s): Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier

Who Won Big

• Justin Allgaier: For the second-straight year, Allgaier has found a way to get to victory lane. The JR Motorsports shoe earned his third victory in the past two seasons at Dover, earning the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus and, with the addition of a stage win, six playoff points to carry into the postseason this fall.
• Elliott Sadler: He just keeps knocking on the door. Sadler fell just short of victory lane, losing out to his teammate Allgaier. But once again the veteran managed a stage win and a top five – his eighth in the opening 10 races of 2018.
• Austin Cindric: The 2018 season has been a tough one for the Roush Fenway Racing/Team Penske rookie, but a top 10 in Dover finally elevated the rookie to 12th in the series standings, placing him on the right side of the playoff bubble.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Spencer Gallagher: This damage came off-track, not on it. Gallagher’s banned substance violation have eliminated him from the playoff conversation, despite his Talladega Superspeedway win and current top 12 position in the standings. The GMS Racing driver’s shown growth and potential this year, but he’ll have to pass NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program and wait for another year to showcase it.
• Kaz Grala: After a strong start to the year, Grala’s 2018 has quickly devolved into a struggle. A 37th-place finish dropped the rookie to 19th in the championship standings, with a 52-point deficit to Ross Chastain and the current playoff bubble.

Playoff Standings: 

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

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Dover International Speedway Results

Season Totals

Camping World Truck Series

Track: Dover International Speedway

Event: JEGS 200

Race Winner: Johnny Sauter

Stage Winner(s): Noah Gragson, Johnny Sauter

Who Won Big

• Johnny Sauter: After five races the 2016 Truck Series champion has two wins, four top fives and a 51-point edge in the championship standings. Sauter is easily a step above the rest of the field right now.
• Matt Crafton: The opening to the 2018 season wasn’t kind to Crafton, but the two-time champion is still in the playoff picture. A runner-up result in Dover helped Crafton rise to within 18 points of second-place Ben Rhodes in the standings – an attainable goal as the veteran rises through the standings.
• Justin Haley: The Hoosier failed to make the playoffs after missing races due to his age last season, but this year he’s in contention for a postseason spot. Haley’s third-place run at Dover helped him jump to seventh in the standings, four points clear of ninth-place Dalton Sargeant.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Dalton Sargeant: It wasn’t an outright bad day for the rookie, but Sargeant’s 13th-place result in Dover dropped him out of the current playoff field. With only eight teams going to the postseason, it’ll likely take consistent top 10s for Sargeant and the other playoff hopefuls to secure their place in the playoffs this fall.
• Stewart Friesen: A late crash doomed Friesen’s day in Dover. The Canadian finished 23rd, dropping to 10th in the playoff standings as a result.

Playoff Standings: 

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

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Dover International Speedway Results

Season Totals