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.

Carl Edwards won the pole for Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix with a lap of 132.773 mph, just edging out Martin Truex, Jr.’s 132.758.

Jeff Gordon, who won the spring race, and could use a win this time around now that he trails Jimmie Johnson by 30 points, will start third.

In the spring race, Gordon started and won from the pole, while Johnson started fifth and finished fourth. That same result would make for a tie atop the standings going into next week’s final race at Homestead.

As for the new points leader, Johnson will start sixth in his bid to win his fourth race in a row.

The top five is rounded out by J.J. Yeley and Johnny Sauter, both looking for their second top-five finishes of the season.

Behind Johnson, Greg Biffle, Tony Raines, Kurt Busch, and Kasey Kahne round out the top 10.

As for the Chasers outside of the top 10, Jeff Burton will start 12th, Denny Hamlin 15th, Matt Kenseth 18th, Clint Bowyer 20th, Tony Stewart 21st, and Kyle Busch will start 40th.

Only six drivers are still mathematically in the running for the championship, but we all know that it’s all but down to the two Hendrick cars, though Bowyer isn’t out of it just yet.

Sam Hornish, Jr., one day after his full-time move to NASCAR was announced, finally qualified for his first NEXTEL Cup race on his seventh try, and will start 26th. He’ll start one place ahead of Jacques Villenueve, and two places behind Patrick Carpentier, two of the other open-wheelers making the jump to stock-car racing.

They’re one of the stories to follow this weekend, but everyone’s eyes will be on the race for the championship, where Gordon will look to at least cut into the deficit that he now faces, while Johnson will look to extend his lead and move one step closer to his second straight championship.

Three races. Three late passes. Three straight wins for Jimmie Johnson. Quite the pattern developing at just the right time.

Johnson passed Matt Kenseth with two laps to go to win Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his first career win at TMS and series-leading ninth win of the season, and more importantly, with teammate Jeff Gordon finishing 7th, the #48 is now in the driver’s seat (literally) for his second straight NEXTEL Cup championship.

Martin Truex, Jr. started from the pole and led the first six laps, but surrended the lead to Juan Montoya, who led the next ten, before giving up the lead to Gordon.

Gordon would lead from laps 17-26 and 37-46, but past that point, the points leader coming in wasn’t a big factor, as he suffered with a stubborn car yet again.

As he has most of the times this season where his car hasn’t been at his best, Gordon rebounded and would finish in the top ten for the 28th time this season, which ties a career high set in his 1998 championship season.

While Gordon struggled to stay in contention, another of his Hendrick teammates shined. Kyle Busch, whose luck has covered up several good runs, led a race-high 153 laps.

But, just like last week in Atlanta, a slow stop late in the race cost him. He came into the pits with the lead on lap 300, and came out seventh. He wound up finishing fourth, and moved up to fourth in the Chase standings.

But, the race would come down to Johnson and Matt Kenseth.

Kenseth, who lost the spring race when Jeff Burton passed him on the last lap, took the lead from Ryan Newman on lap 306. However, Johnson was coming fast, and it wasn’t long before he was in second and bearing down on the #17.

And, unfortunately for Kenseth, he would be caught and passed late once again, as Johnson, after multiple attempts, went by Kenseth on lap 332, and pulled away for the victory.

Just like last season, Johnson takes over the points lead at Texas, and leads his teammate by 30 points with two races to go.

It’s not over by any means, since neither track is one of Johnson’s best. But, the same can be said for Gordon, although he has a little momentum from winning the spring race at Phoenix, which is the track up next.

But, the way the #48 is going right now, it’s going to be tough for Gordon to overtake him, and if he wants to, his car will have to be much better than it has in the last couple of races, when he had to battle just to get a top-ten, while Johnson rode to a win.

And, in case we didn’t know already, it will be coming down to those two, barring something crazy.

Clint Bowyer, who entered the race 111 points back, had some issues and wound up finishing 19th. He’s still in the third by a mile, but is 181 points back, and all but out of it.

Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards (26th), and Tony Stewart (11th) aren’t mathematically eliminated yet, but are all but done, since unless the #24 and #48 get lost on the way to Phoenix, they’ll be out of it once the race starts.

Truex, Jr. wasn’t technically mathematically eliminated (but it was a formality) after Atlanta, but was officially done when Gordon, who started on the front row with him, got off without a hitch.

Along with him, five other drivers were eliminated by the end of the race - Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Denny Hamlin.

The two Hendrick cars have been dominant all season and especially in the Chase, winning the last five races and combining for 13 top-tens (seven for Gordon, six for Johnson). But, while Gordon has clearly been the series’ most consistent driver, Johnson has found Victory Lane more, and that’s the difference right now.

While it’s hard to say which one should get it, there’s no doubt that they’ve been the best of the best this year by a great distance over the rest of the field. And, when the checkered flag waves for the final time this season at Homestead, one of them will celebrate a thoroughly deserved championship.

Who will it be? We’ll find out in two short weeks.

I likely won’t be able to be here to provide in-race updates (and if I do, it will either be early on or towards the end), but I will be here with post-race analysis, following today’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Who do you think will win the eighth race of the Chase?

Will it be Gordon, who wins his first Texas race and extends his lead atop the standings?

Will it be Johnson, who would very likely take the points lead with a victory?

Will it be pole sitter Martin Truex, Jr., who could use a victory after a poor streak recently?

Or will it be someone else?

comment and make your picks!

Martin Truex, Jr. is out of the championship hunt, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to throw in the towel. Truex, who is the only driver mathematically eliminated from the title race, won the pole for Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a lap of 27.964 seconds.

Jeff Gordon, who’s seen his points lead dwindle in the last two weeks, will have a great chance to win for the first time at Texas, as he will start second in tomorrow’s race. Texas is one of the two current venues that Gordon hasn’t won at, but a win on Sunday would not only be a milestone win for him, but would also go a long way towards in helping him claim the championship.

The top five was rounded out by Juan Montoya, who could have some valuable momentum going into next year if he can finish his rookie season strong, and Kevin Harvick and A.J. Allmendinger in fifth. Allmendinger had the best qualifying run of his short career, and will be chasing his first top-ten finish

Kurt Busch qualified sixth, and Chevrolets represented the rest of the top ten, as Denny Hamlin qualified seventh, with Jimmie Johnson starting eighth tomorrow and looking to take over the points lead from teammate Gordon. Their Hendrick teammate, Casey Mears will start ninth, with Mark Martin alongside him in the fifth row.

As for the rest of the Chasers, Tony Stewart will start 15th, Kyle Busch 17th, Matt Kenseth 18th, Carl Edwards 21st, Jeff Burton 27th, and Clint Bowyer 29th. It was another subpar qualifying effort for Bowyer, who has qualified 23rd or worse in five straight races and six of the last seven. However, he has rebounded to run well in each race, and will need to do so again on Sunday in order to keep his championship hopes alive.

Will Gordon finally be able to break his Texas goose egg and move one step closer to a deserved title? Or will Johnson win his first race at Texas and take control of the championship race? More importantly, will either take control of the title race Sunday, or will they falter and give any of the drivers who are well behind a chance to climb back into it? I’ll be here with race updates and analysis tomorrow, and the race will be on ABC (3 ET/2 CT), in case you want to catch the race live as well.