Meet the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs field

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs get underway Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, USA). Meet the 12 drivers who will compete for the championship with breakdowns of their favorable tracks and predicted outlooks.

12. Parker Kligerman, 2002 points

No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Points

Elimination history: No previous playoff experience. 

Favorable track: Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. He hasn't made a start on the North Carolina course, but Kligerman has been an ace on the road courses through the years. He could be a player for the Round of 8. 

Outlook: Kligerman has grinded through the 2023 season and found ways to stay within striking distance of the playoffs to eventually point his way in after Kansas. With scoring top 10s consistently after Sonoma, Kligerman has the potential to tally big points to make a surprise deep run. 

11. Daniel Hemric, 2003 points

No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Points

Elimination history: Won championship in 2021; reached Championship 4 in 2017, 2018; eliminated in Round of 12 in 2022.

Favorable track: Phoenix Raceway. The mile oval in the desert has to be at the top of Hemric's board by default because it's the only track where he's won a NASCAR national series event. 

Outlook: Hemric has improved over last season but still being toward the bottom half of the 12-driver playoff field presents steep odds for a chance to win his second Xfinity title. 

10. Jeb Burton, 2006 points

No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet 

Reached playoffs by: Win (Talladega)

Elimination history: Eliminated in Round of 12 in 2021. 

Favorable track: Homestead-Miami Speedway. For Burton, Talladega not being on the playoff schedule this season couldn't have come at a worse time, but in three starts at Homestead, Jeb has strung together two top-10 finishes. 

Outlook: Burton consistently finishes inside the top 20, but it will take much more than that if he sees himself advancing out of the Round of 12. 

9. Sammy Smith, 2006 points

No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Reached playoffs by: Win (Phoenix-1)

Elimination history: No previous playoff experience. 

Favorable track: Phoenix Raceway. As of now, the trends don't necessarily forecast Smith reaching the Championship 4. Regardless, he dominated in Arizona back in the spring, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he spoils the final four and takes the checkered flag in November. 

Outlook: It's fair to say that the rookie hasn't reached his full potential in 2023, and he's going to have to build momentum entering the postseason as he's failed to score a top-10 result since Pocono.

8. Sheldon Creed, 2008 points

No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Points

Elimination history: No previous playoff experience. 

Favorable track: Phoenix Raceway. Creed's experience is slim at most tracks in the Xfinity Series, but the championship host heads the list as he has scored three top 10s in four starts on the Arizona oval. 

Outlook: No one denies the talent Creed possesses but like a handful of drivers in the playoffs, everyone is waiting on when the driver of the No. 2 can finally break through and take the checkered flag for the first time.

7. Josh Berry, 2009 points

No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Points

Elimination history: Reached Championship 4 in 2022.

Favorable track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The short-track superstar has turned into an intermediate maestro, especially in the high desert. He's scored top-10 finishes in all five starts at the track, including two wins. 

Outlook: Before he shifts full-time to the Cup Series in 2024, Berry needs to shine in the final seven races of the Xfinity season. Does it need to result in a championship? Not necessarily but the pressure will be on him to outperform what he's done so far this year.

6. Chandler Smith, 2009 points

No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Win (Richmond)

Elimination history: No previous playoff experience. 

Favorable track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Chandler Smith does not have much experience at the playoff tracks this season, but Vegas could serve as a potential ticket to the Championship 4. He'll be hungry to win there after losing the lead with two laps to go to Austin Hill in the spring, despite having the dominant car.

Outlook: There was a time when Chandler Smith seemed to be a strong candidate for a Championship 4 berth, but it’s hard to see him making it that far with inconsistency throughout his rookie year and a lack of experience on a handful of playoff tracks. The Round of 12 will be his toughest test as he hasn’t made a single Xfinity start at Bristol, Texas or the Charlotte road course.

5. Sam Mayer, 2015 points

No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Wins (Road America, Watkins Glen)

Elimination history: Eliminated in Round of 8 in 2022. 

Favorable track: Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. Statistically, it isn't Mayer's best track on the playoff schedule but his two wins this season have come on road courses. He's turned into a bit of an opportunist over recent weeks, and the Charlotte road course could be a big moment for Mayer's playoff campaign. 

Outlook: Mayer was the only JRM driver to miss the Championship 4 last year, but still reached the penultimate round in his first full-time season. Look for Charlotte and Homestead to be the deciding factors for how far he can go. 

4. Cole Custer, 2017 points

No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Reached playoffs by: Wins (Portland, Chicago)

Elimination history: Reached Championship 4 in 2018, 2019; eliminated in Round of 8 in 2017.

Favorable track: Homestead-Miami Speedway. In his first Xfinity Series tenure, Custer had thrilling battles for the championship with the likes of Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell. If Custer can make the Round of 8, expect him to be the man out front at the track in October. 

Outlook: Custer was expected to be a title favorite in his return to the Xfinity Series, but entering the postseason, he sits in a tier just below Austin Hill and John Hunter Nemechek. A win sooner than later in the playoffs could go a long way in his hunt for the championship. 

3. Justin Allgaier, 2026 points

No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Wins (Charlotte oval, Daytona-2)

Elimination history: Reached Championship 4 in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022; eliminated in Round of 8 in 2018, 2021.

Favorable track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Allgaier has scored four consecutive top-five finishes in the Nevada high desert. There's no reason to believe he won't make it five in October. 

Outlook: What was once a "when he wins the Xfinity title" narrative now feels like "if he wins ... ." He's been on the cusp of the championship many times and has always taken the bridesmaid role in the past 12 seasons. This is another year Allgaier is at the forefront of the title race.  

2. Austin Hill, 2039 points

No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Reached playoffs by: Wins (Daytona-1, Las Vegas-1, Atlanta-1, Pocono)

Elimination history: Eliminated in Round of 8 in 2022.

Favorable track: Bristol Motor Speedway. Hill finished third at Bristol last year, and entering the postseason as one of the title favorites alongside Nemechek, a playoff-opening victory could give Hill an edge over the No. 20 team. 

Outlook: Hill should reach the Championship 4 this season. The question will be if he has enough momentum entering Phoenix to be the top guy in November. 

1. John Hunter Nemechek, 2049 points

No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Reached playoffs by: Wins (Fontana, Martinsville-1, Atlanta-2, New Hampshire, Michigan, Kansas-2)

Elimination history: Eliminated in Round of 8 in 2019. 

Favorable track: Martinsville Speedway. In the spring, Nemechek led 198 of 250 laps to score a dominant win on the short track. With Martinsville being the penultimate race of the year, a sweep at the famed track will mean all the momentum goes to the No. 20 team heading to Phoenix for the championship race. 

Outlook: After winning the regular-season finale at Kansas, Nemechek is the top dog entering the playoffs. If he has a mistake-free first two rounds, he'll be coasting into the Championship 4.