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: Darlington Raceway

Event: Virginia 529 College Savings 250

Race Winner: Brad Keselowski

Stage Winner(s): Ty Dillon, Brad Keselowski

Who Won Big

• Elliott Sadler: He once again found himself competing for best in class instead of a race win, but Sadler’s strong top five was enough to guarantee the JR Motorsports veteran the regular season championship, and the 15 playoff points that accompany it.
• Daniel Hemric: Hey there, Daniel. Hemric surged into the top five in one of his strongest performances yet, scoring a fourth-place finish and hopping Brennan Poole for fourth in the championship standings as a result. If the rookie can hold the spot for one more week, it’ll land him an extra playoff point for the postseason.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Everyone Outside of the Playoff Grid: Another week went by without a win or any significant runs for the many drivers outside of the 12-car playoff grid that are eyeing a postseason spot.

Playoff Standings: 

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

Playoff Points

Playoff Points Earned
Rank	Driver	Playoff Points
1	William Byron	17
2	Justin Allgaier	8
3 (tie)	Ryan Preece	6
3 (tie)	Sam Hornish Jr.	6
5 (tie)	Ryan Reed	5
5 (tie)	Elliott Sadler	5
5 (tie)	Jeremy Clements	5
8 (tie)	Daniel Hemric	2
7	Blake Koch	2
8 (tie)	Darrell Wallace, Jr.	1
8 (tie)	Brendan Gaughan	1
8 (tie)	James Davison	1

Stage Points

Richmond Results

Season Totals