By Matteo Marcheschi
JR Motorsports drivers Justin Allgaier, William Byron, and Elliott Sadler currently lead the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff standings. Allgaier has two wins, including the regular-season finale at Chicago. Byron has three wins this season, all coming in a five-race stretch from Iowa to Indianapolis. Sadler hasn’t won this season, but has run very well.
Allgaier has an impressive average finish of 12.8, and 15 top-10 finishes in 28 races thus far. Allgaier hasn’t fallen outside the top three in the points standings since Texas in April, and now leads the playoff standings with finishes of second and third at Kentucky and Dover, respectively.
Byron’s stats look very much like Allgaier’s. With an average finish of 11th and 18 top-10 finishes so far this season, Byron sits second in the playoff points standings, three points behind Allgaier. Impressively, Byron has also been second or third in points since he exited the second race of the season at Atlanta.
Sadler has not captured a win this season, but has an average finish just inside the top-10 and 21 top-10 finishes, meaning he has only seven finishes outside the top-10 all season. Sadler has also completed 99% of the nearly 5,000 laps run so far this season. Staying out of trouble hasn’t been an issue for Sadler, and it could bring him to Homestead.
Allgaier, Byron, and Sadler all look poised for Homestead, but only one can win it. Others, like Cole Custer and Daniel Hemric, look to steal the title from the three teammates. It also seems unlikely that all three drivers make Homestead, and issues could befall any one of them. One race still remains until the round of 8 begins as well, so avoiding issues at Charlotte will be key.
