The NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action for Saturday’s Contender Boats 300 (3 p.m. ET, USA, MRN) which marks the middle race of the Round of 8. With Riley Herbst scoring his first career NASCAR win last weekend on his hometrack at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it kept anyone among the 8 drivers vying for this year’s championship from clinching.

Coming into Saturday’s race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek (+47), Justin Allgaier (+21), Austin Hill (+19) and Cole Custer (+15) are each above the cutline. Below it is Chandler Smith (-15), Sam Mayer (-16), Sammy Smith (-35) and Sheldon Creed (-41).

What this looks like leaving here on Saturday night is the story. There’s been 5 different winners in the last 5 races here.

Nemechek was 3rd here in 2018 and 6th in 2019. Since Darlington, he’s finished 3rd, 1st, 3rd, 1st, 8th, 2nd. So there’s a very real shot that he could clinch a spot into the final round on Saturday without having to win.

Allgaier (5 top 7’s in last 7 races on the season) may fall into the clutches of the rest. He’s never had a top 5 finish on this track in 14 Xfinity Series nor 2 Cup starts. His last 5 finishes here are 14th, 32nd, 22nd, 38th, 10th.

That, plus the fact that the two drivers behind him are good here could have him wary.

Hill is driving for RCR who’s won 2 of the last 5 races here by 2 different drivers. Hill was 1st and 7th in his final 2 Truck Series starts on this track and 9th a year ago.

In Custer’s final 3 Xfinity Series races here, he finished 1st, 2nd, 2nd. He led 182 laps in his 2017 win, 95 more in his 2018 runner-up, then 15 in 2019.

On the season, Hill has finished 2nd, 5th, 33rd, 7th, 9th, 7th in the last 6 races and with that runner-up being at Darlington, a like track to Homestead, I’d watch out for his No. 21 Chevrolet.

Custer has finished 6th, 7th, 5th, 4th, 36th, 4th, 6th, 2nd, 3rd in the last 9 starts on the season including being 4th at Darlington last month and third back in May.

I can honestly see 1 of these 2 winner, the other closely contending and Nemechek landing behind which could put Allgaier down to the 4th and final spot above the cutline heading to Martinsville.

For those below, Sammy Smith is a rookie here while Chandler was 10th in the Truck Race last year and 7th in the Xfinity event. Both were run on the same day. Mayer started 6th and finished 5th a year ago while Creed was 17th in that same race. Creed was 5th, 9th and 20th in three Truck Series events at Homestead too.

On the season, Chandler Smith does have 3 top 5’s in the last 4 races. He had just 1 in the previous 19. Sammy has just 1 top 5 in the last 12. They were 12th (Chandler) and 17th (Sammy) most recently at Darlington.

Mayer has 7 top 5 finishes including 2 straight, in the last 12 races on the season. He was 8th and 11th in his two Darlington starts this season.

Creed has 8 top 10’s in his last 9 starts on the year including being 25th and 8th at Darlington this season too.

Which is why I truly think the 4 above the cutline will stay there but there could be enough distance that 3 of the 4 spots to Phoenix may be solidified with the other dependent on what Allgaier can do vs. those below the cut line can salvage.

A sleeper to watch is Daniel Hemric. He’s finished 2nd, 24th, 7th, 9th in the last 4 weeks and 4th, 31st, 3rd, 4th in his last 4 series starts on this track.

Another one is can Herbst win two in-a-row? He’s finished 8th, 37th, 4th, 1st in the last 4 races and was 6th at Darlington last month. Herbst has also finished 10th, 8th, 11th, 8th in 4 Homestead starts in the Xfinity Series.

Then you have Brandon Jones. He was only 15th last year but prior to that, he had a string of finishes of 8th, 8th, 8th, 2nd, 2nd,