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Will Sunday afternoon's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500k be Jimmie Johnson's opportunity to shine? (Ha, get it?
As in shine like the sun above his car in the photo? Funny? Right?) Or will Carl Edwards be able to pounce on a second straight week of misfortune for the No. 48?

The story is simple: Edwards is 106 points behind the two-time defending champion Johnson with two races left. A slip for Johnson today means Edwards can steal the championship. Join us to watch the plot unfold as we analyze all of the Phoenix International Raceway happenings and other musings at 3:30PM EST with a LIVE BLOG! CAPITAL LETTERS EQUAL EXCITEMENT! WOOT!

Join us below. See ya there!

Chase for the Sprint Cup point leader Jimmie Johnson is tired of Carl Edwards biting at his heels during his quest for a third-straight NASCAR Sprint Cup title -- especially after finishing a modest 15th a week ago at Texas Motor Speedway that allow Edwards a small glimmer of championship hope.

No more of that, Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 said Friday afternoon at Phoenix International Raceway as he put the Chevrolet on the pole for Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500k.

Johnson -- who had paced the prior practice session -- starts first thanks to a lap of 134.725mph that bested that guy who has been a having a pretty good go things lately, Jamie McMurray.

Johnson and McMurray will start on the front row while Kurt Busch, David Reutimann (man, where he has come from lately?) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. round out the grid's Top-5. Carl Edwards rolls off in a pretty unremarkable 15th spot that could pose a few problems at this track positon-heavy track that doesn't bode well for great amounts of passing in the new car.

Of all the press releases I expected to read in preparation for this weekend's Sprint Cup activity in the "Valley of the Sun's" Phoenix International Raceway, I surely didn't expect this one:

Joe Gibbs Racing's Tony Stewart will serve as the grand marshal for college football's Fiesta Bowl Parade. Or is the more appropriate title grande? (Like FOX's Chris Myers, I kid because I care... anyways...)

As grand marshal, Stewart will not only lead this year's Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade, but will also serve as a special guest at the 38th Annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Monday, January 5, 2009, where he will participate in the pre-game festivities and coin toss.

I'm not really sure why Stewart was chosen to be the grand marshal, but hey, it's a little bit of free publicity for the Fiesta Bowl and the corresponding parade while NASCAR invades the Phoenix area this weekend.

For Stewart fans, it means the chance to see the two-time champion during NASCAR's off-season on one of college football's bigger stages.