It’s a classic slugfest ongoing at the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Two weeks into the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Mark Martin vs. Jimmie Johnson is a battle for the ages — literally.

On one side you have a 50-year-old, old-school veteran from the Southeast who is a four-time series championship runner-up. On the other side you have a 34-year-old new-era driver from California who is trying to win the championship for the fourth time in a row.

Johnson won this past weekend at Dover and for his rivals, starting with Martin, it was ominous. Johnson’s performance looked remarkably like the late-season form he has displayed in his three previous championship seasons.

Martin, meanwhile, applied the brakes to those seeking to go ahead and concede Johnson a fourth-straight title. After winning the first Chase race at New Hampshire, Martin ran a strong second to Johnson at Dover. By doing so, he retained the lead in the series standings by 10 points.

Johnson’s success is directly related to how well he has performed during the Chase over the last three years. Since the first Chase in 2004, Johnson has posted a series-leading 15 Chase race wins.

Eight of those came during his championship seasons of 2005-07.

And one of those eight came last year at Kansas when Johnson started on the pole and led 124 laps before capturing the checkered flag. He has made seven starts at Kansas, posting one win, two top fives, five top 10s and three poles.