By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

On the Tuesday 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: Watkins Glen International

Event: Zippo 200 at the Glen

Race Winner: Kyle Busch

Stage Winner(s): Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard

Who Won Big

• Justin Allgaier: It was a weekend of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series domination at Watkins Glen, but Allgaier held his own with the group to salvage a top five. The run gave Allgaier a 67-point edge on Brennan Poole for third in the championship standings, an advantage he should be able to maintain.
• Brendan Gaughan: If there’s one driver many could point to as most likely to benefit from the Aug. road-course stretch, it’s Gaughan. The Nevadan stayed true to form at WGI, rallying to a ninth-place finish to keep himself in the final playoff position while closing in on Blake Koch and Michael Annett.

 Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Ryan Sieg: Looking to repeat his underdog playoff appearance in 2016, Sieg is one of a handful with everything to gain over the next month. But the underfunded regular didn’t do himself any favors on Saturday, finishing 27th and dropping to 36 points behind the playoff field.
• Dakoda Armstrong: He actually finished one position better than points rival Blake Koch, but Armstrong scored fewer points due to Koch’s success in the opening stages. The Hoosier is still firmly in the playoff grid, but is within 12 points of falling out of the top 10 and gaining the crucial playoff points that come with it.

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	Ryan Preece	6
4 (tie)	Ryan Reed	5
4 (tie)	Elliott Sadler	5
6 (tie)	Daniel Hemric	1
6 (tie)	Darrell Wallace Jr.	1
6 (tie)	Blake Koch	1
6 (tie)	Brendan Gaughan	1

Stage Points

Watkins Glen International Results

Season Totals