By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

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: Kentucky Speedway

Event: Alsco 300

Race Winner: Christopher Bell

Stage Winner(s): Kyle Busch, John Hunter Nemechek

Who Won Big

• Christopher Bell: Kentucky has been kind to Bell in his young NASCAR career. He won for the second-straight year at the track on Friday, beating out boss Kyle Busch and scoring five playoff points for this fall.
• Daniel Hemric: How close can Hemric com without winning a NASCAR race? He seems to inch closer to victory each week. Hemric finished a close second in Kentucky, failing to score playoff points but closing in on points leader Elliott Sadler in the process.
• Ryan Reed: He’s still outside of the top 10 an a chance at bonus playoff points, but runs like Reed’s eighth-place effort should be enough to get him into the postseason with ease.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Kaz Grala: He couldn’t find a way to get into Friday’s race, so Grala’s playoff pursuit is over.
• Michael Annett and Ryan Sieg: Try as they might, Annett and Sieg have proven incapable of gaining serious ground on Ross Chastain for the final playoff spot on points. It’s still there to play for if they can claw into Chastain’s advantage, but they’re down to just nine races to close the gap.

Playoff Standings: 

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned On-Track
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Christopher Bell	12
2	Justin Allgaier	8
3 (tie)	Ryan Preece	6
3 (tie)	Tyler Reddick	6
5	Spencer Gallagher	5
6	Elliott Sadler	4
7	Daniel Hemric	2
8 (tie)	Brandon Jones	1
8 (tie)	John H. Nemechek	1

Stage Points

Kentucky Speedway Results

Season Totals

Camping World Truck Series

Track: Kentucky Speedway

Event: Buckle Up in Your Truck 225

Race Winner: Ben Rhodes

Stage Winner(s): Ben Rhodes, Noah Gragson

Who Won Big

• Ben Rhodes: It doesn’t get much more storybook than a playoff-clinching win in your home state. Rhodes accomplished just that in Kentucky, earning his second-career Truck Series win and all-but guaranteeing himself a spot in the postseason field.
• Stewart Friesen: So close once again. Friesen earned a runner-up result in Kentucky. While falling short of a win didn’t secure him a playoff spot, the solid run did help his cause in the standings.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Myatt Snider: Early issues doomed Snider’s night before he had a chance to contend in the Bluegrass State, trapping the ThorSport Racing driver multiple laps down en-route to a 26th-place run. He’ll need to make up 79 points on two-time champion Matt Crafton or win one of the final four regular season races to snag a playoff spot.
• Cody Coughlin: A 12th-place run is nothing to scoff at, but it didn’t help Coughlin gain any ground on his playoff rivals. His championship hopes will likely hinge on a win over the next four races.

Playoff Standings: 

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

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned On-Track
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Johnny Sauter	22
2	Brett Moffitt	16
3	Noah Gragson	12
4	Ben Rhodes	8
5	Justin Haley	5
6	Stewart Friesen	3
7	Grant Enfinger	2
8 (tie)	David Gilliland	1
8 (tie)	Christian Eckes	1

Stage Points

Daytona International Speedway Results

Season Totals