Jimmie Johnson all but clinches another NASCAR title

Jimmie Johnson all but locked up his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup title Sunday by winning a record third consecutive Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway in dominant fashion.

Carl Edwards, Johnson's closest pursuer in the title hunt with one race remaining, doggedly climbed from a 15th starting spot to finish fourth in the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500.

But it wasn't enough to dent Johnson's momentum. Johnson, 33, widened his championship lead over Edwards by 35 points to 141 heading into the season finale next Sunday at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

"[I'm] just so, so happy to go out tonight and execute," Johnson said.

"I was going for maximum points and I got it," he said, adding that he wanted to "go down to Homestead and wrap this thing up."

Johnson needs only to finish 36th or better at Homestead-Miami -- or 37th if he leads one lap, or 39th if he leads the most laps -- to win the title regardless of how well Edwards finishes.

"It's possible, not probable" to catch Johnson, Edwards said. "They did their jobs tonight, we did the best we could."

Kurt Busch was second in Sunday's race for Penske Racing, followed by Jamie McMurray, Edwards' teammate at Roush Fenway Racing.

Although Edwards is still mathematically alive for the championship, Johnson -- who grew up in El Cajon racing off-road vehicles before moving to the stock car ranks -- is about to cement his status as one of the best drivers in NASCAR's modern era.

If he hoists the Cup in Florida, Johnson will join Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win three consecutive championships in NASCAR's 60-year history. Yarborough accomplished the feat 30 years ago.

And Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, would become the only crew chief to win three straight championships, because Yarborough had more than one crew chief.

Johnson not only became the first three-time winner at Phoenix International, he also was the first to win three consecutive races here since the track began hosting Cup races in 1988. The win was his seventh of the season.

Supported with flawless pit stops by his Hendrick Motorsports crew, Johnson never played it safe on the flat, one-mile PIR oval.

Starting on the pole on a blustery day, he led the most laps (217) in the 313-lap race, which ended under the lights after being interrupted twice by red-flag periods.