After Cole Custer’s playoff-clinching win on Saturday at Pocono, solely 5 spots stay open for the taking within the Xfinity Collection postseason. With simply seven regular-season races to go, here is the place the sphere sits after Pocono.
8. AJ Allmendinger (+98)
9. Riley Herbst (+94)
10. Sheldon Creed (+77)
Creed continues to rack up constant finishes in 2024, however it appeared like Saturday had an opportunity to be one thing particular. After successful the pole for Saturday’s race at Pocono, nonetheless, Creed’s No. 18 Toyota dropped via the sphere like a rock. He ultimately rebounded for a fourth-place end, however the stress to win must be weighing on the younger driver.
11. Parker Kligerman (+59)
Kligerman has improved barely from 2023, the place he barely pointed his means into the postseason over Riley Herbst. This yr, he is completed job of maximizing his finishes en path to what is going to hopefully be a much less worrying run to the playoffs. If Kligerman continues to seek out himself contained in the top-10, he ought to cruise to a playoff spot — however there’s little room for error with seven races remaining.
12. Sammy Smith (+22)
It looks as if Smith’s 2024 season is caught in impartial. Whereas he is been constant, the shortage of flashy, top-five runs is changing into a priority for a crew that ought to be in competition for the win on a weekly foundation. His ninth-place end at Pocono is not unhealthy, however Smith’s slim benefit to the minimize line ought to be taken with a grain of salt. It seems his early-season win at Phoenix in 2023 could have masked the pace points that the younger prospect now appears to be having.
13. Ryan Sieg (-22)
Regardless of dealing with a problematic automotive late, Sieg nonetheless scrapped to a Twelfth-place end on Saturday. Nonetheless, he cannot afford to maintain enjoying a cat-and-mouse sport with Smith, who has the higher automotive and crew below him. It is encouraging that Sieg is discovering a technique to accumulate good finishes, however in the end, he’ll must throw a haymaker to knock Smith down a peg.
14. Brandon Jones (-76)
As was the case for Creed, Jones’ second-place beginning place appeared to be the beginning of a promising day for a struggling No. 9 crew. Sadly, a flat tire early within the race put Jones behind the eight-ball and a Thirteenth-place end is all that got here out of his day. As with Smith, it is worrying to see a JR Motorsports automotive constantly be a pair steps behind its teammates in Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier and it will doubtless take a miraculous win for Jones to make a playoff push.
15. Anthony Alfredo (-95)
Working as excessive as third within the latter levels of Saturday’s race, Alfredo had the chance to drag an enormous upset and shake up the playoff grid. Sadly, his No. 5 automotive went the mistaken means on the ultimate two restarts, sending him again to a 14th-place end. Our Motorsports and the No. 5 crew are nonetheless miles higher than they had been anticipated to be at first of the season, however after holding a provisional playoff spot early within the yr, the disappointments proceed to rack up.
