2021 Xfinity Series Playoffs: Meet the 12-driver field

The 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff field is set with the 12 drivers that will compete for the title in the elimination-style postseason that kicks off Sep. 25.

The Xfinity Series Playoffs consist of three rounds -- the Round of 12, Round of 8 and Championship 4. The Round of 12 consists of races at Las Vegas, Talladega and the Charlotte Roval, after which four drivers are eliminated. The Round of 8 consists of races at Texas, Kansas and Martinsville after which another four drivers are eliminated. The Championship 4 race will be held at Phoenix on Nov. 6.

12. Jeremy Clements 2,000 points

No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Points, ranked 11th before standings were re-seeded

Outlook: Just making it to the playoffs is a win for any small, family-run operation. But, Clements has been competitive all season long, already notching his new career high for top-10 finishes in a single season (seven). Realistically, the No. 51 team is going to need some help to make it past the first round of the postseason, though Clements has proven he can get it done on road courses. If you want a Cinderella story to root for among the playoffs in the top three series, this is your guy.

11. Riley Herbst 2,001 points

No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Reached playoffs by: Points, ranked 10th before standings were re-seeded

Outlook: My how times have changed for the No. 98 team. Last year, the team entered the postseason with 50 playoff points. This year, Herbst has a whopping one point, solely because he squeaked into 10th in points last weekend at Bristol. Nearly everyone will have this team out after the first round, but Herbst has proven to run well on superspeedways and road courses. Plus, the No. 98 car has found speed of late, with consecutive top-five results for the first time this year entering Las Vegas, his home track.

10. Brandon Jones 2,003 points

No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Reached playoffs by: Points, ranked ninth before standings were re-seeded

Outlook: With Jones breaking through for three victories a season ago, it seemed like the No. 19 team was destined for more success in 2021. While the team has shown a ton of speed at times (nine top-five finishes; one shy of tying his career high), Jones has 10 (TEN!) results of 33rd or worse through 26 races. With just three playoff points to his name, the team can’t afford any of those misfortunes in these three-race rounds.

9. Myatt Snider 2,005 points

No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: 1 win (Homestead-Miami)

Outlook: Outside of winning at Homestead, it’s been a season to forget for Snider. At times, the No. 2 Chevrolet has shown speed but it hasn't put it together in the results column, finishing 12th in the regular season standings (behind family-owned Jeremy Clements Racing). Of late, the team has picked up its slack from earlier in the year, with five top 10s in the past eight races. But that Homestead triumph is his lone top five. Not ideal.

8. Harrison Burton 2,008 points

No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Reached playoffs by: Points, ranked fifth before standings were re-seeded

Outlook: Coming off a sensational rookie season that saw Burton visit Victory Lane four times, expectations were high for the No. 20 team in 2021. Unfortunately for the team, it hasn’t lived up to its 2020 standards. Consistent? Sure, but still no trips to Victory Lane. He is, however, on pace to eclipse his rookie season top-10 total (22), when he finished eighth in the final points standings. Nonetheless, the 20-year-old will be going Cup racing with Wood Brothers Racing in 2022.

7. Jeb Burton 2,009 points

No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: 1 win (Talladega)

Outlook: Back in late April, Burton escaped the rain at Talladega to win his first Xfinity Series race. Since then, though, it’s been an average year with three additional top-five finishes. But, the No. 10 team did prove at the beginning of the year it can be consistent (started the season with three consecutive top fives). Lately, the team has mismanaged races: Running out of fuel at Michigan and then not getting the car re-fired after saving fuel at Richmond. Burton needs to find that consistency from earlier in the season or it could be an early exit.

6. Daniel Hemric 2,014 points

No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Reached playoffs by: Points, ranked fourth before the standings were re-seeded

Outlook: Running for Joe Gibbs Racing, 2021 was supposed to be Hemric’s breakthrough season. But 26 races in, the No. 18 team hasn’t visited Victory Lane (none of JGR’s full-time drivers have) and it has let a few slip through its grasps. One thing Hemric is solid at is points racing, having already proven twice he can make it to the Championship 4 round. But in order to take the championship, he’ll likely need to win, something he hasn’t done in 201 national series starts.

5. Justin Haley 2,015 points

No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: 1 win (Daytona)

Outlook: Last year, Haley got hot in the playoffs, winning in the opening round at Talladega to advance to the Round of 8. There, his 7.6 average finish was enough to scoot into the championship race. He finished third in the points. This year, a more mature Haley is set up for another potential deep playoff run. The playoff tracks are the same as last year, and he continues to show his ability to win on superspeedways. And hey, if it doesn’t go well, like Harrison Burton he’s got a full-time Cup Series ride waiting for him next year.

4. Noah Gragson 2,017 points

No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: 2 wins (Darlington II, Richmond)

Outlook: As of three weeks ago, it looked like the 2021 season was going to be a wasted one for Noah Gragson. But on Aug. 31, JRM announced he would return for his fourth season with the team in 2022. Since then, he’s been near-unbeatable. Quite honestly, the No. 9 is a sneaky pick to make it to Phoenix, picking up 11 playoff points recently. Crew chief Dave Elenz isn’t exactly new to the playoffs, having won two Xfinity championships with William Byron and Tyler Reddick.

3. Justin Allgaier 2,020 points

No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: 2 wins (Atlanta I, Darlington I)

Outlook: No, Allgaier hasn’t visited Victory Lane since the ninth race of the season at Darlington Raceway. However, the No. 7 team is competing for a top five nearly every week, earning seven podium finishes in the last 17 races; three of which were runner-up finishes (all to the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota). This isn’t Allgaier’s first rodeo, and he’s solid at the majority of the playoff tracks. And Phoenix? He’s elite, having won in the desert twice, leading 32-plus laps in seven of the last nine races.

2. AJ Allmendinger 2,044 points

No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: 4 wins (Las Vegas, Mid-Ohio, Michigan, Bristol)

Outlook: If Cindric lost his early season mojo, Allmendinger has certainly found it. The No. 16 team has won on all sorts of racetracks this season: mile-and-a-half, road course, two-mile and short track. Since joining Kaulig Racing in 2019, he’s only helped elevate the team, which this year had all three of its full-time drivers visit Victory Lane. Allmendinger enters the postseason with plenty of momentum, ending the regular season in dramatic fashion at Bristol. Like Cindric, look for the No. 16 car to be a player come Phoenix.

1. Austin Cindric 2,044 points

No. 22 Team Penske Ford

Reached playoffs by: 5 wins (Daytona, Phoenix, Dover, Pocono, Indy Road Course)

Outlook: Entering the 2021 season, Cindric was hands down the favorite to repeat as the Xfinity Series champion. Early on, it looked like the No. 22 team was well on its way, scoring three wins in the opening 10 races of the season. Since then, he’s visited Victory Lane just twice, and at one point lost a whopping 99 points to AJ Allmendinger in a two-race span. As Bristol proved, though, the 2020 champ will drive to any length to find some points. Look for Cindric to be part of the Championship 4 come Phoenix, which he has two straight wins at.