NASCAR Xfinity Series bubble watch: Sammy Smith, Ryan Sieg trade cut-line spots after Darlington

Saturday's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington provided another shift in the series' playoff standings. With just three regular-season races remaining, here's where the playoff bubble sits:

10. AJ Allmendinger (+105)

Allmendinger is all but locked into the postseason with three races remaining, despite a 27th-place finish on Saturday. The next three tracks on the schedule (Atlanta, Watkins Glen and Bristol) will provide the No. 16 team an excellent opportunity to grab its first win of 2024. 

11. Parker Kligerman (+44)

A 13th-place finish at Darlington signified a quietly solid weekend for Kligerman, who is looking to make the Xfinity Series playoffs for the second consecutive season. After a litany of close calls, don't be surprised if Kligerman is able to break through for his first Xfinity Series win next Saturday at Atlanta. 

12. Sammy Smith (+10)

Smith trailed Ryan Sieg by 15 points going into Saturday's race, but a much-needed fifth-place effort moves the No. 8 team back above the cut line. Smith and Sieg's battle for the 12th and final spot has been intriguing on a weekly basis, and with three wild-card tracks looming, it's only going to get more entertaining. 

13. Ryan Sieg (-10)

An 18th-place finish for Sieg at Darlington isn't the end of the world, but the No. 39 team lost 25 points to Smith in just one race. That can't happen next weekend at Atlanta, where Smith could potentially put Sieg in a must-win situation over the final weeks of the playoff chase. It's time for Sieg to ramp up his aggression level, or his heartbreaking loss at Texas will sting even more. 

14. Brandon Jones (-132)

Jones, as well as everyone below him, must win over the next three weeks to make the playoffs. A 32nd-place finish on Saturday added to what's been a miserable two-year stretch for Jones at Jr Motorsports. He'll need a miraculous victory at his home track on Saturday to partake in the postseason festivities.