In case anyone has been wondering why there haven’t been any posts in almost a month, I just wanted to give an update. I returned from my vacation last weekend, and since, I’ve just been trying to get myself caught up on everything.

But, I will have some recap posts coming soon, handing out some end of season awards and looking back on some of the season’s best and worst, and I’ll also look ahead to the 2008 season, which will be here before we know it.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and hope your holiday season continues to be good to you and yours.

- Eddie G.

I’m leaving today to go visit family, so I likely won’t be providing qualifying updates on Friday as I usually have over the last several weeks, and as for race updates on Sunday, I’m taking a laptop, and I plan to have internet, but I’m not sure as of yet if I’ll have the chance to make race updates.

But, I will post when I can. So, don’t miss me too much!

Jimmie Johnson not only retains the top spot in the updated Chase driver rankings, but he tightens his hold on the spot after winning his fourth straight race.

With a comfortable lead going into Sunday’s season finale in sunny South Florida, the #48 is on the verge of wrapping up his second straight NEXTEL Cup championship.

It’s all down to he and Jeff Gordon, as everyone else is mathematically eliminated.

I’ll have my final Chase driver rankings early next week, along with some driver awards.

Now, on to this week’s terrific twelve!

1. Jimmie Johnson (1): Johnson kept his amazing run going on Sunday, winning the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International for his fourth win in a row and 10^th of the season. He’s taken control of the Chase by winning the last two races at tracks he’d never previously won at, and with the season finale at Homestead coming up, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him wrap up the title with a fifth straight win.

2. Jeff Gordon (2): After seeing his good buddy win a fourth straight race and take an 86-point lead with one race to go, Gordon all but conceded the championship, even though it’s not over by any means.

But, he needs a lot of good fortune on Sunday at Homestead, and he’ll also need his car to drive better than it has in the last few races. While he’s kept up his run of top-ten finishes (3^rd, 7^th, 7^th, 10^th), he’s seen his championship hopes dwindle because the car hasn’t been up to par with Johnson’s.

Still, no matter what happens on Sunday, it’s been a great season for the #24.

3. Clint Bowyer (3): Bowyer has hung steady here for quite a while, and unless he finishes at the bottom on Sunday, this is where he’ll finish in the final standings. His finish of 11^th at Phoenix officially ended his championship hopes, but it’s been a breakout season for Bowyer, who will be a name to watch for seasons to come.

4. Kyle Busch (4): Busch scored his sixth top-ten in nine Chase races with a finish of 8^th on Sunday, and remains 4^th in the standings entering the season finale, which will be his last race as a member of Hendrick Motorsports. As he gets ready to hop in a Gibbs car in 2008, he can look back on his time in the #5 pretty fondly, as he’s developed into one of the series’ top drivers in a few short seasons. At only 22, he has a bright, bright future ahead of him, and will have many more chances at a title.

5. Tony Stewart (6): Stewart finished 4^th on Sunday, his first top-ten since Charlotte in October, and his first top-five finish since the first race of the Chase, at Loudon.

6. Matt Kenseth (8): Kenseth has really had it going lately, finishing 5^th, 4^th, 2^nd, and 3^rd to move from 12^th to 6^th in the Chase standings. He’s no doubt ruing that bad streak that cost him any shot at the title, but he will be able to go into next season with positive momentum.

7. Jeff Burton (7): Burton’s solid run continued on Sunday, as he finished 9^th. That’s his fourth top-10 in the last five races, during which he’s finished no worse than 12^th. He’s out of the championship hunt, but he’s shown that he’s still got plenty left, and you can expect to see him contending for a spot in the Chase again next season.

8. Kevin Harvick (9): Harvick finished 6^th on Sunday, his fourth top-ten of the Chase, and second in a row.

I keep getting his number of top-10s wrong, as he said first that he had none (when he had one - 6^th at the LifeLock 400 at Kansas), then two (when he had three), and now, I finally have it right. My apologies to the Harvick fans out there.

9. Carl Edwards (5): Edwards led the first 84 laps before surrendering the lead to Martin Truex, Jr., and then, his chances for a great day were ended only 25 laps later when his engine blew up, and his day was over. It was a disastrous result for Edwards, who dropped from 5^th to 9^th in the standings, and has to avoid trouble on Sunday to finish inside the top ten, which would earn him a trip to the awards celebration in New York.

10. Kurt Busch (10): Busch finished 12^th on Sunday, just missing out on his third straight top-10. He’s holding on to that 10^th spot, 47 points ahead of Martin Truex, Jr.

11. Martin Truex, Jr. (11): Truex has raced well lately, and he led 72 laps on Sunday before giving up the lead to Johnson with less than 25 laps to go. His finish of 7^th followed a solid finish of 3^rd at Texas, and gives him hope of sneaking into the top 10.

12. Denny Hamlin (12): Hamlin has basically been a forgotten man in the Chase, and finds himself at the bottom with a race to go. He finished 16^th on Sunday, and is now 599 points behind Johnson, and 83 points behind Kurt Busch.

So, is there really any argument now?

Since the start of the Chase (and before), many have said that no matter what happens, Jeff Gordon deserves the championship because he’s been the most consistent driver in the series all season long.

But, after Jimmie Johnson expanded his lead to 86 points after his fourth straight win, capturing Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix, his hopes for a fifth series title look bleak.

It’s impossible to say that Gordon isn’t deserving, because he has statistically had one of the best seasons in series history, and with a top-10 finish at Homestead, will have an astounding 30 top-10 finishes. That’s the kind of consistency that any driver would love to have, and, in many years, would be more than enough to win the championship.

But, it may prove to not be enough, as Johnson’s 10 victories are the most in the series since 1998, when a still-young Gordon won 13 races and ran away with his third championship by 364 points over Mark Martin.

And, he is the first driver since Gordon in 1998 to win four races in a row (Gordon did it at Pocono, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, and Michigan).

Even if Johnson somehow loses the championship on Sunday, while Gordon could rightfully and deservedly celebrate the title, you’d have to feel bad for Johnson, who has soundly whipped everyone lately, including his teammate and friend.

There wouldn’t be any discussion about who, if anyone, was more deserving of the championship, if Gordon’s car hadn’t decided to start turning on him in the last few races.

While Johnson has raced towards wins, Gordon has had to battle just to finish well, with an ill-handling car and one issue after another that has rendered him anything but a serious contender towards the end as of late.

And, as unfortunate as it is, he’ll have to settle for second-best if a miracle doesn’t happen on Sunday. It’s not out of the question, but in the previous three years, the champion has finished no worse than 15th (Tony Stewart, 2005). In 2003, the last year before the Chase, that year’s series champion, Matt Kenseth, finished 43rd at Homestead, but he had already wrapped up the title in the previous race, at Rockingham.

But, no matter what happens, both deserve immense praise for how well they’ve raced this season, and even though only one can lift the trophy, neither one has a reason to hang their heads.

When you’re hot, you’re hot.

Jimmie Johnson got hot at the right time last year, and he’s gotten hot at the right time this year. And, by winning his fourth race in a row, Johnson is close to wrapping up his second championship in a row.

Johnson made another late pass, as he has did in the previous three races, to overtake Martin Truex, Jr. for the lead, and from there, it was smooth sailing for the #48, as he crossed the line first at Phoenix International Raceway to become the first driver since 1998 to win 10 races in a season. The guy who did that was his teammate Jeff Gordon, with whom he’s been locked in a fierce battle for the championship.

And, that battle has severely tilted in Johnson’s favor in the last four races, which has seen him go from being 68 points behind to being 86 points ahead with one race to go.

Gordon finished 10th for his 29th top-10 finish of the season, topping the mark that he set in that 13-win, 28 top-ten finish 1998 championship season. But, his eighth top-10 in the Chase was not good enough to keep him from falling further behind.

While Johnson was solidly in contention for most of the day, Gordon had to work hard just to give himself the opportunity for a good day. But, good wasn’t good enough, as has been the case in the last four weeks. While Gordon was worrying about holding off Kurt Busch at one point and Kevin Harvick at another, or trying to make one adjustment or another on his pit stops, Johnson was busy chasing a lead that he was inevitably going to get.

That’s been the difference in the last few weeks, and if Johnson can stay out of trouble next Sunday at Homestead, that’ll be the difference in the #48 in successfully defending his title.

It’s not over yet, but it’s safe to say that Johnson has one hand on the trophy, and as long as his lucky streak doesn’t run out at the worst time, he’ll have two next Sunday evening.

Jimmie Johnson has the lead with less than 20 laps to go, while Jeff Gordon is back in 10th. As of now, Gordon is 76 points behind, and needs something big to happen in the homestretch to not need a miracle at Homestead.

Unfortunately, it looks like that’s going to be the case, as Johnson’s running away with the race, while Gordon is trying to do what he has been all race long, and for the last few races - battle. If he could somehow gain a couple of spots before it’s over, that would be a plus, but with Johnson on the verge of wrapping up his fourth straight win, things aren’t looking good for the #24 right now, as we’re inside ten laps.

The drivers may have made their last pit stops, as we’re within the last 75 laps.

After pitting out of sequence once again and dropping a lap behind, Jeff Gordon pitted with the rest of the leaders. That move pushed him up to 8^th, but he’s still trying to make up ground to Jimmie Johnson, who’s currently in 6^th.

Gordon, Johnson, and everyone else is chasing Matt Kenseth. Tony Stewart, who hasn’t really been on the radar in the last few races after dropping out of championship contention, is in second, with Ryan Newman trying to catch him.

Gordon and Steve Letarte might be hoping for a little luck, but as is, he needs to drive as hard as he can and catch up to Johnson.

Johnson’s three-race win streak may come to an end today, but if he can finish ahead of Gordon, it might be as big as a fourth straight win would be.

It’s been a pretty good day for Johnson, who hasn’t had as much to worry about as Gordon, who’s been busy racing other drivers to keep his position as he has with making passes and closing the gap, which he needs to be doing.

At this point, Johnson has gained a dozen points on his teammate, which means that nothing would be decided in the least, but Gordon would have to finish a good several spots ahead in the final race in order to win the championship.

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Gordon just got some damage when making contact with Kevin Harvick, who passed him for ninth. The fender is rubbing against the tire, which might not necessarily hurt him. But, if it does, and it very well might, if it continues to wear the tire down, as was the case for Tony Stewart earlier in the Chase at Kansas, it could spell the end of his championship hopes.

We’re in the last 45 laps, and a caution just came out for debris, so we’ll see if Gordon will come in. If he does, he’s going to need a little luck to get back towards the front.

And, he is coming in, and his luck may have just come in, as some of the leaders, including Kenseth and Stewart, are coming in.

When you’re racing for a championship, you do need a couple of breaks to go your way, and that just may have been his. But, regardless of how much of a lucky break it was, he’s still got plenty of work to do, and Johnson’s still sitting in the driver’s seat.

Plenty of twists and turns left, and I’ll continue to be here with updates and more, down to the checkered flag.

We’re past the halfway point of the race, and while Matt Kenseth is driving away from the field, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are battling once again.

After pitting early, Gordon had to navigate through traffic, and the move wound up paying off as he moved into second position when the leaders, including Johnson, pitted.

But, it didn’t take long for Johnson to get close to him, and the fresh tires won out, as Johnson, despite Gordon’s efforts, made the pass.

Kenseth will be pitting soon enough, and when he does, one of the championship contenders will likely be able to take over the lead and get those five valuable bonus points.

You’ve certainly got to like how the two championship contenders are battling, even for just one spot, but it might be making Rick Hendrick nervous, because he doesn’t want either of them getting knocked out of the race, and out of contention.

But, the two are smart enough to know what the limits are, and likely won’t make any unnecessary risks that could hurt themselves, each other, or their championship hopes.

As it stands, Gordon’s going to be hard-pressed to get some separation from Johnson, and it might require some more strategy to give himself a chance to chip into the deficit, which is now bigger with Johnson taking over the lead due to Kenseth’s stop, and Gordon getting passed by Martin Truex, Jr.

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The race has just passed the 200-lap mark, which means there are probably, at most, two stops left. Gordon just pitted, which keeps him out of sequence, and also put him a lap down, and near the back of the pack.

Will he get burned, or will it pay off in the end? The other leaders aren’t pitting for another 20 laps or so, so Gordon’s going to need to use his fresh tires and full tank to gain plenty of spots before the leaders pit, and for his sake, put himself in position to take the lead and get those bonus points.

No doubt will strategy come into play on the pit stops, and cautions may come into play as well, before it‘s all said and done. Whose favor will it work in? We’ll find out soon enough.

I’ll be back with another update soon.

After the second round of pit stops, Martin Truex, Jr. came out the leader after an excellent stop, dropping Carl Edwards, who had led the first 84 laps, into the second position.

But, 25 laps after he lost the lead, Edwards slowed and went to pit road after his engine went out on him. With Edwards out of the race, points leader Jimmie Johnson took over the second spot, with Ryan Newman, still running a strong race, in third.

While Johnson has been intent on chasing down Truex, Jeff Gordon has had to try to keep from losing spots, as he had to deal with traffic and now Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer. Busch just passed him for fourth, and he’s trying to hold off the #07.

The caution came out around lap 120 as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. followed Edwards to the garage after hitting the wall, and now it’s time to let strategy play its part just as much as racing. Gordon just came into the pits, but Truex and Johnson stayed out, so we’ll see if that move pays off for the #24, or if he’s going to be stuck trying to work his way back through the field like he has in the past couple of races. You’ve got to strategize a little (and sometimes get a little luck) to separate yourself from the field, and this is a bold move for Gordon, especially because it puts him in the middle of the pack, with a lot of traffic.

We’re a little less than 20 laps from the halfway point, so there’s plenty of racing to be done. Many of the leaders are making their pit stops now, so it’s time to see if Gordon will benefit.

I’ll be here with updates for much of the remainder of the race, so whether or not you’re watching, keep it locked here for updates and analysis.

Pole sitter Carl Edwards has led every lap thus far, and he leads Martin Truex, Jr. comfortably through the first 70+ laps.

But, the big story, of course, is the battle between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Gordon started third, and Johnson started sixth, but it wans’t long before Johnson was right on Gordon’s tail. Gordon tried to hold him off as long as he could, but Johnson passed him eventually to take third spot.

After the first round of pit stops, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman both moved up double digit spots, and they’re solidly in the top ten. As for Johnson and Gordon, Johnson quickly moved back into third, after passing Newman, and Gordon moved into 5th.

It appeared early that Gordon may have to battle again today as he has the last few weeks, as he reported that he was dealing with a loose car before he pitted. But, the pit stop looks to have fixed what was bothering him, and he’s not only caught Newman, but has passed him for fourth.

There’s quite a gap between the first three cars and Gordon, but the #24 has one of the fastest cars on the track, so it might just be a matter of time before the two championship chasers are fighting for position once again.