Carl Edwards has stepped up his game during the Chase, averaging an 8.8 finish in nine playoff races. Credit: Autostock

Edwards remains eager; Biffle resigned to 2006

Roush Racing's five drivers on Sunday put aside the news that defending Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch had been suspended for the final two races and posted two top-10s in the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix, including a runner-up finish by Greg Biffle. Carl Edwards, who had won the previous two races in the 10-race Chase, was sixth.

It was business as usual on the track for the "Ford Five," even with Kenny Wallace subbing in the No. 97. Mark Martin finished 14th, Wallace was 16th and Matt Kenseth, who was running in the top 10 and looked to be a contender for the checkers, finished two laps down in 32nd after a mechanical failure thwarted his run.

Inside the Chase Standings after Phoenix Rank Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 6,415 -- 2. J. Johnson 6,363 -52 3. C. Edwards 6,328 -87 4. G. Biffle 6,313 -102 5. M. Martin 6,253 -162 6. R. Newman 6,208 -207 7. M. Kenseth 6,187 -228 8. R. Wallace 6,016 -399 9. Ku. Busch 5,974 -441 10. J. Mayfield 5,939 -476 • Race Results, click here • Cup Standings, click here • Race Recap, click here Final lapsBiffle and Busch battle for the lead late at Phoenix Tony stays on topStewart finishes fourth and retains points lead Checker 500Watch the race highlights with TrackPass Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

With half the Chase field racing under the Roush umbrella, many predicted the team would have a distinct advantage in its quest for a third consecutive series championship. However, with one race remaining only two Roush drivers -- Edwards and Biffle -- are mathematically within striking distance of points leader Tony Stewart.

"This is what we need to do -- it's championship form right here," said Biffle, who led a race-high 189 laps but could not run down Kyle Busch in the waning laps. "We wanted to win, but we came here and led a lot of laps and ran real strong and finished second. It just goes to show how solid this race team is."

Solid, yes -- but none of the Roush teams have been as consistently impressive as Stewart and the No. 20 Chevrolet of Joe Gibbs Racing's stable. Then again, neither has any other team this season. Stewart has a series-best five wins (tied with Biffle), plus 17 top-five finishes and 25 top-10s, both also tops among Cup drivers.

Through nine playoff races, Roush drivers are averaging a 14.6 starting spot and an 11.6 finish in Chase. The teams have combined for three wins, 19 top-fives and 27 top-10s in 45 starts.

In light of being 102 points behind, Biffle is resigned that his team cannot make a run at hoisting the Nextel Cup at Homestead. When asked if he still has a shot at winning the championship, he was to the point: "No, we needed to do what we did [Sunday] -- lead the most laps and finish second or win, but those other guys would have had to have bad days in order to put us in the hunt.

"We're certainly not in it anymore," Biffle said. "I kind of counted myself out last week [after a 20th-place finish at Texas], but wanted to keep hopes up that we might have an opportunity. The reality is that next year we're gonna go after it again."

Edwards is third in the standings, only 35 points behind second-place Jimmie Johnson and 87 behind Stewart. After posting his seventh top-10 in nine Chase races -- tied with Stewart and Johnson for the most in the Chase -- Edwards said the crew's approach won't change.

"We probably have an average finish of something like second or third [in the past three races], so if we can go and run that way at Homestead, we'll be all right," he said.

"We have to go to Homestead with an aggressive mindset. We can't go there and be conservative. We have to run very well to get this finished."

• Busch suspended after reckless driving citation

.