On Saturday, 12 drivers will start their hunt for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Sequence championship.
The Xfinity Sequence playoffs might be composed of three rounds and 7 races, with the very best ending driver of the Championship 4 at Phoenix taking dwelling the title. Listed here are our predictions for every spherical.
Xfinity Sequence Standings coming into Kansas
1. Justin Allgaier (+27); 2. Cole Custer (+21) ; 3. Austin Hill (+18); 4. Chandler Smith (+17); 5. Shane van Gisbergen (+10); 6. Jesse Love (+6); 7. Sam Mayer (+4); 8. Riley Herbst (+3); 9. Sheldon Creed (-3); 10. AJ Allmendinger (-4); 11. Sammy Smith (-9); 12. Parker Kligerman (-12).
Spherical of 12 (Kansas, Talladega, Charlotte Roval)
Kansas is essentially the most simple race of the three that comprise the Spherical of 12, whereas each Talladega and the Charlotte Roval current a possibility for chaos. This would be the spherical the place the pretenders are separated from the true contenders, and people with a scarcity of playoff factors are already behind the eight-ball.
Eradicated: Sammy Smith, Parker Kligerman, Riley Herbst, Sam Mayer
Smith and Kligerman have seldom had the pace essential to make a deep run this season, whereas Mayer’s inconsistency left him outdoors of the top-12 within the common season standings. Herbst is the “shock’ elimination of the 4, however since its win at Indianapolis on July 20, the No. 98 group hasn’t been fairly as fast.
Shane van Gisbergen will seemingly be a well-liked elimination when followers fill out their brackets, however his saving grace is the Charlotte Roval on Oct. 12. A win isn’t assured in NASCAR, however van Gisbergen has been the most effective Xfinity Sequence driver on street programs thus far in 2024, and there is no purpose to assume that’ll change in Charlotte.
Spherical of 8 (Las Vegas, Homestead, Martinsville)
This spherical will whittle the sphere all the way down to the ultimate 4. A number of top-five performances — or a win — might be wanted so as to advance to the championship race, and expertise might be a really priceless asset for the veterans nonetheless racing for a title.
Eradicated: Shane van Gisbergen, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith
Van Gisbergen is clearly the most effective road-course driver within the discipline, however a spherical consisting of three ovals — considered one of which he is by no means been to earlier than — might be what in the end does in his title hopes. Smith and Love’s inexperience will show expensive, whereas Hill and the No. 21 group have misplaced any semblance of the successful pace they’d earlier within the season.
Championship Race: Phoenix (Nov. 9)
Championship 4: Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, A.J. Allmendinger
Allmendinger could seem to be a stunning decide, however he is been right here earlier than. The artful veteran will discover a strategy to race for the championship, as will Creed. Creed remains to be searching for his first profession Xfinity Sequence win, however his 13 top-five finishes lead the collection this 12 months. If there’s any driver who is aware of persistently have a shot to win, it is Creed.
Custer and Allgaier virtually seem to be no-brainers — Custer is the regular-season champion and defending Xfinity Sequence champion, whereas Allgaier has by no means completed worse than seventh in factors over a full Xfinity Sequence season. That mark consists of six journeys to the championship race for the reason that format was launched in 2016.
Champion: Cole Custer
As enjoyable as it will be to see Creed break by way of or Allgaier win his first championship, the No. 00 group is firing on all cylinders going into the postseason. With the burden of an organization on his again, Custer will shut Stewart-Haas Racing’s Xfinity Sequence historical past along with his second consecutive championship earlier than returning to the Cup Sequence in 2025.