Going Into Phoenix - The Chase

So far, Carl Edwards has kept chipping away at Jimmie Johnson's lead in the standings. We no longer are thinking Johnson has a lock on the Championship.

Johnson leads by 106 points. If Carl Edwards mounts a successful comeback with only two races remaining, it would be the biggest comeback since the current points system was implemented back in 1975.

Here's some hope for the Edwards fan out there:

• Alan Kulwicki overcame an 85-point deficit with two races left in the season to win the championship in 1992. Ask Bill Elliott! That's who he overtook that year.
• On 5 different occasions this year, Edwards has accumulated more than 106 points over Jimmie Johnson in 2 races - five times this year.

Here are some comparisons for you to grind your teeth on:

At Homestead and Phoenix, Jimmie Johnson has

• two wins,
  
• seven top fives,
  
• 13 top 10s and an
  
• average finish of 9.1 in 17 races.
  
• He has a Driver Rating of 108.1 and an
  
• Average Running Position of 8.9 at those two tracks.

At Homestead and Phoenix, Carl Edwards has

• no wins,
  
• five top fives,
  
• eight top 10s and an
  
• average finish of 12.3 in 12 races.
  
• He has a Driver Rating of 104.5 and an
  
• Average Running Position of 11.9.

Driver Ratings at Phoenix

• Jimmie Johnson 118.0
• Kevin Harvick 106.7
• Jeff Gordon 104.0
• Carl Edwards 103.3
• Greg Biffle 102.4
• Tony Stewart 101.6
• Mark Martin 96.1
• Martin Truex Jr. 95.7
• Kurt Busch 95.4
• Denny Hamlin 94.1

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008, over a 7race span.

The math does not look promising for Carl, but he's been on a charge this year. The stats say one thing. Now we hold our breath!

source: NASCAR Public Relations
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