Sunday, November 11, 2007

 First PIR win creates championship stranglehold

Jeff Gordon may have said it best: "It's over." 

"It" is the championship chase, and while "over" may not be totally mathematically accurate after this weekend, it sure seems that way. With Jimmie Johnson's win in the Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, the 32-year-old defending NEXTEL Cup Series champion built what was a 30-point lead over Gordon into an advantage of 86, meaning that Johnson will just have to finish 18th or higher in the season finale at Homestead-Miami next weekend to secure his second straight series championship. 

Just how likely is that? Johnson has finished below 18th exactly once in the last 15 races, and that was at Bristol - in August. Johnson's lowest finish in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup is 14th, and by the way, the win at PIR was not only Johnson's 10th of the season, but also his fourth consecutive, dating back to the event at Martinsville on October 21. 

Carl Edwards seemed to be the man to beat early, leading the first 87 laps after starting from the pole. Martin Truex Jr. seized the lead on pit road during a caution period, but that wasn't the worst of it for Edwards. Engine problems forced the No. 99 team to retire from the race, paving the way for a 42nd-place finish. 

Truex held the point for 51 laps, and meanwhile, Johnson lingered close behind in third. Johnson would eventually lead later, but only for 31 laps before losing the advantage to a number of drivers, the most prominent of which was Matt Kenseth, who led the most laps in all with 93. Truex regained the lead from Kenseth at Lap 270, but Johnson grabbed control 19 laps later and cruised to the win in easy fashion. 

Greg Biffle finished second, Kenseth was third, and Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Kevin Harvick was sixth, followed by Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, and Gordon. 

Here are the new standings for the top five drivers in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, after 35 of 36 races in the 2007 season. Only Johnson and Gordon remain in championship contention: 

Point Standings (through 35 of 36 races)