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: Michigan International Speedway

Event: LTi Printing 250

Race Winner: Austin Dillon

Stage Winner(s): Kyle Busch, Elliott Sadler

Who Won Big

• Ryan Reed: The 2018 season hasn’t been kind to Reed and Roush Fenway Racing, but Michigan offered a highlight for the No. 16 Ford team. Reed notched a fourth-place finish in the Irish Hills, scoring a series-best 49 points and pushing himself well clear of the playoff bubble with summer drawing near.
• Cole Custer: Another week, another strong top five from Custer. The sophomore tallied a third-place finish, earning 42 points and jumping eight points ahead of Daniel Hemric for second in the standings.
• Daniel Hemric: He lost ground on Custer for second, but Hemric drew close to a win once again. The sophomore led all Xfinity regulars with a second-place result, falling just shy of overcoming Richard Childress Racing teammate Dillon for his first-career Xfinity victory.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Elliott Sadler: He won a stage and showed speed like always, but Sadler’s 30th-place result cut one third of his championship advantage away. The veteran holds a 41-point edge on Custer for the top spot in points heading to Iowa Speedway – a gap that’s still impressive, but within reach should Sadler have another bad day.
• Austin Cindric: A disappointing 23rd-place result hurt Cindric in Michigan. The rookie lost ground to 10th-place Reed and a shot at a bonus playoff point, and his advantage over Ryan Sieg and the playoff bubble dropped to 60 points. His postseason hopes are likely okay, but poor runs like Saturday will keep the lingering fears of a collapse within reach.

Playoff Standings: 

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

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Michigan International Speedway Results

Season Totals

Camping World Truck Series

Track: Texas Motor Speedway

Event: PPG 400

Race Winner: Johnny Sauter

Stage Winner(s): Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger

Who Won Big

• Johnny Sauter: The Truck Series is Sauter’s world in 2018. The 2016 champ secured his fourth win of 2018 at Texas, increasing his lead in the standings to 77 points, and adding his 22nd playoff point. Given that no other driver has more than 10 of the bonus points accrued, Sauter’s championship advantage is among the strongest in all of NASCAR.
• Stewart Friesen and Grant Enfinger: Two stage wins and two top fives. Friesen and Enfinger each delivered everything short of a victory in No Limits, Texas. The results helped Friesen push out to a 45-point advantage on the playoff bubble in seventh, while Enfinger sits 63 points clear in fourth.
• Justin Haley: The Hoosier contended for the win in Texas. While he failed to deliver his maiden victory, Haley’s third-place run helped him build up a 34-point gap on ninth-place Dalton Sargeant.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Myatt Snider: What once appeared to be a promising opportunity for Snider to inch toward the postseason field ended in disappointment in Texas. The North Carolinian’s 23rd-place run garnered just 25 points, dropping him to 10th in the standings with 39 points to make up on Haley and the current playoff bubble.
• Brett Moffitt: While he’s already secured into the postseason with a win, Moffitt hurt his chances to secure 10 – or perhaps even 15 – playoff points at the end of the regular season with an 18th-place run in Texas. The Iowan still sits third in the standings, but he lost ground on Sauter and Noah Gragson up front, and has dropped within four points of fifth.

Playoff Standings: 

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

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Texas Motor Speedway Results

Season Totals