NASCAR Xfinity Series: How do the 2019 playoffs work?

The 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs are set to begin, as the regular season is in the books. How do the playoffs work?

Only the three-round, seven-race 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs remain on the schedule before this year’s champion will be crowned, as the 26-race regular season is in the books.

The playoffs are scheduled to get underway on Friday, September 20 at Richmond Raceway, and slightly under two months later, the champion is set to be crowned on Saturday, November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Here is a link to the 2019 Xfinity Series playoff schedule.

So how do the playoffs work?

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Six drivers qualified for the playoffs by winning at least one of the regular season’s 26 races while six other drivers qualified for the playoffs based on the strength of their point totals, meaning 12 drivers are set to enter the playoffs still eligible to win this year’s championship.

These 12 drivers are all set to compete in the round of 12, the first of two three-race rounds of the playoffs prior to the season finale. Four of these 12 drivers will be eliminated from championship contention when this round ends while the other eight drivers will move on to the round of 8.

The round of 8 is the second and final three-race round of the playoffs. Once this round ends, four of the eight drivers who competed in it will advance to the Championship 4 while the other four drivers will be eliminated from championship contention.

As has been the case throughout the entire regular season, points will be awarded for race results and top 10 finishes in stages throughout the round of 12 and the round of 8. In the Championship 4, however, the four drivers who are still in championship contention will be ineligible to score stage points.

Playoff points that drivers have accrued throughout the regular season by winning races and stages were added to their point totals to start the playoffs. Five playoff points were awarded for each race victory while one playoff point was awarded for each stage victory.

Additional playoff points were awarded to the playoff drivers who finished the regular season in the top 10 in the championship standings based on where they finished.

Playoff points will still be awarded regularly throughout the playoffs.

Here is a link to the opening Xfinity Series playoff picture (available after 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 15).

After the end of the round of 12 when eight drivers advance to the round of 8, the eight drivers who advance to the round of 12 will have their point totals reset. At this point, the playoff points that they will have accrued, including those from the regular season and the round of 12, will be added to their point totals to begin the round of 8.

The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4, however, will not have any playoff points added to their point totals before the round begins. Additionally, they will be ineligible to score stage points in this round, as referenced above. As a result, the highest finishing driver of these four drivers in the season finale will be crowned 2019 Xfinity Series champion.

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Tune in to NBC Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, September 20 for the live broadcast of the opening race of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs from Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia the Go Bowling 250.

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