Not-so-expert Playoff Predictions: Xfinity Edition

Jon Knoll - Co-Lead Writer

Round of 12

-William Byron will get back to Victory Lane at Kentucky, where he won in the CWTS, to advance

-The rest move on with points as a combination of Larson, Blaney, Jones, or A. Dillon will win at Dover and Charlotte.

-Sixth Seed Ryan Reed gets unlucky that there are no plate tracks in the playoffs and doesn’t advance. Jeremy Clements’ dream season is over, as he fails to make it out of the first round

Round of 8

-Without Kyle Busch in the field, Elliott Sadler moves up one spot and takes the checkers at Kansas in a heated battle with Byron who has been a victor there in the CWTS

-Byron wins Texas, where he has previously in the trucks

-Justin Allgaier sweeps Phoenix to earn the third spot in the finale

-Daniel Hemric continues his impressive run, and makes it to Homestead

Finale

-Elliott Sadler returns to Homestead, where he came so close in 2016, and gets it done. He battles hard with teammates Allgaier and Byron, but his experience proves too much for the younger foes, and he wins his first NASCAR Championship.

Amerigo Allegretto - Co-Lead Writer

Unfortunately it’s difficult to say which drivers competing for the championship will actually win due to Cup Series drivers continually hogging victory lane. However, let’s pretend no Cup Series regulars race in the Xfinity Series championship.

Round of 12

-Elliott Sadler captures his elusive first win of the season and wins at Kentucky, advancing into the Round of 8.

-Ryan Reed gets some real estate with a surprise win at Dover, his second of the season.

-Cole Custer wows with a late-race performance at Charlotte to notch his first career Xfinity Series win.

-Blake Koch, Matt Tifft, Brendan Gaughan and Michael Annett’s ho-hum performances end their championship pursuits.

Round of 8

-Brennan Poole takes advantage of a late-race fracas among top Xfinity Series drivers William Byron, Ryan Reed and Dakota Armstrong to steal his first career Xfinity Series win at Kansas to advance to the final four.

-William Byron kicks it into high gear as he gets his fourth win of the season with a dominating performance at Texas.

-Justin Allgaier completes the Phoenix sweep as he advances to the final four with his teammate, Byron.

-Elliott Sadler’s consistency pays off as he also advances to the final four with his JR Motorsports teammates.

Finale

-The wily veteran Elliott Sadler wrangles with his JR Motorsports teammate William Byron to finally win his first ever NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with a win at Homestead. Byron finishes a close second, Allgaier finishes third after a late-race, pit road penalty and Brennan Poole settles for fourth after mid-race problems.