The NASCAR schedule this weekend took us to World Wide Technology Raceway, for the second of three races in the Round of 16 portion of the NASCAR playoffs. Following the results from the NASCAR race today, the battle for spots in the Round of 12 has tightened with the final race this round next Saturday at Bristol.
Let’s dive into our winners and losers from the NASCAR race today at Gateway, the Enjoy Illinois 300.
Winner: Denny Hamlin Wins at Gateway, Advances to Round of 12
After winning the pole position, Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing wanted to leave Gateway on Sunday with a spot in the Round of 12 locked up either by points or a win. Mission accomplished. Hamlin came through with his fifth win of the season, giving him 59 career wins in the Cup Series. The victory gives him 5 playoff points, which will prove crucial in the rounds to come, and allows him to focus entirely on racing for the win next week at Bristol Motor Speedway. Five wins in a season is even more impressive considering his off-track life revolves around 23XI Racing’s ongoing legal battle versus NASCAR.
Related: NASCAR Results Today for Enjoy Illinois 300, NASCAR Stage Results
Loser: Josh Berry Likely Crashes Out of NASCAR Playoffs
A week ago, Josh Berry’s night effectively ended just seconds into the Southern 500 when he got loose and spun out into the wall. It put him last in the Round of 16, 19 points below the cutline and essentially in a must-win scenario in one of the next two races. Unfortunately for Wood Brothers Racing, the NASCAR race today was nearly just as short for the team. Late in Stage 1, contact from Chase Elliott into the left rear sent the No. 21 spinning into the wall. The damage from slamming into the wall ended Berry’s day. Next Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway is a must-win, which is bad news since Berry has a 17.7 average finishing position at the track.
Related: NASCAR Playoff Standings after Today, Playoff Picture in Round of 16
Winner: Bubba Wallace Seems Destined for Round of 12
The key for 23XI Racing to get Bubba Wallace to the second round of the NASCAR Playoffs was just to have him consistently finish in the top 20, avoiding any big mistakes or wrecks. On Sunday afternoon at Gateway, Wallace picked up a playoff point with a Stage 2 win and has now put himself 30 points above the cutline. Wallace has now set his career high for laps led in a season, and his run this summer gives him a shot at making the Round of 8. At the very least, at +50, a trip to the secound round is all but a guarantee.
Related: Bubba Wallace Landing Spots if 23XI Racing Loses Lawsuit vs NASCAR
Loser: Shane van Gisbergen’s 2nd Round Hopes Take Another Hit
Shane van Gisbergem entered the NASCAR Playoffs with a 16-point cushion about the cutline. After a poor finish at Darlington, he sat just 3 points ahead of the Round of 12 cutline. Trackhouse Racing is now leaving Gateway below the cutline and in need of a strong finish next Saturday at Bristol. SVG was actually inside the top-20 on the final stage, but he got loose and spun out. It dropped him to the back of the field and he couldn’t recover. Given SVG finished 38th in the spring race at Bristol, a first-round playoff exit feels imminent. He’s now down 15 points, that feels like a death sentence for his Round of 12 hopes.
Winner: Joey Logano Rebounds at Gateway
The beauty of how the playoffs worked out this year for Team Penske is that there was a track that favored them in every round. For the Round of 16, that was Gateway. Joey Logano, who entered the NASCAR race today 3 points below the cutline, showcased why this is one of his best tracks. The No. 22 finished third in Stage 2, picking up 7 stage points. It immediately pushed him ahead of Shane van Gisbergen and brought him within striking distance of the top 10. The car only got better from there. Credit to Team Penske and Logano for meeting the moment in the Enjoy Illinois 300, delivering results that will provide a bit of breathing room next weekend at Bristol.
Related: NASCAR Xfinity Results from Gateway, NASCAR Xfinity Playoff Standings
Loser: Austin Dillon Regresses to Norm
Under the current format, Austin Dillon absolutely earned his playoff spot. However, Gateway was the latest example that making the Round of 16 is the ceiling for the No. 3 and Richard Childress Racing. This car had just a single top-five finish this year and placed outside the top 20 in 14 races. He also wasn’t much of a factor in stages this season. Those things proved costly come playoff time, and Sunday afternoon’s showing is just another instance of Dillon and the No. 3 not being very relevant anymore outside of Richmond.
Winner: Kyle Larson Effectively Clinches a Playoff Spot
Kyle Larson certainly didn’t do Ryan Blaney any favors on Sunday, but all that matters for Hendrick Motorsports is the No. 5 team making the Round of 12. Larson gave himself an early cushion with 16 stage points, and he added to that total with a top-12 finish at Gateway, giving himself a 40-plus point cushion heading into the final race. With the amount of wiggle room Larson has given himself, he can race for the win and playoff points next Saturday night and not feel any pressure about points.
Loser: Pit-Road Issues Will Haunt Alex Bowman This Offseason
Last week, it was a disconnected air hose that caused a 40-second delay in his pit stop and ultimately caused him to finish 31st at Darlington. In the NASCAR race today at Gateway, both Alex Bowman and the No. 48 team had issues on pit road. Near the end of Stage 2, Bowman was in seventh and pitted following a caution. An issue while installing the left-rear tire caused a delay, dropping him outside the top 15 and wiping out a chance at stage points. Late in the final stage, Bowman was penalized for going too fast on pit road. Just an awful playoffs for the No. 48 team and it should haunt them this offseason, because they caused their own issues.
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