Johnson, Kenseth and Earnhardt set for desert battle

	With a crew that hits its rhythm at the at race time, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shouldn't be far out of contention this weekend in Phoenix. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR

Jimmie Johnson stood in the brilliant Arizona sunshine and played with a few kids outside of his motor home. Nearby, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shook off the sluggishness of sleep and strode through the infield at Phoenix International Raceway, on his way to a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. And Matt Kenseth was in his hauler, quietly plotting his strategy for his most important race of the 2006 season.

This is how the three divers vying for the Nextel Cup championship spent their Friday mornings in Arizona. With two races left in the season, Johnson holds a 17-point advantage over Kenseth and a 78-point lead over Earnhardt. If the first practice session on Friday at PIR is any indication of how the leaders will run in the race on Sunday -- and it often is -- then Johnson has to feel pretty good about his title hopes. Of the three, Johnson was the fastest as he posted the fourth quickest lap in the field. J.J. was followed by Earnhardt (25th) and Kenseth (31st).

"Hell no, this isn't over yet," Earnhardt told me on Friday morning. "We still got a fighting chance."

"If we can leave here within 40 points of the lead, we'll be just fine," says Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt's crew chief. "The Hendrick cars have been having trouble with their motors, and if Johnson blows up or has a mechanical problem, then it's a whole new game. We're not giving up."

Here's a closer look at the three drivers still in the hunt for the Nextel Cup.

1. Jimmie Johnson

On Friday morning I canvassed about a dozen crew guys in the Cup garage asking them the same question: Is Jimmie Johnson going to pull away from the rest of the field and cruise to his first career championship?