Toyota’s Iowa weekend was already showing signs of trouble before the green flag even flew. Denny Hamlin was sent to the rear after his Joe Gibbs Racing team changed a cooling unit, while brake problems had hit Hamlin and Chase Briscoe during Saturday’s running. The 23XI Racing Toyota of Bubba Wallace also had a disappointing qualifying run. Then, just three laps into Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350, the manufacturer’s nightmare worsened when Tyler Reddick crashed into Erik Jones.

“My pedal just went long. It’s f***ing ridiculous.”

That was Denny Hamlin’s blunt reaction as Toyota’s Iowa nightmare took another turn for the worse just three laps into the Iowa Corn 350.

The trouble began when Tyler Reddick got loose and lost control of his No. 45 Toyota on his own on Lap 3. Reddick’s car slid up the track before collecting Erik Jones, who had nowhere to go in the No. 43 Toyota.

The contact heavily damaged both Toyotas and immediately brought out the caution. Reddick’s situation quickly became even more concerning when he reported over the radio, “We have no oil pressure.” His race was effectively over, while Jones was also unable to continue.

The official classification later confirmed the damage. Jones was ruled out in 35th place, while Reddick was officially classified 36th. For Reddick, the result adds to a miserable stretch of races.

His average finish across the last seven Cup Series races is now 25.8, highlighting just how difficult the recent stretch has been. Even more concerning, Sunday’s 36th-place finish marks his third 36th-place result in the last six races.

Meanwhile, Hamlin was dealing with his own problems despite remaining in the race. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s weekend had already started poorly after a cooling unit change forced him to the rear before the green flag. Now, his brake concerns appeared to return.

“I can’t brake, I have no brakes,” Hamlin complained over the radio.

The problems could have major regular season implications as well. Ryan Blaney has moved within 120 points of Hamlin in the standings. This puts additional pressure on the 23XI Racing co-owner looking to finish the regular season as the top playoff seed.

With Jones and Reddick already out and Hamlin fighting brake issues, Toyota’s Iowa weekend has quickly become a race against adversity. And with so much of the race still remaining, Denny Hamlin and the remaining Toyota teams have a mountain to climb.

Erik Jones’ Chase battle takes another major hit

For Erik Jones, Iowa was supposed to be the kind of weekend where he could stop the bleeding. Instead, the Legacy Motor Club driver suffered another devastating result, with his No. 43 Toyota officially classified 35th after being collected in the Lap 3 incident.

The timing could hardly be worse. Jones entered Iowa sitting 18th in the Cup Series standings, already outside the Chase picture with just three races remaining after Sunday. He had warned before the race that another poor result could make his situation almost impossible to recover from.

“One more bad week where we lose any ground, it’s gonna be pretty insurmountable. So we need to have a great weekend.”

Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. After the crash, Jones expressed his frustration with how early the incident occurred.

“This was really early. If this was 10 to go when they’re up there, I’d get it.”

The Legacy Motor Club driver’s frustration was understandable. His No. 43 Toyota barely had a chance to settle into the race before Reddick’s spin collected him.

Even team owner Jimmie Johnson appeared to have little to say about the situation, posting a simple “😔” on Twitter.

Jones now knows the road to the top 16 has become extremely difficult.

When asked about his playoff chances, he admitted, “It’s gonna be a long shot from here. We’re gonna be deep after today…need really three good weeks.”

With only three races remaining, he needs a dramatic turnaround while also relying on the drivers ahead of him to stumble. Iowa was supposed to be a chance to gain ground. Instead, it has left Jones with almost no room for another setback.