Johnson's "Is it Homestead yet?" tour continues for another week, but don't expect him to go through the motions at Phoenix, where his average finish (7.8) is tops among drivers.
Carl Edwards may be locked in, but Harvick may as well be, despite technically being below the cutoff line. Apart from maybe Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville, there is no driver better at a particular track than "El Toro" is at Phoenix.
He didn't back flip, nor did he race to the checkered flag (because of that pesky rain), but Edwards is heading to Homestead, regardless.
Logano sits in a great spot, at the top of the Chase Grid among drivers without a win. His No. 22 Ford ran into an issue in post-race inspection, but his team may not incur a points penalty.
"Rowdy" narrowly escaped a spinning Brian Scott, which could've really put him in a precarious position had he not. Instead, he's (barely) above the cutoff line heading into the Round of 8 finale.
MORE: Busch slips by Scott
Kenseth is just below the cutoff line, so he doesn't need a win at Phoenix to advance. That's a good thing for him, because he has just one in 27 tries, with a Chase-worst average finish of 16.3.
Hamlin isn't in great position and may be the odd JGR driver out when all is said and done, but he is one of just three remaining Chase drivers with double-digit top-five finishes at Phoenix.
Of the eight drivers remaining in the Chase, Busch's standing heading into Phoenix is the shakiest. He all but needs to win to advance.
Truex continues to lead laps (66 at Texas) and it still seems weird to think that arguably the best driver of the season is no longer racing for a title.
After a truly dominant performance (with a tough ending) in this event last year, it was a surprise to see Keselowski finish 14th at Texas.
Elliott gutted out a gritty performance, battled flu-like symptoms for a fourth-place finish after a lengthy rain delay. What'd you do this weekend?
Before a run-in with Kevin Harvick saddled him with a poor finish, Dillon and his No. 3 pole-winning team were set for a really solid run at a tough track -- a sign of good things to come.
MORE: Dillon heated at Harvick
Larson has just one top-10 finish at Phoenix despite having a pretty clean average start of 8.2.
Despite a runner-up finish at Phoenix last spring, don't expect a late-season push for McMurray. He has just four top 10s in 26 starts.
Since recent history tells us a Chase driver will win at Homestead, Phoenix may well be Stewart's last realistic shot at a win. He hasn't won in the desert since his rookie season. Why not have it happen in his final season, too?
Buescher's first Phoenix start came earlier this year, and it did not go well. He started 32nd and finished 30th.