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By JENNA FRYER

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Just when Carl Edwards seemed to have Jimmie Johnson on the ropes, the two-time defending NASCAR champion delivered the knockout punch.

Johnson moved inches away from his record-tying third consecutive Cup championship with a dominating victory Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, where he led a race-high 217 of the 313 laps to deflate Edwards' title hopes.

Johnson heads into next week's season finale up 141 points over Edwards and needs only to finish 35th or better to join Cale Yarborough (1976-78) as the only drivers in NASCAR history to win three straight Cup titles.

"This is what I've worked my whole life for," Johnson said in Victory Lane.

The win was his third straight at Phoenix, and had Edwards on the edge of conceding after his own fourth-place finish.

"It's still possible," Edwards sighed. "It's not probable."

No, it's not. Not with the way Johnson is running.

Johnson closes in on record-tying 3rd title....