As much as I've loved the "winning is the only thing" mentality we've seen so far this year, I'm going to be curious to see how (or if) it changes over the next 7 races.
Right now, we have 11 winners. That would put 5 drivers who don't have a win, in the Chase.
Kyle Larson is currently the guy on the bubble. He's in 14th place. Austin Dillon, who is 15th, has the exact same number of points as Larson, but loses the tie-breaker.
Now, here's where it gets really interesting. Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard are both winless; 10th and 11th in points respectively. Bowyer's cushion over Larson is just 24 points. The closest driver with a win behind Larson is Aric Almirola in 22nd. Tony Stewart, who is 19th, is just 22 points behind Larson.
So, if there aren't any more winners, that;s 6 drivers just a half-a-race apart for one spot. Do they go for broke and steal a win? Or do they go old school and worry about big points days? How about Bowyer and Menard? Do they go into protection mode until someone new wins; or risk it al for that one-win guaranteed spot?
It could be, that for the first time this year, we'll hear folks talking about good points days.