So what exactly is awaiting us in Phoenix next Sunday in terms of the Chase for the Nextel Cup? Are we going to see the different leader atop the standings when rolling down to Miami for the last race of the season, or is Jimmie Johnson going to expand the lead the no 48 has built up as result of a rather surprising wining streak?

By the looks of things, no 48 is as up to the challenge as he’ll ever be. Coming off 3 consecutive wins in the last three races, thus having taken his total number of victories for the season to 9, Johnson looks unstoppable at the moment.

Looking at statistics though, the fact that he’s never won a race in Phoenix, says Gordon will probably take the lead back on Sunday. After all, there are a mere 30 points between the two of them, and Gordon has been putting in steady performances lately, finishing in the top ten in Forth Worth, Atlanta and Martinsville. The fact that he dropped no less than 98 points to Johnson is only doe to the latter’s extraordinary winning streak.

Gordon has walked away a winner from Phoenix in the past (in April) , and that fact credits his nascar odds too.

He needs to have an answer to Johnson in Phoenix, otherwise things may yield a definitive outcome over the weekend. The fact that – despite being a championship leader who you’d think is looking out to protect his points the best way he can – Johnson doesn’t shy away from an occasional sparring, as he proved it in Forth Worth last week, when he battled Matt Kenseth, might also be in #24’s favor.

If he does commit a mistake, and spins out, he’ll not only be spinning out of the race itself, but also pretty much out of Nextel Cup contention.

Even though it now looks like it’s a two-way battle between Johnson and Gordon, let’s not forget about the drivers who still retain mathematical chances for the cup. Also, the peculiarities of the short and flat Avondale circuit, combined with the fact that drivers will be racing with NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow, will certainly make the race more interesting.

The Busch brothers (Kyle and Kurt) have had some pretty good results on this track in the past, and – even though the latter is out of contention for the title, the former is still only trailing by about 300 points, so he does represent a danger for the two Hendrick Motorsports teammates.

Clint Bowyer is 181 points behind Johnson in the Chase, and that is pretty close (the max points a driver can accumulate in a race is 195).

Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards also maintain mathematical nascar odds, though they do not really represent an immediate danger for the top position drivers.

Looking at the list of past winners here in Phoenix, Harvick’s name pops up, as he also won here (both races in 2006).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also a past winner here with the potential to provide a surprise.

All in all, the race is a must hang on for Johnson. More or less a do or die one for Gordon, and a nothing to lose one for the rest of the mentioned drivers. That mix should generate an excellent and hopefully spectacular race.

NASCAR drivers will drive their conventional vehicles for the last time in Miami (for the season’s last race), as the Car of Tomorrow becomes compulsory, beginning with next season.

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