NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff picture after 2018 Bar Harbor 200

With the second round of the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, the round of 8, set to get underway, here is how the playoff picture looks.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell closed out the first of three rounds in the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, the round of 12, with a victory in the Bar Harbor 200 at Dover International Speedway.

Bell closed out this round as the only one of the 12 playoff drivers who won at least one race in the round of 12. He opened up the round by winning the race at Richmond Raceway two weeks ago. Last week, part-time driver Chase Briscoe won the race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval.

Heading into the Bar Harbor 200, Bell was the only driver who had clinched a berth in the round of 12 with his win in the race at Richmond Raceway to open up the round of 12. He was simply racing for playoff points and, of course, the win in this race at Dover International Speedway.

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With his stage one win, which was his sixth stage win of the season, and his race win, which was his sixth win of the season, an all-time record among Xfinity Series rookies, Bell earned an additional six playoff points ahead of the round of 8.

As a result, the 23-year-old Norman, Oklahoma native is set to begin the round of 8 on top of the championship standings. The seven other drivers who are set to advance to the round of 8 are JR Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier, Elliott Sadler and Tyler Reddick, Richard Childress Racing teammates Daniel Hemric and Matt Tifft, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric.

Allgaier entered the playoffs on top of the championship standings with five regular season victories. He was the regular season champion. He is set to enter the round of 8 in second place in the standings behind Bell with 39 playoffs.

Of the 12 playoff drivers, the four who were eliminated at the end of the round of 12 were JD Motorsports’ Ross Chastain, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones, Kaulig Racing’s Ryan Truex and Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Reed.

Here is the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff picture with three playoff races down, four to go and the round of 8 set to get underway. The totals in the “behind” column show where each driver is currently positioned in relation to the Championship 4 cut line.

Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer: Points (Behind) – Playoff Points (Rank)
1st – Christopher Bell – #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3044 (+33) – 44 (1st)
2nd – Justin Allgaier – #7, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3039 (+28) – 39 (2nd)
3rd – Daniel Hemric – #21, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet: 3013 (+2) – 13 (3rd)
4th – Cole Custer – #00, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3011 (0) – 11 (4th)
4th – Elliott Sadler – #1, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3011 (0) – 11 (5th)
6th – Tyler Reddick – #9, JR Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3010 (-1) – 10 (6th)
7th – Matt Tifft – #2, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet: 3003 (-8) – 3 (7th)
8th – Austin Cindric – #22, Team Penske, Ford: 3001 (-10) – 1 (8th)

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The Kansas Lottery 300 is the next race on the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule. This race is the fourth race of the playoffs and the first race of the round of 8, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Kansas Speedway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 20.

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