Chase Elliott entered the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway with a 39-point advantage on Ryan Newman for the final transfer in the Chase.
Elliott, who was 14th on the Chase grid, is looking for a playoff appearance in his rookie season in the Sprint Cup Series. But his night took a turn for the worse on Lap 95.
Elliott was running on the outside of a three-wide battle when Newman made contact the left-rear of Jeff Gordon, sending him up into Elliott. A few laps later, Elliott’s left tire blew and it sent him into the outside wall in Turn 1.
Damage to the right-side forced Elliott to pit road for repairs, but he is currently battling to stay on the lead lap as the race approaches the 165-lap mark.