Photo Gallery from the NASCAR® Fan Event in Las Vegas on Wednesday, November 30th 2011 - Click for Full Gallery

Matt Kenseth, center, teamed up with Carl Edwards, gestures during the Newlywed Game at the Fan Festival presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week at the Fremont Street Experience on Nov. 30, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nev. (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Kasey Kahne celebrates winning the 24th Annual Kobalt Tools 500, his 12th victory in 287 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Last win was Sept. 6, 2009 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This breaks an 81-race winless streak. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)Click for Full Photo Gallery

by Reid Spencer (Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)
It was Ali-Frazier in the Garden. It was Celtics-Lakers with Bird and Magic.

It was NASCAR’s dream. Punch and counterpunch—the top two drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup trading shots in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Yes, Kasey Kahne won the race—his first victory of the season and the 12th of his career—but Edwards and Stewart dominated the action as their battle for the 2011 championship remained as close as it was at the start of the day.

In a race between the only two drivers mathematically alive for the Cup championship, Edwards finished second and Stewart third, but Stewart led the most laps for the second straight week and leaves Phoenix three points behind Edwards as the drivers prepare to settle the issue in the season finale next Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Jeff Burton ran fourth at Phoenix with Ryan Newman in fifth. AJ Allmendinger, David Reutimann, Marcos Ambrose, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer completed the top 10.

“We couldn’t ask for anything more,” Edwards said. “It’s going to be fun. It’s neat to be able to go to Homestead and race it out. I’m sure these guys (Stewart’s team) are going to be good down there—they’re fast on the mile-and-a-halfs.

“I’m just proud of my guys today. They did a great job on pit road. Tony was really fast, and we got our car tuned in, and we were able to go up there and race with them and compete. It was just a good hard-fought day, and I’m really pumped about Homestead.”

Stewart appeared poised to win his fifth race in the Chase before the handling on his No. 14 Chevrolet deteriorated slightly in the final 100 laps.

Photo Gallery from the NASCAR® Events at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, November 13th 2011 - Click for Full Gallery

Carl Edwards prepares to race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Sam Hornish Jr. celebrates his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. (Bruce Nuttleman | UltimateLapPhoto.com)Click for Full Event Photo Gallery

by Reid Spencer (Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)
Sam Hornish Jr. cruised to his first Nationwide Series victory Saturday as Elliott Sadler’s championship hopes crumbled behind him.

Taking the lead after a two-tire stop on Lap 131 put him on the front row, Hornish held off teammate Brad Keselowski to win the Wypall 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Carl Edwards ran third, followed by Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who all but locked up his first series championship with one race left.

The victory was Hornish’s first in NASCAR racing, but the driver of the No. 12 Dodge scored two IndyCar Series wins at the one-mile track. In fact, Hornish got his first victory in the open-wheel series at Phoenix in March 2001.

"It feels great to be able to race Brad and Carl there at the end," said Hornish, who has been driving part time in the Nationwide Series this season. "I’m just so happy. These guys have all worked so hard. We’ve been on and off all year long. It’s been a tough year for us for a lot of different reasons.

"Every 10 years, I guess, I get to come to victory lane here for the first time in a different kind of car, so it’s pretty special."

Sadler, who entered the race 17 points behind Stenhouse, saw his championship hopes disappear on Lap 175. After cutting across the backstretch dogleg, Sadler moved back up the track well clear of Jason Leffler and polesitter Aric Almirola, who were racing side-by-side.

At the entrance to Turn 3, a tap from Leffler’s Chevrolet spun Sadler, whose No. 2 Chevrolet slammed into the outside wall, collecting Almirola in the process. Morgan Shepherd’s Chevrolet was destroyed when the 70-year-old driver got up into the marbles trying to avoid the wreck. Sadler finished 27th and trails Stenhouse by 41 points.

Photo Gallery from the NASCAR® Events at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, November 12th 2011 - Click for Full Gallery

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Carl Edwards prepares for Coors Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

ASCS Media PR Photo (Terry Shaw Photo)by Lonnie Wheatley, TUCSON
Johnny Herrera notched another Sunoco Fuel ASCS Southwest feature win by racing to victory lane in Saturday night’s Third Annual Winged Sprint Eggstravaganza atop the 3/8-mile USA Raceway clay oval.

The Lucas Oil Sprint Car National title contender advanced from the sixth starting position to take the lead away from Calvin Landis after 15 laps en route to capturing his 22nd career ASCS Regional win in the 25-lapper.

Herrera took the checkered flag aboard the Wesmar-powered Champion Oil/Butler Built No. 45x Maxim ahead of three-time and reigning series champion Rick Ziehl, who claimed a meager two-point lead in the 2011 title chase over third-place finisher Joshua Hodges.

Kyle McCutcheon advanced a half-dozen positions to claim fourth, with John Carney II rounding out the top five. Joshua Williams was sixth, with Dalten Gabbard, Landis, Steve Stone and Perry McMillan completing the top ten.

Wes Wofford and Herrera topped heat race action.