NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff picture after 2018 Go Bowling 250
By Asher Fair
How does the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff picture look with one race down and two races remaining in the round of 12, the first of three rounds in the 2018 playoffs?
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell opened up the three-round, seven-race 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs by winning the Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway, the first of three races in the round of 12. The win is his fifth of the season.
Bell won the 250-lap race around the four-turn, 0.75-mile (1.207-kilometer) Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia to become the first driver to clinch a berth in the second round of the playoffs, the round of 8. He entered the race sitting in second place in the playoff picture.
Of the 12 playoff drivers, 11 finished the race. The only playoff driver who failed to finish the race was JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier. Allgaier entered the race in first place in the playoff picture after earning a series-high five victories in the regular season and winning the regular season championship.
More from Xfinity Series
- NASCAR: Two new drivers linked to Joe Gibbs Racing
- NASCAR: Frankie Muniz linked to surprise landing spot
- NASCAR: How a sudden downfall inadvertently created a champion
- NASCAR: Kaulig driver linked to Joe Gibbs Racing for 2024
- NASCAR: Another top prospect leaves Toyota for 2024
Allgaier is still well ahead of the round of 8 cut line as a result of the fact that he entered the playoffs with 39 playoff points. The only other driver who entered with more than 11 playoff points was Bell, who entered with 32.
That said, Allgaier will need to be careful that he does not fall closer to the round of 8 cut line, as there are several drivers who are currently within striking distance of him even though he still sits up in third place. All 11 of the playoff drivers who finished the race did so by finishing on the lead lap and inside the top 15, so many of them were able to capitalize on the misfortune experienced by the Spaulding, Illinois native.
Here is the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff picture with one race completed and two races remaining in the round of 12. The totals in the “behind” column show where each driver currently stands in relation to the round of 8 cut line.
| Rank | Driver | Car, Team, Manufacturer | Points | Behind | Playoff Points (Rank) |
| 1 | Christopher Bell | #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota | 1 WIN | 1 WIN | 37 (2nd) |
| 2 | Daniel Hemric | #21, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet | 2062 | +27 | 11 (T-3rd) |
| 3 | Justin Allgaier | #7, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2056 | +21 | 39 (1st) |
| 4 | Ross Chastain | #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet | 2053 | +18 | 10 (T-6th) |
| 5 | Elliott Sadler | #1, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2051 | +16 | 11 (T-3rd) |
| 6 | Matt Tifft | #2, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet | 2047 | +12 | 3 (T-9th) |
| 7 | Tyler Reddick | #9, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2046 | +11 | 10 (T-6th) |
| 8 | Cole Custer | #00, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford | 2035 | 0 | 11 (T-3rd) |
| 8 | Brandon Jones | #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota | 2035 | 0 | 6 (8th) |
| 10 | Ryan Truex | #11, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet | 2033 | -2 | 3 (T-9th) |
| 11 | Austin Cindric | #22, Team Penske, Ford | 2028 | -7 | 1 (11th) |
| 12 | Ryan Reed | #16, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford | 2027 | -8 | 0 (12th) |
dark. Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time
The Drive for the Cure 200 is the next race on the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff schedule. This race is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 29, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval in Concord, North Carolina beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.