Eric Estepp shared a critical verdict of NASCAR's playoff format after Connor Zilisch's loss at Phoenix Raceway.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race will be aired on the radio by the Motor Racing Network. MRN has affiliates all across the country, and their feed can also be streamed on NASCAR.com as well as the NASCAR app. The race can also be heard on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Connor Zilisch took the top qualifying spot of the NASCAR Xfinity Championship 4 contenders in a tiebreaker over Justin Allgaier at Phoenix Raceway.

AVONDALE, Ariz. - Before Kyle Larson and William Byron took to Phoenix Raceway on Saturday to qualify for Sunday's Championship 4 tilt in the NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series had a little business to take care of in terms of setting the starting lineup for its own finale on Saturday night.

On pit road, immediately after the race, newly crowned NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Jesse Love was in tears at earning a major career accomplishment. On the other end of the spectrum, Connor Zilisch was in tears because he was denied a championship that surely would have been his under any other format.

NASCAR Xfinity star Connor Zilisch’s 18-race top-five streak ended in a wild Talladega crash, but he still advanced to the Championship 4.