10 stats to check: Can Team Penske snap its Texas dry spell?

With Martin Truex Jr. locked into the Championship 4 in Miami, three spots remain with two races to go in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8. Before we go two-stepping into Sunday's AAA Texas 500 (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), let's take a look at a few important stats.

Victory Lane has eluded Martin Truex Jr. at Texas. The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished runner-up twice, while he was passed for the win in three of the last 13 Texas races. He’s also finished in the top 10 in seven of the last nine events.

Team Penske is experiencing a drought at Texas. Since its last win at the 1.5-mile track won by Joey Logano in April 2014, Penske drivers have scored 40 victories on 20 of the 24 tracks (sans Dover, Pocono and Sonoma). Drivers have also finished runner-up three times in that same span, the latest coming with Ryan Blaney in last year’s fall race.

Faced with a 44-point deficit below the playoff cutline, winning is really the only thing that will solve Chase Elliott’s problem. But luckily, Texas has been good to the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports driver, earning two top fives and five top 10s in seven starts – good for an eighth-place average finish.

Kyle Larson tops the all-time list among drivers with the most laps led without a win on a 1.5-mile track, leading 794 laps. Ryan Blaney sits sixth on the list with 463 laps led without a win.

After coming just one spot short of his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory at Martinsville, William Byron could have another good shot at Texas. Byron has two top-10 finishes in three Texas starts, including a sixth-place finish in the spring. Byron also stuck around the top 10 for 226 of the 334 laps back in March with an average running position of 7.98. It also helps that crew chief Chad Knaus has seven wins under his 10-gallon hat at Texas.

There’s more hope for Jimmie Johnson to snap his 92-race winless streak this weekend at Texas. Johnson finished fifth in March, leading 60 laps with an average running position of 7.8 (second best among drivers). It’s also worth noting that Johnson won at Texas in 2013 the last time the Cup Series raced on Nov. 3, so signs point to a strong run for the No. 48 team.

Brad Keselowski has led the most laps without a win at Texas, leading the field for a total of 639 circuits. Martin Truex Jr. is next in line with 605 laps led, followed by Ryan Blaney with 233 laps led.

Joe Gibbs Racing is one win away from title Hendrick Motorsports for most wins by a team in a single season in the modern era. Hendrick drivers earned 18 victories in 2007, while JGR currently holds 17 wins this season.

Three drivers currently have Texas top-10 streaks they are looking to keep alive on Sunday. Kevin Harvick has scored 10 consecutive finishes of 10th or better, followed by Kurt Busch (five) and Erik Jones (four). If Harvick can continue the trend, he will best Greg Biffle for the all-time longest top-10 streak Texas.Team Penske is experiencing a drought at Texas. Since their last win at the 1.5-mile track won by Joey Logano in April 2014, Penske drivers have scored 40 victories on 20 of the 23 tracks (sans Dover, Pocono and Sonoma). Drivers have also finished runner-up three times in that same span, the latest coming with Ryan Blaney in last year’s Fall race.

With Martin Truex Jr.’s Championship 4 bid secured, Toyota has now clinched at least one spot in the finale since its existence, the only manufacturer to accomplish the feat.