A lot of media hype this weekend has focused on the dominance of Jimmie Johnson at Phoenix International Raceway. Sure the three-time defending Cup Series champion is looking for his fourth straight victory at the 1-mile facility in the desert, but there are forty-two other drivers out there looking to knock the champ off his pedestal.

There are a number of drivers that consistently run at the front of the field and challenge Johnson each time the series rolls into Phoenix.  Drivers like Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards know that while Johnson may be the favorite, they have what it takes to get the job done too.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin has been a front runner almost every time he has visited PIR. After sitting on the pole in his first attempt at the track, Hamlin went on to record four top-5s and four top-10s in seven attempts. In 2008, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry finished third and fifth.

“It’s a great track, a unique track,” Hamlin said of Phoenix. “We always seem to run well on the more unique tracks.  This one works well for us because it’s shorter and the lack of banking allows us to set up a car that fits my style.  We have performed well here in the past.  It’s certainly a track where we feel we should have a win and where we’ve had great cars.  We’ve come close a couple of times, but we’ve also had some issues that kept us from contention at the end.   Phoenix is always an opportunity for this team and we have high expectations.”

Perhaps this weekend Dale Earnhardt Jr. can use some of his teammates Phoenix magic to put his struggles behind him. The sport’s most popular driver is looking to quiet criticism by running up front and contending for wins week-in and week-out.

In nineteen starts at Phoenix, Earnhardt Jr. has two wins, four top-5s and seven top-10s. Earnhardt Jr. finished in the top-10 in both events at Phoenix last year and is looking to do more of the same.

“I won there a couple of times,” Earnhardt Jr. said of Phoenix. “We’ve had some pretty neat finishes and real dominant race cars when I won those races. It’s a hard track to win at, and it’s a long ways from home. Any time you travel that far and get a good finish, it makes it worthwhile.”

After struggling in his first attempt at Phoenix, Carl Edwards has bounced back and become a consistent front runner each time. Although he does not have a win at the track, the driver of the No. 99 Ford Fusion has four top-5s, six top-10s and one pole. In the fall 2007 event at the speedway, Edwards led a total of 87 laps before an engine failure dropped him from contention and forced him to settle with a DNF.

“Phoenix is a track where the driver can make a big difference,” Edwards explained. “No part of the race track is the same as another.  You can move the car around the race track and you are able to make your car do a lot of things that you can’t do at other race tracks.  It’s a rewarding track.  It’s one of the most fun, technical tracks we race at and I really love it.”

While Johnson may be the overwhelming favorite for Saturday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500, there are still forty-two other cars out there all gunning for the win. Being the dominant driver at a track is sure good for the record books, but it definitely makes the target on your back that much bigger.

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