This weekend is the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the drivers will be competing in the first race of the Playoffs. Among them will be AJ Allmendinger and defending champion, Austin Cindric. Last weekend at the Bristol Motor Speedway, Cindric finished second and became the regular-season champion.

Ahead of the first Playoff race, he spoke about whether he has an advantage over Allmendinger.

He said, “I think yes and no. Mostly no, I mean, he’s a professional. He’s done this his entire life and a lot longer than I’ve been driving race cars. So I’m not particularly concerned about racing just one individual car.

“For us, it’s the road to Phoenix. Nothing else really matters, so that’s their biggest mountain to overcome and it’s our biggest mountain to overcome. If we get into the Final 4, I think perhaps, that’s more of an appropriate time for that question. I’ve been in the Final 4, I  feel like I know what mentality I need to take to do that, but the hardest part about this playoff is getting there.”

Austin Cindric will be eager to snatch a second title in a row

With nine wins between them, Cindric and Allmendinger have been in excellent form this season. Currently, the #22 Team Penske driver has recorded five wins to Allmendinger’s four. Statistically, this hands Cindric a bit of an advantage over his rival. However, the soon-to-be Cup Series driver insisted otherwise.

Now, the defending Xfinity champion will be focusing his efforts on the 2021 Playoffs. Even AJ Allmendinger will be a strong contender and will not be idle. However, the two of them will be wise to consider that they are not the only Playoff contenders. There are drivers like Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, and many more, who could spoil the party. In other words, all 12 drivers need to watch their backs for the next set of races.

READ MORE: AJ Allmendinger Triumphs Over Austin Cindric at Bristol in a Crazy Finish