While the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are in full swing at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, the field for the 2025 Xfinity Series Playoffs won‘t be solidified until after Saturday night‘s Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog at the 1.25-mile track (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
There are three playoff spots still available to the Xfinity Series drivers, who will race at Gateway for the first time since 2010. If there‘s a repeat winner on Saturday — or a win by a driver who can‘t advance to the playoff — both Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray would advance to the postseason on points.
That would leave cousins Harrison Burton and Jeb Burton to battle for the last playoff berth. Harrison Burton currently enjoys a 31-point cushion over Jeb Burton and would need to score 27 points at Gateway to advance to the postseason.
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Harrison Burton has three Cup Series starts at Gateway, with a best finish of 23rd in 2023.
“I‘ve been fortunate to get a few Cup starts at the track, and while the results don‘t necessarily show everything we had, I learned a lot about the rhythm of the place and how important track position and execution are over a long run,” he said.
“That experience should definitely help as we go back with our AM Racing team. We know how critical this race is for our playoff hopes, and I believe if we can put together a smart, solid night, we‘ll be in good shape to accomplish our goal.”
At the top of the standings, the Regular Season Champion won‘t be crowned until Saturday night. Connor Zilisch, winner of six of the last seven Xfinity Series races, leads JR Motorsports teammate and defending series champion Justin Allgaier by only 20 points entering the regular-season finale.
At 50 markers back, Haas Factory Team‘s Sam Mayer is still mathematically alive for the title, but he would need disastrous results from both Zilisch and Allgaier to prevail.
There is no former Xfinity winner at Gateway entered in the field for Saturday‘s race; however, Riverton, Illinois, native Allgaier did claim the pole for the most recent event there in 2010, won by Brad Keselowski.
“Hopefully we can go out and have a great day, run up front and gain points on our teammate to get this Regular Season Championship,” Allgaier said. “Either way, our goal remains the same, and that is to win the race.”
Zilisch will try for a fourth straight victory for the second time this season. Only Sam Ard in 1983 and Noah Gragson in 2022 have been winners of four consecutive Xfinity Series races.
“I‘m looking forward to going to World Wide for the first time this weekend,” said Zilisch, who has posted 13 straight top-five finishes, including seven victories, since returning from an injury sustained at Talladega in the 11th race of the season.
“Since our win at Portland (last Saturday), that left World Wide as the only track on the current schedule that JRM has not won at, so I‘m hoping we can keep the momentum going and cross that off, too. It‘s been fun to win a lot of races lately, but we still have to go out and execute and do our job every week.”
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