Win one of the next two races, or just be in the top four in points after that, and Johnson will get one of the four championship-contending spots in two weeks.
Johnson is a seven-time winner at Texas, where the Cup Series races Sunday. He won there in April in the first race after the 1 1/2-mile track was completely repaved and restructured in Turns 1 and 2. And in the current driver standings, he is only three points out of the top four spots.
As for Chase Elliott, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate is probably in a must-win situation after being oh-so-close to being locked into a title shot at Homestead.