DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Only two races are left in the 2009 season as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads west to Phoenix International Raceway for the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.

The standings are tight after Jimmie Johnson’s (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) accident on Lap 3 last Sunday that relegated him to a 38th-place finish. Mark Martin (No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg’s Chevrolet) and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) were able to gain ground on Johnson by finishing fourth and 13th respectively. Martin is 73 points behind and Gordon is 112 points behind Johnson.

Catching Johnson is doable. The two largest comebacks to win the championship with two races to go happened in 1990 and 1992.

In 1990, Dale Earnhardt came back to win the title after being down 45 points with two races to go. Ironically, Earnhardt overtook Martin that season to win the championship.

In 1992, Alan Kulwicki set the series record for the largest comeback with two races to go. Kulwicki was third in the standings, 85 points down with two races left, and overtook Bill Elliott and Davey Allison to win the only championship of his career.

“I don’t know why everybody tries to cap this thing out and doesn’t just wait and watch,” Martin said. “There are still two races to go, and still things that can happen.”

Martin posted his second career win at Phoenix earlier this season after leading the most laps. Martin leads the series in top fives (10) and top 10s (16) at Phoenix. Gordon also has a win at the one-mile track.