AVONDALE (AP) - Jimmie Johnson moved inches away from his record-tying third consecutive NASCAR championship with a dominating victory Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.
With a crowd of friends watching from his pit box, Johnson led a race-high 217 of the 313 laps to pull away from Carl Edwards in their race for the Sprint Cup title. Johnson won for the seventh time this season to stretch his lead in the standings from 106 points to 141 over Edwards with one race remaining.
Johnson heads to next week's season finale needing to finish 35th or better to tie Cale Yarborough (1976-78) as the only drivers in NASCAR history to win three straight Cup titles.
Edwards, winner of the last two races, finished fourth.
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