The combination of short track length and NASCAR's extra-wide Car of Tomorrow typically leads to some interesting scenarios on the race track, as tempers are tested under the challenging conditions.

Add to that picture the following circumstances and you've got the makings of a genuine brawl at this weekend's Checker Auto Parts 500 in Phoenix, Arizona: It will be night racing under the lights, with unusually hot temperatures in the desert for mid-November. And, while there are two drivers locked in an epic title battle, numerous others are desperate for a win before the season ends next week.

Make no mistake about it, Phoenix International Raceway is a tricky track. It's a one-mile tri-oval with a marked difference between turns 1and 2, banked at 11 degrees, and 3 and 4, banked at 9 degrees, and a dogleg along the backstretch between 3 and 4 just to keep things exciting.

Since turns 1 and 2 are relatively tight compared to the more sweeping feel in 3 and 4, drivers and crew chiefs must compromise on the set up, achieving the right balance at one end of the track while perhaps struggling a bit at the other end.

The Cup series started racing at Phoenix in 1988, with Alan Kulwicki the first winner here. For years, November was the only scheduled date for PIR, but in 2005, an April race was added as well.

Six of the last seven Phoenix races have been won by Chevy drivers, dating back to November of 2003. Those drivers were Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won back-to-back in November of '03 and '04, Kyle Busch in November of '05, Kevin Harvick, who swept the track in '06, and Jeff Gordon, winning here last April. The only exception to the recent GM dominance was Kurt Busch, then in a Ford, who won the spring race in '05.

Along with Earnhardt Jr., two other current Cup drivers have two wins at PIR - Richard Childress Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. As mentioned, Harvick's wins came in 2006, while Burton's are a bit more remote, dating back to 2000 and 2001.

There are several other one-time winners among active drivers here. Along with those mentioned above, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, and Bill Elliott have all posted a PIR victory.

Given the current situation in the point standings - Jimmie Johnson topping Jeff Gordon by 30 points with two races left in the season - all eyes will be focused on the Hendrick Motorsports teammates this Sunday.

PIR used to be on Gordon's short list of tracks he'd never won at, until he posted a win here back in April. And it was a memorable victory at that, being the one that moved Gordon past Dale Earnhardt Sr. on the all-time career win list.

Gordon (+410) has raced 17 times at PIR in the Cup series, posting 1 win, 8 top 5s, and 14 top 10s, with an average finish of 8.2. Prior to winning here in April, Gordon had four straight top-10 finishes and 11 top 10s in his 12 most recent Phoenix starts.

Only one driver has a better average finish here than Jeff Gordon and it is (drum roll, please) … Jimmie Johnson. Though winless at this track, Johnson has 3 top 5s and 6 top 10s for an average finish of 7.2. Johnson is coming off three straight wins in the Cup series, along with four straight top 10s at PIR. He finished 4th here in the spring and 2nd in this event last fall.

Johnson (+420) will be bringing chassis 461 to Phoenix, which won at Martinsville in October. If Johnson does win on Sunday, he will be the first driver to win four straight in the Cup series since (drum roll, please) … Jeff Gordon, who went four straight in 1998.

In terms of average finish, the next six drivers behind Johnson and Gordon are all in this year's Chase. They are, in order of average finish, Tony Stewart (+660), Jeff Burton (+500), Carl Edwards (+620), Denny Hamlin (+530), Kurt Busch (+530), and Kevin Harvick.

An early favorite in the betting appears to be Harvick, no doubt on the strength of his 2006 sweep here - a year in which he also won the spring Busch race. Harvick finished 10th here in April and is coming off a 10th in Texas as well.

As mentioned, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has two victories at PIR. He claims to like the track, but his last four races here have resulted in finishes of 40th, 23rd, 9th, and 19th.

Along with car set-up, brake wear is typically an issue at Phoenix, and drivers who know how to be finesse the throttle and treat their brakes kindly will have an advantage. Lap traffic is always an issue as well, so patience will be a virtue, especially in the early and middle portions of the race. Lastly, pit road incidents are common at PIR, so drivers, crew chiefs and spotters will all need to be alert to pit road traffic issues. Teams that qualify well and can pit at the front of the line may be able to avoid potential pit road disasters.