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Kevin Harvick out lasts Jimmie Johnson on Sunday to keep his hopes alive for a Nextel Cup championship at Phoenix International Raceway. Unfortunately, with the second place finish Jommie Johnson will only have to finish 12th place or better at Homestead in the conclusion of the 2006 Nextel Cup season.

The win was Harvick’s 5th of the season and second win at Phoenix this year, but it still wont be enough to overcome the consistancy that Jimmie Johnson has demonstrated all year. To the chagrin of most fans and driver, the points awarded by NASCAR at every race has always benefitted the most consistant drivers and not always the ones that win the most races in a given season.

After all, if the Jimmie Johnson capture the Nextel Cup Championship without a win at Homestead this coming Sunday, he would be tied with three other drivers with 5 wins and one shy of the Kasey Kahne’s 6 wins this season and he would still win the Nextel Cup trophy. This is because he has finished in the Top 10 23 out of the 36 races in the season including 13 Top 5’s and 5 wins and only one DNF (did not finish the race).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues drive well, but he still loses ground again to the points leader Jimmie Johnson. With a ninth place finish at Phoenix Earnhardt loses two positions in the standings and also falls back 35 points (-115) behind points leader Jimmie Johnson heading to the finale at Homestead. It just goes to show you that it is not good enough to finish in the Top 10 when it comes to the Chase for the Nextel Cup format.

Despite a good run at Phoenix and finishing in the Top 5 (4th), Jeff Gordon has been officially eliminated for a shot at the Nextel Cup and his 5th overall Points Championship. He fell behind the points leader by 165 points which is beyond the total number of points any driver can gain after a single race. It has to be obvious to all Gordon fans by now which Hendrick driver is getting all of the best equipment at Hendrick Motor Sports; Jimmie Johnson. After all until Jimmie came along Jeff Gordon was king rooster at HMS and now that Johnson has been having all the success and Jeff Gordon has been uncharacteristically down .

A saving grace for Jeff Gordon this season if Jimmie Johnson goes on to win the Nextel Cup at Homestead he will be a championship car owner (in name only), because he is the registered owner of the #48 car.  

In another development, Tony Stewart locked up the 11th position in the points standing and he will receive the bonus from NASCAR for finishing just outside of the Chase for the Nextel Cup. The bonus will bring his end of season check to a cool million dollar. He leads 12th place Carl Edwards by 323 points and he cannot finished futher back than 11th.