5 NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers who were playoff-bound but failed spectacularly in 2025

The NASCAR Xfinity Series field is set for the 2025 Playoffs after a dramatic regular-season finale at World Wide Technology Raceway. Saturday’s Nu Way 200 decided the final grid as Connor Zilisch powered to his ninth win of the year, capping a dominant summer stretch and sealing the regular-season crown. Sheldon Creed, Austin Hill, and Harrison Burton filled the last few spots in the 12-driver lineup, leaving a handful of hopefuls on the outside looking in.

Zilisch led 121 of 160 laps, fending off rookie William Sawalich and Kaulig Racing’s Christian Eckes by a car length to close the door on any last-minute surprises. The victory finalized the playoff grid featuring eight race winners and four points qualifiers, including Carson Kvapil, Creed, Harrison, and Hill.

For others, the chance slipped away through inconsistency, poor luck, or mechanical gremlins. Here are five drivers who were within reach but failed to turn opportunity into a 2025 Xfinity Series postseason berth.

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5 Xfinity Series drivers who failed to make the 2025 NASCAR Playoffs

#5 Ryan Sieg - RSS Racing No. 39

Ryan Sieg (39) before the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at WWT Raceway. Source: Getty

Ryan Sieg was 43 points off the cutline and needed a win to qualify in the regular season finale at Gateway. Starting 13th, he stayed mid-pack for most of the race and eventually finished 27th, closing the regular season with 570 points.

Despite showing early-year flashes, with three top-fives and over 100 laps led, his form faded as summer wore on. A 13-year veteran still seeking his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, Sieg’s playoff window closed quietly.

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#4 Daniel Dye - Kaulig Racing No. 10

Daniel Dye (10) during NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Iowa Speedway. Source: Imagn

Daniel Dye’s rookie campaign carried promise but not the breakthrough needed. Entering the Gateway, Dye sat outside the bubble and had to gamble for a win. He started P11, but a late-race handling issue dropped him out of contention.

Dye's 10th-place finish sealed his fate. Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 team showed pace on intermediates, with eight top ten finishes, but Dye’s inability to convert stage points on short tracks kept him short of a playoff bid.

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#3 William Sawalich - Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18

William Sawalich (18) before the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Sonoma. Source: Imagn

Few near misses sting like William Sawalich’s. The 18-year-old rookie strung together back-to-back runner-up finishes to end the regular season, yet it wasn’t enough. He started on the second row, was top-five in both stages, but lost Zilisch on the final restart.

With 11 laps left, Zilisch’s outside line cleared the JGR Toyota, and Sawalich lost the momentum he needed. The 1.506-second gap at the finish line was the margin between a playoff ticket and an early offseason. Still, eight top-tens and consistent speed mark him as a Toyota prospect to watch.

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#2 Christian Eckes - Kaulig Racing No. 16

Christian Eckes (16) during the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Texas. Source: Imagn

Christian Eckes brought a Truck Series pedigree but could not turn it into Xfinity playoff status. At Gateway, he rolled off 10th, stayed inside the top-10 for both stages, and escaped a late crash to surge to third at the finish.

12 top-10 dotted his stat sheet, yet the elusive win never arrived. Ending 14th in points with 596, Eckes leaves Gateway encouraged by raw pace but disappointed by a shortfall when it mattered most.

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#1 Jeb Burton - Jordan Anderson Racing No. 27

Jeb Burton (27) crashes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Source: Imagn

The storyline was set: Jeb trailed cousin Harrison Burton by 31 points and needed perfection or a win. Stage points went missing early, shrinking hope to a razor’s edge. Running 18th with 52 laps to go, a sudden right-front tire failure hurled the No. 27 into Gateway’s Turn 2 wall, flames licking from the fender as Burton coasted to pit road and climbed out. The crash ended his night and his playoff quest.