With Connor Zilisch winning his series-leading ninth race of the 2025 season, Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray and Harrison Burton clinched the last three spots in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs in Saturday’s regular-season finale at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Zilisch clinched the Regular-Season Championship, fending off JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier for the crown and the bonus payday of 15 playoff points. Zilisch entered Saturday’s 200-miler with a 20-point margin over Allgaier, then padded that advantage when Allgaier encountered a pair of issues — a pit-road speeding penalty during the Stage 2 break and a final-stage crash.
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Zilisch’s fourth consecutive win — and his seventh in the last eight races — helped the talented rookie launch into the seven-race postseason with a hefty 59-point cushion above the elimination line.
Harrison Burton clinched the last of 12 playoff berths at the expense of his cousin Jeb, who was the only driver with a mathematical chance to advance on the basis of points. Jeb Burton’s quest ended after a hard crash that halted his bid 51 laps short of the 160-lap distance.
Including Zilisch, eight drivers secured playoff spots with wins earlier in the season. They are: Justin Allgaier (3 wins), Austin Hill (3 wins), Nick Sanchez, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith and Jesse Love. Carson Kvapil clinched his spot on points last weekend at Portland International Raceway.
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See the unofficial standings heading into next Friday’s Xfinity Series Playoffs opener at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the first three races.
| Position | Driver | Points | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connor Zilisch | 2064 | +59 |
| 2 | Justin Allgaier | 2035 | +30 |
| 3 | Sam Mayer | 2016 | +11 |
| 4 | Jesse Love | 2013 | +8 |
| 5 | Brandon Jones | 2013 | +8 |
| 6 | Sammy Smith | 2009 | +4 |
| 7 | Nick Sanchez | 2006 | +1 |
| 8 | Taylor Gray | 2005 | 0 |
| CUTOFF LINE | |||
| 9 | Carson Kvapil | 2005 | 0 |
| 10 | Sheldon Creed | 2003 | -2 |
| 11 | Harrison Burton | 2002 | -3 |
| 12 | Austin Hill | 2000 | -5 |