Jimmie Johnson won his 4th in a row today at Phoenix International Raceway in the Checker Auto Parts 500 for his 10th win of the season….and he’s got a stranglehold on the Championship to boot! JJ’s win was the 33rd of his Nextel Cup career….and he’s now tied for 18th on the all-time win list with the immortal Fireball Roberts. This was the 18th win of the season for Hendrick Motorsports (their 6th in a row), and 167th in NASCAR’s top division. It was worth $245,011 from the almost $5M in posted awards. We’ll get that Magic Number out there early this week….it’s 18. If Johnson finishes 18th or better next week, he’ll have his second Nextel Cup Championship. The margin is 86 points. Tony Stewart (4th) had his best finish since he was 3rd at New Hampshire in September. Aric Almirola (26th) had his career-best finish today. His previous best was 30th at Talladega in October. STREAKIN….Jeff Gordon has 7 Top-10’s in a row. Jimmie Johnson has 6 Top-5’s in the last 7 races. Matt Kenseth has 4 Top-5’s in a row. Kyle Busch has 4 Top-10’s in the last 5 races. Jeff Burton has 4 Top-10’s in the last 5 races. This Week’s Elevator….UP: Operator of the Week is Kyle Busch (+30), followed by Kevin Harvick (+28 ). DOWN: The Big Dropper (and only one off the all-time record) was Carl Edwards (-41), followed by Kasey Kahne (-30), and Tony Raines (-29). In “Classic” Points, three drivers (Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, and David Gilliland) advanced two spots each, while Carl Edwards and Mark Martin fell three spots each.(Stock Car Fans)(11-11-2007)
