Shop Talk: Phoenix

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- How close have Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon been in the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup? Very. Take a look:

• Points-leader Johnson and second-place Gordon have led exactly the same amount of laps in the Chase: 267

• Johnson has totaled 1,322 points in the first eight Chase races. Gordon has 1,312.

• Gordon's average finish in the Chase is 4.6. Johnson's is 5.3.

• Their Average Running Position during the first eight races differs by a few hundredths of a position: Johnson has a 10.931; Gordon a 10.988.

• Besides the race at Lowe's Motor Speedway where Gordon finished first and Johnson finished 14th, the furthest either driver finished ahead of the other is six positions (the races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway where Johnson finished first and Gordon finished seventh).

From the looks of it, the mirror-image trend will continue this weekend in the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

The two drivers are neck-and-neck in the pre-race Loop Data statistics.

Below is a race-by-race breakdown of each driver's performance at Phoenix since 2005, when NASCAR began using scoring loops embedded in the track for statistical purposes:

Not only is this Chase close, but the predictions that this would be the most competitive Chase since its 2004 inception are coming true. Below is the top 10 for points gained through eight Chase races since 2004. Three of the top four point earners are in this year's Chase:

Additionally, Kurt Busch owns the record for total points in the 10-race Chase with 1,486 in 2004. More than likely, both Johnson and Gordon will surpass the mark.