Johnson has options for shot at eighth title

FORT WORTH, TEXAS » Jimmie Johnson still has two very conceivable options for a chance to race for his record-breaking eighth NASCAR Cup Series championship.

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.

“I do feel good about getting in,” he said. 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 ½ -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.

Chase Elliott arrived in Texas eighth among the eight championship contenders, and 26 points out of the top four, after being wrecked by Denny Hamlin when leading two laps shy of the scheduled checkered flag at Martinsville last weekend. He finished 27th.

Martinsville winner Kyle Busch, who held off points leader Martin Truex Jr. in the race that needed five extra laps, is the only driver who has clinched one of the four spots in the season finale.

Hamlin, who is seventh in points, qualified second after going 200.617 mph. Kevin Harvick, now holding down the fourth spot, starts third. Points leader Truex starts seventh, two spots behind Kyle Busch.

“Being able to come here with a pretty nice points cushion feels good, and hopefully we’ll be able to go out here and take care of business,” Truex said.

Brad Keselowski, the other driver currently in the top four spots, starts 10th.