NASCAR Xfinity Series: 2018 opening playoff picture
By Asher Fair
How do the 12 drivers who qualified for the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs stack up against one another in the playoff picture with the playoffs set to get underway?
With all 26 of the regular season races on the 33-race 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule having been completed, the seven-race playoffs are scheduled to get underway on Friday. The opening playoff race is the Go Bowling 250, which is set to take place at Richmond Raceway.
Ahead of the 250-lap race around the four-turn, 0.75-mile (1.207-kilometer) Richmond Raceway oval in Richmond, Virginia, where do the 12 playoff drivers rank against one another in the playoff picture when in terms of being on pace or not being on pace to advance to the second and third rounds of the playoffs?
Round of 8 cut line
The first round of the playoffs, the round of 12, is set to consist of three races. Once this round ends, four of the 12 drivers playoff drivers will be eliminated while the other eight will move on to compete in the round of 8.
At this time, the eight drivers who have qualified for the round of 8 will have their point totals reset to 3,000. After this takes place, the playoff point totals that they will have earned throughout the course of the regular season and the round of 12 will be added to their respective point totals.
Here is what the round of 8 cut line currently looks like before the start of the round of 12.
| Rank | Driver | Car, Team, Manufacturer | Points | Behind |
| 1 | Justin Allgaier | #7, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2039 | +36 |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota | 2032 | +29 |
| 3 | Elliott Sadler | #1, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2011 | +8 |
| 3 | Cole Custer | #00, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford | 2011 | +8 |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | #9, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2010 | +7 |
| 5 | Ross Chastain | #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet | 2010 | +7 |
| 5 | Daniel Hemric | #21, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet | 2010 | +7 |
| 8 | Brandon Jones | #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota | 2006 | +3 |
| 9 | Matt Tifft | #2, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet | 2003 | -3 |
| 9 | Ryan Truex | #11, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet | 2003 | -3 |
| 11 | Austin Cindric | #22, Team Penske, Ford | 2001 | -5 |
| 12 | Ryan Reed | #16, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford | 2000 | -6 |
Championship 4 cut line
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The second round of the playoffs is also set to consist of three races. Once this round, the round of 8, reaches its conclusion, four of the eight round of 8 drivers will be eliminated. The other four drivers will advance to compete in the final round, the Championship 4.
At this time, the four drivers who have qualified for the Championship 4 will have their point totals reset to 4,000. However, unlike the start of the round of 8, no playoff points will be added to their respective point totals after this takes place.
In addition, these four drivers will also be ineligible to collect stage points in the Championship 4 This is the case in order to ensure that the highest finisher among them in the race itself will be crowned the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.
Here is what the Championship 4 cut line currently looks like before the start of the round of 12.
| Rank | Driver | Car, Team, Manufacturer | Points | Behind |
| 1 | Justin Allgaier | #7, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2039 | +29 |
| 2 | Christopher Bell | #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota | 2032 | +22 |
| 3 | Elliott Sadler | #1, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2011 | +1 |
| 3 | Cole Custer | #00, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford | 2011 | +1 |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | #9, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2010 | -1 |
| 5 | Ross Chastain | #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet | 2010 | -1 |
| 5 | Daniel Hemric | #21, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet | 2010 | -1 |
| 8 | Brandon Jones | #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota | 2006 | -5 |
| 9 | Matt Tifft | #2, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet | 2003 | -8 |
| 9 | Ryan Truex | #11, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet | 2003 | -8 |
| 11 | Austin Cindric | #22, Team Penske, Ford | 2001 | -10 |
| 12 | Ryan Reed | #16, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford | 2000 | -11 |
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Be sure to tune in to NBC Sports Network for the live broadcast of the opening race of the 2018 NASCAR Xfintiy Series playoffs, the Go Bowling 250, at Richmond Raceway on Friday, September 21. It is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Also, be sure not to miss the live broadcasts of any of the other six playoff races before the season concludes in mid-November.