The NASCAR Cup Series Chase comes into focus after chaotic Gateway

The NASCAR Cup Series Chase for the Championship is in full swing at World Wide Technology Raceway after a chaotic Gateway event. The new Chase format allows competitors to close gaps in points and standings, making any deficit theoretically surmountable. However, at Sunday's race, several teams had mulligans and may have even seen multiple eliminations - a notion that doesn't exist in the Cup Series anymore.

Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott were sixth and seventh before a crash with just 71 laps remaining. Elliott had recently suffered a brake failure and collided with Briscoe, who plummeted from fifth to eighth place. Briscoe's points dropped from 37 to 59. Elliott described the race as "not in the place where we needed to be" and plans to regroup.

Denny Hamlin, the top seed, has a nine-point lead over Kyle Larson, who is currently sitting in eighth place with just eight races remaining. Hamlin earned 16 stage points to help offset a thirteenth-place finish in the Southern 500. He also had a weak pit stop and struggled with speed from his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11.

Despite the challenges, Hamlin believes they benefited from strong performance and a solid lead. He feels fortunate and optimistic about the upcoming races. Hamlin's closest competitor, Ryan Blaney, also had a bad day, finishing 36th with only 12 stage points. Blaney attributed his poor result to a brake failure and a competitive race with Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry.

Christopher Bell, who had a car seemingly on pace for a win before the crash, finished 19th. He expressed disappointment over his missed opportunity for a top-five finish and an improved points position. Joey Logano, who climbed to the eighth seed, led the most laps and earned the second-most stage points but still trails Hamlin by 51 points. He acknowledged missing a crucial win but remains optimistic.