Jimmie Johnson has one top-five finish and two top-10s in four starts at Phoenix International Raceway. Credit: Autostock

Time is running out for Johnson to make move

The scenario is simple for Jimmie Johnson: He must knife into a 38-point deficit at Phoenix if he is to have any chance of overtaking Tony Stewart for the points lead -- or capturing his first Cup championship at Homestead on Nov. 20.

Like a lot of things, that's easier said than done.

JIMMIE JOHNSON •   Driver Page •   2005 Statistics •   Superstore: JJ gear •   Gillette Weekly Challenge Inside the Chase Standings entering Phoenix Rank Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 6,255 -- 2. J. Johnson 6,217 -38 3. C. Edwards 6,178 -77 4. G. Biffle 6,133 -122 5. M. Martin 6,132 -123 6. M. Kenseth 6,120 -135 7. R. Newman 6,081 -174 8. Ku. Busch 5,974 -281 9. R. Wallace 5,940 -315 10. J. Mayfield 5,848 -407 • Series Standings, click here

Johnson is not one of the five drivers in the Chase for the Nextel Cup who have won at Phoenix, but he does sport the second-highest average finish (9.5) among the championship contenders.

The Checker Auto Parts 500 (3 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC) is the penultimate race this season, and if Johnson is to become the fourth consecutive driver to win his first Cup title in his fourth full-time season, Phoenix is nothing short of a must-win.

"Where we are, especially from last year, we experienced a lot leading the points all year long," said Johnson, who was 41 points behind eventual champion Kurt Busch through 34 races in 2004. "When we started to lose our advantage and not have the speed, we panicked and started to do some things wrong.

"Then we recovered and got it back and just ran out of time, basically. So, I like where we are. I think we're in good shape. There are a lot of good tracks coming up for everybody. Everybody is going to have to fight for the end."

However, even 1-2 finishes in the final two races last year could not clinch the championship for Johnson. Busch finished sixth at Darlington and fifth at Homestead to win the title by eight points.

Nonetheless, Johnson believes he will determine how this season end.

"The nice thing is that it's still in our control," Johnson said. "We can win the championship on racing and not have to count on bad luck on anybody's behalf. It looks like we've also stretched out a little cushion over a couple of guys and don't have to worry about losing anything there.

"Tony is going to run strong and it's going to be five points here or there. That's just kind of the way it is. We've got some good tracks coming up. We did close up a couple of points [at Texas]."

Other Chase drivers on Phoenix ...

Tony Stewart: "With every different division of car that I've run there, I've ended up running a different line. With that, I've learned a lot about that race track and where the sweet spots are on that race track. I was used to the place when it came time to run there in Nextel Cup. I knew a lot about that race track and the different places that can make you go fast or slow. It gave me an opportunity to adapt a lot more to the car than to the race track."

FANTASY PREVIEW The Phoenix weekend always has been one of the final races of the season, and drivers were forced to approach it differently than most of the other events.  •   Complete story, click here FedEx PreviewNBC/TNT's Marty Snider previews the action at PIR Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Carl Edwards: "It's always fun to go to Phoenix. I ran my first pavement race there back in 2001, when I ran in the Copper World Classic. The track itself is a complex shape and has variations in the banking and radii that make it a lot of fun. We came from two laps down there in the spring to finish seventh so I know we have ability to run well. The last two weeks have been awesome and our goals have definitely evolved throughout the year. My primary focus right now is to win this championship."

Greg Biffle: "I love racing in Phoenix. I guess I consider it my home track if I have one. I've had a lot of success out there in the Busch and Truck series and we had a good run going there in the spring in the Cup car until that incident on pit road took us out of the race. We tested there last week before Texas and decided to take the same car that we raced there in the spring. The car is a good match for the type of track that Phoenix is and I feel pretty confident taking it back. We lost a lot of ground last week in the points battle but we're not giving up. I think we can still make up a position or two in these final races."

Mark Martin: "Phoenix is a good track for racing. It's set up a little different on each end, but ultimately the key is getting through the corners faster than everyone else. We've had pretty good success there over the years, although we have been off a little the last couple of times."

Matt Kenseth: "I'm looking forward to this weekend in Phoenix. We're coming off a good run in Texas; it felt really good to lead all of those laps [race-high 149]. We were able to get the bonus points for leading the most laps and we moved up in the standings with our finish. I don't know if we can still win this thing, but we can certainly continue to move up, and our whole team is focused on that."

Ryan Newman: "We're really anxious to get back to Phoenix. The last two weeks have been rough on us. We've had a fair amount of success at PIR and we're ready to find that again this weekend. We're taking chassis PRS-55, which is the same car we won with at New Hampshire. Hopefully it will work the same magic this weekend. A victory on Sunday would be great for the morale of this team right now. It may not push us into the hunt for the championship, but it could definitely move us up a few spots in the standings."

Kurt Busch: "I feel good about Phoenix this weekend. Phoenix is a track where I have a lot of experience from my Southwest Tour Series and Truck days. With good finishes in the past there our team is poised for a top-five run there. We picked up our first victory of the year at Phoenix in April, and we're bringing the same car this time around, so we're looking for another solid run."

Rusty Wallace: "I've always loved racing on that track. It has always seemed like we've been able to call on that track to give us a real boost when we needed it most. I keep telling people that it's probably because of the success I had back in the early years in USAC and all, on tracks like Milwaukee and others. Whatever it is behind our success, it just always has been a great track for us. We definitely are looking to end things off on a positive note there this weekend. Getting us another winner's trophy out there in the desert would definitely be a big deal."

Jeremy Mayfield: "Now, it's about how we finish the season. We may finish 10th in the Chase, but it won't be because we willingly accept that. That's not Jeremy Mayfield. That's not Evernham Motorsports. That's not my team. We know our potential. We have great equipment. We have a quality team. These next two races are as important to the No. 19 team as they are to the teams at the top of the Chase standings, but our focus also extends right up to the 2006 Daytona 500. If something is missing, we'll find it. If something must change, we'll change it. The resources are available. Just like an engine, everything has to be in sync."