The Xfinity Series regular season comes down to a short track race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 20. Only two spots remain in the 12-driver playoff field after a chaotic finale at Watkins Glen International.
The playoff field had four open spots before Connor Zilisch won his Xfinity Series debut at the New York road course. The Trackhouse Racing developmental driver is not eligible for the playoffs, so his win didn't matter in the grand scheme. However, two drivers were able to point their way into the playoffs with strong finishes.
AJ Allmendinger and Sheldon Creed entered the weekend well above the cutline. Creed had a 123-point cushion before finishing second at Watkins Glen. Allmendinger had a 144-point cushion before finishing third. Now, both drivers are locked into the playoffs with an opportunity to pursue a championship.
The last two drivers currently in on points are Parker Kligerman (+85) and Sammy Smith (+43). Ryan Sieg is 43 points below the cutline while Brandon Jones is 147 points below.
Here are the #XfinitySeries standings as we head to the regular season finale at @ItsBristolBaby.@AJDinger & @sheldoncreed have secured their spots. pic.twitter.com/wPzjWPTu5J
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) September 14, 2024
None of these drivers around the cutline had particularly enjoyable afternoons at the New York road course. Kligerman finished seventh, but he completed the majority of the race without fourth gear.
Smith, for comparison, fell off the lead lap after stage 1 due to a broken rear shock and a broken rear shock mount. His team made repairs and got him back on the lead lap, but he finished 19th due to other unscheduled pit stops.
Sieg gained two stage points at Watkins Glen while trying to erase some of Smith's advantage, and he put himself in contention for a potential strong finish. However, he was involved in the final crash of the race and finished 22nd.
Jones was in a similar situation as Sieg. He missed out on stage points due to strategy, but he was inside the top 10 as the end of the race approached.
Jones was sent spinning through the grass during the first overtime attempt and he ended up directly in the path of Mike Skeen's Chevrolet. The two cars collided. Jones ended the day in the 28th position.
With only one race remaining in the regular season, at least one of these drivers will lock up a spot in the playoffs. A second will do so as long as there is not a new winner from below the cutline.