Trotwood-Madison vs. Winton Woods
2009-10 UD men's basketball
Pyramid Hill lights up
today's Race 3 p.m. | TV: ABC
Johnson can finish off Chase for the Cup
Sunday, November 09, 2008
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Carl Edwards chipped into Jimmie Johnson's points lead with consecutive victories at Atlanta and Texas. Now the championship race has moved to the desert, where Johnson has traditionally turned up the heat on the competition.
This visit already is shaping up to be a repeat: Johnson won the pole at Phoenix International Raceway, and when the sun sets on the race today, Nov. 9, Johnson hopes Edwards will no longer be visible in his rearview mirror.
The two-time defending series champion has a 106-point lead over Edwards, and can clinch his third title if he gains 56 points over Edwards and simply starts next week's final race.
"My goal is to outrun those guys," Johnson said. "My goal's to win the race, try to lead the most laps, gain points on those guys so that we go to Homestead with as many points as we can."
If history is any indication, Johnson will deliver.
He finished second here in 2006 to widen his points lead from 17 to 63 over Matt Kenseth.
A year ago, Johnson notched a fourth consecutive victory to stretch his 30-point lead over Jeff Gordon to a heartbreaking 86 points.
