Many people are assuming that Jimmie Johnson has his fourth-consecutive Sprint Cup title in the bag, but after last week's 38th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, Johnson saw his lead over second-place Mark Martin shrink to 73 points with two races remaining. That 73-point lead is smaller than the number of points he lost in the Texas race, so it's not over yet.
“I don't know why everybody tries to cap this thing out and doesn't just wait and watch,” Martin said. “There are still two races to go, and still things that can happen."
Martin has reason to be optimistic. After all, he's the most recent winner at Phoenix International Raceway, celebrating in victory lane there earlier this season. That win was Martin's second at the track.
He also leads all active drivers in top-fives and top-10s at Phoenix with 10 top-fives and 16 top-10s.
Jeff Gordon, who claims the third spot in the points standings at the current time -- 112 points behind Johnson -- is also a previous Phoenix winner.
However, Johnson leads the series in wins at Phoenix International Raceway with three. He's even the defending winner of this weekend's race, Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500.
Johnson can clinch the title at Phoenix, so he can breathe a little easier next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, if he has at least a 195-point lead after the race on Sunday. To do that, though, he'd have to gain 122 point, so it's doubtful -- that is unless both Martin and Gordon have a significant amount of trouble.
“What got us in this position was racing hard and going for every point, and until it's mathematically locked up, we're going to keep that mindset and try to get every point that we can," Johnson said.
Television coverage for Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. ET start on ABC.
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