Gateway was already chaotic.
Then it became a nightmare for Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.
Both drivers entered Sunday’s race with legitimate championship hopes.
Both left World Wide Technology Raceway with major playoff problems.
And neither driver could blame another competitor.
Blaney’s Day Ends With No Brakes
Ryan Blaney looked like a contender for much of Sunday.
The Team Penske driver started third and ran near the front early.
Then his brakes failed.
Blaney’s No. 12 Ford slammed into the wall during the final stage.
He immediately knew something was seriously wrong.
“I have no brakes,” Blaney told his team over the radio.
The failure ended his afternoon.
Blaney ultimately finished 34th.
That is brutal for a driver sitting near the top of the playoff standings.
He entered Gateway third in the Chase standings.
Now he sits fourth, 33 points behind Denny Hamlin.
Elliott’s Problem Came Even Later
Chase Elliott had a much different problem.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver had quietly put together a strong race.
He was running sixth late in the event.
Then the brakes went away.
Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet slid into Turn 1.
The car collected Chase Briscoe’s Toyota and ended both drivers’ strong runs.
Elliott finished 31st.
That result dropped him to 11th in the Chase standings.
He now sits 93 points behind Hamlin.
That is a massive hole with the Round of 16 nearing its conclusion.
Gateway Was Absolutely Merciless
The bad luck did not stop with Blaney and Elliott.
Gateway produced a record 18 cautions.
Eighty-seven of the race’s 247 laps ran under caution.
Two red flags also appeared during the chaotic finish.
Several Chase contenders found trouble.
Christopher Bell finished 19th.
Tyler Reddick finished 25th.
Chase Briscoe finished 32nd.
Meanwhile, Kyle Larson won and jumped to second in the standings.
That made Sunday’s damage even more significant.
Now the Pressure Is On
Blaney still has a cushion.
Elliott has much less room.
Both drivers have Bristol remaining in the opening playoff round.
That race could completely change the standings again.
For Blaney, the goal is simple.
Put Gateway behind him and move on.
For Elliott, the urgency is much greater.
He needs to stop the bleeding immediately.
Gateway did not eliminate either championship contender.
But it certainly made the road to the title much harder.