The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be back in action this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway after a break for the holiday!

Photo Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

We left off last watching an injured Denny Hamlin win the rain-delayed 508-lapper at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin has since had knee surgery to repair a torn ACL and is expected to race at Phoenix this weekend. Ouch!

After a 9th place finish without even leading a lap at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson took over the points lead for the first time this season. Johnson has already scored 3 wins in six races so far this season. He currently leads the standings by 14 points over Greg Biffle.

Biffle is on a hot streak. He has finished in the top-10 in all six races this season. A feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Jimmie Johnson posted seven consecutive top-10 finishes to kick off the ’05 season. When asked how to knock the #48 off their pedestal, Biffle replied, “a person’s going to have to be great… flawless at this.”

If you’re picking drivers for a weekly racing challenge, it probably wouldn’t hurt to choose a Hendrick driver or two. Hendrick Motorsports leads all car owners with eight wins at Phoenix. A stat that bodes well for Jimmie Johnson. He knows how to get around at Phoenix. Johnson has won four of the past five races and leads all drivers for the most wins at the track. Johnson also has the best average finish (5.077) after his 13 starts there. Johnson finished fourth in this race last year.

Mark Martin is the defending race winner. He won last spring from the pole. Just 3 of the 27 cup races held at Phoenix have been won from the pole. After 26 starts, Martin leads all drivers with 11 top-5 and 17 top-10 finishes. Martin also leads all active drivers with the most laps-led at Phoenix with 833 laps-led.

“Phoenix has been a great race track for me since I was first started going there,” Martin said. “I like the short-track style and I love night racing, so I look forward to this one, for sure.”

Martin has won twice at Phoenix – last spring and in ’93 while driving for Roush. He finished fourth there in the fall. Martin is currently 17th in the point standings.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also has two wins at Phoenix. “Phoenix is a cool track,” he said. “It’s challenging because both ends of the track are completely different. It’s tough to make a car work good there but whoever can get through the corners is going to have a good night.”

Earnhardt’s last Phoenix win came in ’04. His last cup win came at Michigan in June 2008, 63 races ago.

Not to leave Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon out of the mix here. Gordon has 3 poles, 1 win, 8 top-5 and 16-top 10 finishes in 22 starts.

An extra 63 laps (100 miles) has been added on to this race to ensure it will end under the lights. TV coverage of the Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway starts at 7 this Saturday night on FOX.

The Nationwide Series will also run at Phoenix. TV coverage of the Bashas Supermarkets 200 starts at 9 on ESPN.