Where the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff bubble stands after Chicago

After the Chicago Street Race, there are only eight races left in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season. With only half of the 12-driver playoff field set, six spots are still up for grabs. Here’s the standings after Chicago.

7. Cole Custer (+225)

8. Riley Fall (+91)

9. AJ Allmendinger (+90)

10. Sheldon Creed (+73)

Creed, still looking for his first Xfinity Series win, was relegated to 26th on Saturday after a late-race crash. However, he finished fifth in the second stage and showed decent speed. Creed has averaged eighth in his two Xfinity Series starts at Pocono, so expect him to have another solid day next Saturday at the “Tricky Triangle.”

11. Parker Kligerman (+63)

Kligerman won 17 points at the cut line on a day that saw him finish fourth at Chicago. Like Creed, the 33-year-old veteran is seeking his first Xfinity Series win, and if the No. 48 team continues to put top-five cars on the track, he could get it in 2024. Kligerman finished ninth at Pocono in 2023 and will be hoping for eight more solid points days to get into the postseason field.

12. Sammy Smith (+23)

Speaking of riders who caught up at the cut line, Smith scored 12 important points, thanks largely to a bold strategy that earned the Iowa native nine stage points by taking second place in Stage 2. Smith finished the race in the midfield, but 13th place is certainly not the worst result that could have happened to Smith in Chicago.

13. Ryan Victory (-23)

A 16th-place finish isn’t a bad day for Sieg, but he still dropped 12 points to the cut line. If Sieg were to miss the playoffs, his heartbreaking loss at Texas earlier in the season would only be more disappointing. The Xfinity Series veteran finished a dismal 22nd at Pocono in 2023 – a result he can’t afford if he wants to advance to the playoffs.

14. Brandon Jones (-67)

Jones’ mediocre 2024 season was exemplified by a 17th-place finish on Saturday, where the No. 9 car was extremely quiet. Jones was not involved in an incident, nor did he make any drastic moves to move up. Pocono was one of the only bright spots for Jones in 2023 — the Xfinity Series veteran finished seventh at the Pennsylvania track — and another top-10 day is much needed for Jones to get back into the bubble discussion.

15. Anthony Alfredo (-85)

Now, on the brink of the playoff bubble, Alfredo’s early-season consistency seems much more impressive. Alfredo once had a provisional playoff spot, but the No. 5 team has failed to find consistent speed of late. A 30th-place finish in Chicago only sets Alfredo back even further, and another poor finish will likely put him in a need-to-win situation.