What the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff picture looks like after Chicago

Following Saturday's race on the streets of Chicago, the NASCAR Xfinity Series only has eight races remaining in its regular season. Here's what the playoff picture looks like as the circuit heads to Sonoma. 

1. Justin Allgaier (three wins) 

2. Austin Hill (three wins) 

3. Connor Zilisch (two wins) 

4. Brandon Jones (one win) 

5. Sammy Smith (one win) 

6. Jesse Love (one win) 

7. Nick Sanchez (one win) 

8. Sam Mayer (+149) 

9. Carson Kvapil (+63) 

Kvapil only finished 16th on Saturday, but he's still having a solid rookie season. He put together a fantastic race at COTA on March 1, so don't be surprised if he's in the mix at Sonoma on Saturday. 

10. Sheldon Creed (+30) 

Creed gained 30 points on the cut line with a much-needed third-place run in Chicago. It was a performance indicative of what the No. 00 team is truly capable of, and another top-five finish at Sonoma could give Creed a race's worth of points to fall back on. 

11. Jeb Burton (+12) 

Burton finished a lackluster 27th in Chicago, but remains above the cut line. He'll need a better effort at Sonoma in order to stay inside the playoff picture at a critical juncture of the season. 

12. Taylor Gray (+8) 

Gray lost 20 points to the cut line in Chicago after finishing 34th. He had some points to fall back on this past weekend, but that won't be the case if another issue arises in Sonoma. 

13. Harrison Burton (-8) 

With a solid 13th-place finish in Chicago, Burton only lost seven points to the cut line. If he can snag another top-15 finish at Sonoma and come out of a two-week road course stretch mostly unscathed, the No. 25 team should consider it a success. 

14. Ryan Sieg (-30) 

An early issue relegated Sieg to a last-place (38th) finish in Chicago and saw him officially fall below the cut line. The No. 39 team will need to magic up a good run in Sonoma if Sieg doesn't want to drift closer to must-win territory. 

15. Christian Eckes (-60) 

Eckes lost nine points to the cut line with a 15th-place effort in Chicago. At this point, a win at Daytona - a track where Kaulig has been exceptionally quick in the past — may be Eckes' best bet at snagging a playoff berth. 

16. Dean Thompson (-61) 

A 14th-place finish in Chicago keeps Thompson within striking distance of several of his fellow rookies for another week. Like Eckes, his best chance to earn a ticket to the postseason will likely be a win at Daytona.