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: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Event: Rock N Roll Tequila 170

Race Winner: Justin Allgaier

Stage Winner(s): Justin Allgaier, Austin Cindric

Who Won Big

• Justin Allgaier: In the midst of arguably his best NASCAR season to date, Allgaier brought home a third victory to bump his playoff point total up to 14. The JR Motorsports veteran has quietly established himself as hotshot rookie Christopher Bell’s strongest opposition.
• Elliott Sadler: He wasn’t victorious like his teammate, but Sadler scored 43 points to rise into a tie with Daniel Hemric for second in the championship standings. Without wins, the playoff points secured with a regular season finish will be crucial to Sadler’s title hopes.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Tyler Reddick: The tumultuous summer of Reddick continued with a crash and 31st-place finish at Mid-Ohio, dropping him 17 points out of sixth with few potential playoff points to gain without another win.
• Michael Annett: An 18th-place finish proved problematic for Annett in Mid-Ohio, dropping him further behind Ross Chastain for the final playoff spot. It may take a late win to push Annett clear of the bubble heading into the postsea

Playoff Standings: 

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned On-Track
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Christopher Bell	24
2	Justin Allgaier	14
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
8 (tie)	Cole Custer	1

Stage Points

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Results

Season Totals

Camping World Truck Series

Track: Michigan International Speedway

Event: Corrigan Oil 200

Race Winner: Brett Moffitt

Stage Winner(s): Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger

Who Won Big

• Brett Moffitt: Another race, another late surge from Moffitt. The Hattori Racing ace used a last-lap pass to snag his fourth win of the year, boosting his playoff point total over 20 just before the postseason begins.
• Stewart Friesen and Grant Enfinger: Neither driver managed to pull off that much-needed victory, but both earned a playoff point with stage wins and all-but secured themselves in the postseason field with one race remaining in the 2018 regular season.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Everyone outside of the playoff grid: Bad news for Myatt Snider, Todd Gilliland and the rest of the field outside of the current postseason bubble. They’re all outside of the playoff grid, and will need a win at Bristol Motor Speedway to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Playoff Standings: 

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned On-Track
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Johnny Sauter	22
2	Brett Moffitt	21
3	Noah Gragson	12
4	Ben Rhodes	9
5 (tie)	Justin Haley	5
5 (tie)	Stewart Friesen	5
7	Grant Enfinger	3
8 (tie)	David Gilliland	1
8 (tie)	Christian Eckes	1
8 (tie)	Todd Gilliland	1

Playoff Points if Playoffs Started Today
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	Johnny Sauter	37
2	Brett Moffitt	27
3	Noah Gragson	22
4 (tie)	Ben Rhodes	12
4 (tie)	Stewart Friesen	12
6	Grant Enfinger	11
7	Justin Haley	9
8	Matt Crafton	5

Stage Points

Michigan International Speedway Results

Season Totals