Jeff Gordon, eighth in Chase points, is enjoying the view as the Sprint Cuppers move to Phoenix for Sunday's race.
"It is kind of fun to watch those two battling," Gordon said after last Sunday's race at Texas. "What these next 2 weeks are going to be like is going to be incredible. I don't think anybody expected Tony to have a Chase like this, but, you know what, he's a champion. He's a great driver and when they get their setups in the cars to where they are right now, watch out for those cars.
"Carl's not done yet. Those guys are solid and really strong. I'll tell you, Phoenix is going to be interesting. To me, Phoenix is the unknown with this new pavement and I think we are all going to be anxious to see not only how the race goes, but how this championship unfolds."
Stewart, a two-time Cup champion, thinks he has momentum on his side. "I still stand firm that we're not counting on them to make mistakes," he said. "We're controlling our destiny. It's theirs [Edwards] to lose now."
Explaining how Stewart has found victory lane in the Chase in the No. 14 Chevrolet, crew chief Darian Grubb said: "We had strong cars [prior to the Chase], we just didn't get the finishes. We got in a little bit of a slump in the middle of the summer, where it seemed like anything we did didn't go right. We would have a pit call, it would bite us, next week try to do it again. Worked one week, wouldn't work the next.
"Just as the Chase started, we got the momentum on our side with the first two wins. It's been better ever since."
Sunday's race will be the first on the reconfigured, repaved Phoenix track. The frontstretch has been widened by 10 feet; the dogleg on the backstretch has been moved out 95 feet; and gradual banking has been added in the corners. Stewart and Edwards have tested on the new track.
