Must-Win Rookies Fall Just Short Of Xfinity Series Playoffs

William Sawalich (18) was one position shy of winning his way into the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs Saturday night at World Wide Technology Raceway. (Nigel Kinrade/NKP photo)

MADISON, Ill. – The final stage of Saturday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season finale became simple for drivers outside the playoffs hoping to make the postseason: win or miss out.

Two Sunoco rookie-of-the-year contenders came close to breaking through with a visit to victory lane at World Wide Technology Raceway, but both fell just short of that ultimate goal.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich and Kaulig Racing’s Christian Eckes found themselves in prime position on two late restarts in the Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog, lining up in the first four rows and each making concerted charges forward during the sprints to the finish.

Sawalich made it to second after a three-wide move to the outside when the final green flag waved with 12 laps left, charging past veteran teammate Aric Almirola and Jesse Love and setting his sights on a dominant Connor Zilisch at the head of the field.

But Sawalich ran out of time – and didn’t quite have the speed he needed to pounce – as Zilisch drove off by a second and a half to the win, leaving his fellow teenager to settle for second place.

It marked Sawalich’s second straight runner-up finish to close the regular season, a sign of progress for the 18-year-old from Eden Prairie, Minn., native after a rough first half of his rookie campaign.

But it wasn’t quite enough for Sawalich to join Zilisch, Carson Kvapil, Nick Sanchez, and Taylor Gray in the postseason as a fifth rookie contender chasing the Xfinity Series championship.

“That 88 (of Zilisch) car was pretty dang good tonight, just like everywhere else,” said Sawalich. “I don’t know where we could have had some more. Compared to everyone else, we were turning pretty good – just didn’t have the raw speed like he had. We had a good SoundGear GR Supra. It was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. I can’t thank the guys enough.

“We made a good effort, and we are going to keep trying. Victory lane is close for us, I’m confident.”

Christian Eckes (16) battles Corey Day Saturday night at World Wide Technology Raceway. (David Rosenblum/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

It was a similar refrain for Eckes, the 24-year-old from Middletown, N.Y., who has struggled to put together complete races through the summer months but roared forward from sixth to third in the final 12 laps in one of his best closing stints of the season thus far.

The podium placing tied Eckes’ career-best mark in the Xfinity Series set at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway in June, but the former Truck Series standout acknowledged his team still has “a lot of room to grow” as the year winds down over the final seven races.

“We came up a little short of a win and a spot in the playoffs, but our No. 16 Celsius Chevy was super fast on the long runs, especially late in the race,” noted Eckes. “We kind of lost the handling and got it back there that last run; we just didn’t quite have enough.

“We’ve still got quite a few races left this season to continue improving, so we will get ready for Bristol and see what we can do there with our short-track program.”

For both Eckes and Sawalich, two drivers who cut their teeth on short tracks and both found success in Legend cars and the ARCA Menards Series prior to moving into NASCAR’s national ranks, their next target for success will be a bullring as the Xfinity Series heads to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

The Last Great Colosseum has been a solid venue for Eckes, who advanced from 22nd to ninth in the spring at the concrete half mile and also has two poles and a win at Bristol in the Truck Series, but Sawalich crashed out of the spring race and has yet to record a Bristol top 10 in any NASCAR series.

That means Sawalich will be looking to change his luck, as both he and Eckes look to carry their momentum from just outside the Gateway Arch north to the Tennessee mountains.

Broadcast coverage of the Food City 300 from Bristol is slated for Friday night, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.