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2018 Xfinity Championship 4 Watch: Phoenix
By Chase Wilhelm | Published: November 8, 2018 8
Josh Hedges | Getty Images
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
The NASCAR Xfinity Series postseason hunt has reached its next-to-last race, Saturday's Whelen Trusted To Perform 200 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). Only Cole Custer (last week's winner at Texas) has automatically clinched a spot in the Championship 4 field. Here's how the rest of the title hopefuls shape up heading to ISM Raceway in Phoenix.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Tyler Reddick
Points above cutoff: +20
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 27.5
Average track finish: 12.0
Notable: Reddick admittedly got too aggressive on the final lap at Texas last weekend, letting a win and an automatic Championship 4 berth slip away. But, luckily for him, he's pretty good on points and recorded a solid 10th-place result in the spring at ISM Raceway.
Points above cutoff: +20
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 27.5
Average track finish: 12.0
Notable: Reddick admittedly got too aggressive on the final lap at Texas last weekend, letting a win and an automatic Championship 4 berth slip away. But, luckily for him, he's pretty good on points and recorded a solid 10th-place result in the spring at ISM Raceway.
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Josh Hedges | Getty Images
Elliott Sadler
Points above cutoff: +13
Phoenix wins: 1
Average track start: 13.4
Average track finish: 11.9
Notable: Sadler is on the right side of the cut line with a slight cushion to work with to get to Miami. Sadler earned a ninth-place finish at ISM Raceway in the spring and he's determined to taste Victory Lane a couple more times before he calls it a career.
Points above cutoff: +13
Phoenix wins: 1
Average track start: 13.4
Average track finish: 11.9
Notable: Sadler is on the right side of the cut line with a slight cushion to work with to get to Miami. Sadler earned a ninth-place finish at ISM Raceway in the spring and he's determined to taste Victory Lane a couple more times before he calls it a career.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Daniel Hemric
Points above cutoff: +12
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 16.7
Average track finish: 6.0
Notable: Chances are good for Hemric to potentially earn his first career Xfinity Series victory this weekend for a Championship 4 berth before he moves up to Cup in 2019. The 27-year-old hasn't finished worse than seventh in three starts at ISM Raceway.
Points above cutoff: +12
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 16.7
Average track finish: 6.0
Notable: Chances are good for Hemric to potentially earn his first career Xfinity Series victory this weekend for a Championship 4 berth before he moves up to Cup in 2019. The 27-year-old hasn't finished worse than seventh in three starts at ISM Raceway.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Justin Alligaier
Points below cutoff: -12
Phoenix wins: 1
Average track start: 11.4
Average track finish: 7.8
Notable: Allgaier earned his lone win at Phoenix in the spring of 2017. Another win bodes well for the JR Motorsports driver after earning the pole and a runner-up result in the series' first trip this year to ISM Raceway.
Points below cutoff: -12
Phoenix wins: 1
Average track start: 11.4
Average track finish: 7.8
Notable: Allgaier earned his lone win at Phoenix in the spring of 2017. Another win bodes well for the JR Motorsports driver after earning the pole and a runner-up result in the series' first trip this year to ISM Raceway.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Matt Tifft
Points below cutoff: -14
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 7.0
Average track finish: 10.0
Notable: Tifft will head into his fourth career Xfinity start at ISM Raceway searching for his first top-five finish. Tifft finished 12th and 11th respectively with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017 in Phoenix, notching a seventh-place result in the spring under the Richard Childress Racing banner.
Points below cutoff: -14
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 7.0
Average track finish: 10.0
Notable: Tifft will head into his fourth career Xfinity start at ISM Raceway searching for his first top-five finish. Tifft finished 12th and 11th respectively with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2017 in Phoenix, notching a seventh-place result in the spring under the Richard Childress Racing banner.
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
Christopher Bell
Points below cutoff: -34
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 6.0
Average track finish: 4.0
Notable: Two Xfinity Series starts at ISM Raceway, two fourth-place finishes for Bell. But he'll need to be three positions better on Saturday to earn a Championship 4 spot in his first full-time Xfinity season.
Points below cutoff: -34
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 6.0
Average track finish: 4.0
Notable: Two Xfinity Series starts at ISM Raceway, two fourth-place finishes for Bell. But he'll need to be three positions better on Saturday to earn a Championship 4 spot in his first full-time Xfinity season.
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
Austin Cindric
Points below cutoff: -61
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 13.0
Average track finish: 16.0
Notable: Cindric's one start in Phoenix came in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. He's hoping to squeak out his first career victory in Team Penske's No. 22, a car that has gone to Victory Lane six times this season with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.
Points below cutoff: -61
Phoenix wins: 0
Average track start: 13.0
Average track finish: 16.0
Notable: Cindric's one start in Phoenix came in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. He's hoping to squeak out his first career victory in Team Penske's No. 22, a car that has gone to Victory Lane six times this season with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.