NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings: Hill rises after Talladega win

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TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – APRIL 26: Parker Retzlaff, driver of the #4 KeenParts.com Chevrolet, Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #99 Viking Motorsports Chevrolet, Harrison Burton, driver of the #25 DEX Imaging Ford, Jesse Love, driver of the #2 WAT Chevrolet, Dean Thompson, driver of the #26 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota, Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, Sam Mayer, driver of the #41 Audibel Ford, and Nick Sanchez, driver of the #48 Pickers Vodka Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26, 2025 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Austin Hill won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26, earning his first win at Talladega and his third of the 2025 season. With 11 Xfinity Series races in the books so far this year, here’s where the field stacks up ahead of Saturday’s race at Texas.

1. Justin Allgaier (Previously: 1)

A fourth-place finish at Talladega was enough for Allgaier to keep his lead in the points standings by 79 markers over Hill. Allgaier has eight top-five finishes through 11 races this season, and he’ll likely be in the mix for the win at Texas. With over a race’s worth of points as a cushion for his points lead, he’s the overwhelming favorite to win the regular-season championship.

2. Austin Hill (Previously: 4)

Hill finally conquered Talladega and moved up to second in the Xfinity Series standings. While another victory at a drafting track is nice, it would be encouraging to see Hill win a race at a non-superspeedway based completely off speed, such as Saturday’s race at Texas.

3. Jesse Love (Previously: 8)

Love led 50 laps and finished third at Talladega after a heartbreaking post-race DQ at Rockingham the week prior. He currently sits fourth in the Xfinity Series points standings, and the No. 2 team is looking like a true contender a third of the way through the 2025 season.

4. Sam Mayer (Previously: 3)

Mayer only mustered a 14th-place finish at Talladega, but he’s still gotten off to a solid start to the season. He’s the defending winner of the spring race at Texas, and Saturday’s race is a golden opportunity for him to pick up his first win with the Haas Factory Team.

5. Sheldon Creed (Previously: 2)

Creed and the No. 00 team have slipped over the past few races, but a ninth-place run at Talladega stopped the bleeding. Texas should be a race where Creed is in contention for a top-five as he seeks the first win of his Xfinity Series career.

6. Brandon Jones (Previously: 5)

Jones was involved in a late crash at Talladega and finished 28th, but the good vibes surrounding the No. 20 team since their win at Darlington haven’t worn off. Jones goes into Saturday’s race at Texas seventh in the Xfinity Series points standings.

7. Connor Zilisch (Previously: 6)

Zilisch was leading on the last lap at Talladega before crashing and suffering a back injury that will keep him out of the car at Texas. However, the two-week break that follows Saturday’s race should give the COTA winner plenty of time to heal before the May 24 race at Charlotte.

8. Carson Kvapil (Previously: 7)

Despite only having four top-10 finishes this season, Kvapil is fifth in the Xfinity Series standings through the first 11 races of his rookie campaign. If he can finally get some luck to be on his side, the wins could start coming in a hurry for the No. 1 team.

9. Sammy Smith (Previously: 10)

Smith finished 31st at Talladega, but that shouldn’t be a cause for concern for the No. 8 team. With a playoff spot locked up, Smith can use the rest of the regular season as a test session for the playoffs.

10. Jeb Burton (Previously: Not Ranked)

Burton came oh-so-close to a season-changing win at Talladega, but he and the No. 27 team should keep their heads held high. Burton is ninth the standings after his runner-up finish at Talladega and is currently in line for a playoff spot through 11 races.

11. Harrison Burton (Previously: 11)

Like his cousin, Harrison Burton has outperformed his car and the No. 25 team is turning heads. An eighth-place finish at Talladega was the fifth top-10 of the season for Burton, who is 12th in the Xfinity Series standings.

12. Daniel Dye (Previously: Not Ranked)

Dye earned his fifth top-10 of the season with a 10th-place finish at Talladega. Dye was expected to lag a bit behind his fellow Xfinity Series rookies, but he’s proving the critics wrong so far.

Samuel Stubbs Samuel has followed NASCAR since he was six years old. When he’s not covering races at the track or keeping up with the action from home, he’s likely doing the same at a football game. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025. More about Samuel Stubbs