Sunday's 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) definitely shook things up in this year's Race to the Chase. With only four races remaining before the field is set for this year's Chase, drivers and teams in the top-14 hoped heading into Sunday's race to avoid trouble and come home with a solid points day.

While David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart all accomplished their goal by gaining ground, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin suffered major setbacks.

After a strong start to the day, Jeff Gordon's race went flat when contact with teammate Jimmie Johnson cut the No. 24's right front tire. Johnson was able to make it to pit road for four fresh tires, but Gordon was not as lucky. Driving off Turn 2, Gordon's right front gave out sending the car hard into the outside wall and bringing out the third caution of the day. The damage was too much as Gordon was forced to settle with 42nd-place finish.

"Ultimately we're responsible," a dejected Gordon said from the infield. "Our pit stops have just been terrible today. We finally get a race car and we didn't get the whole package today. It's very disappointing. That's kind of how our whole season has gone we get the pit stops awesome and we can't get the car right, what are you going to do?"

Coming into Sunday's event, Gillett Evernham Motorsports' Kasey Kahne was hoping to back up his second-place run at MIS in June. Unfortunately for the driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge, the engine let go and ruined their chances at a repeat performance. The 40th-place finish dropped Kahne three spots in the standings to eleventh.

With only five laps remaining things literally blew up for Denny Hamlin. Running in the top-10, Hamlin appeared to be heading for a solid points day after starting deep in the field. However, the engine failure relegated the No. 11 FedEx Camry to 39th-spot and dropped him to twelfth in the standings, only 26 points ahead of thirteenth.

Extremely dejected, Hamlin expressed his frustrations from the garage, "We came here with a new engine package and we're a bubble driver and we just make stupid choices. We just can't keep our cars together. We had dash malfunctions, the motor breaking. At this point we don't even deserve to be in this Chase.

Clint Bowyer's lackluster runs continued on Sunday, with the No. 07 Chevrolet failing to capitalize on the problems of others. Bowyer started the day from the 41st-spot and never really made a charge to the front. The Richard Childress Racing driver ended the day 20th, one lap down. With the finish, Bowyer remains in the thirteenth-spot, but is currently tied with Roush Fenway Racing's David Ragan.

Heading to Bristol next Saturday night, things are sure to get even more interesting around this final transfer spot. With the competition heating up, it should be interesting to see who can rise to the occasion and what teams and drivers will bend under pressure.