Phoenix, AZ (Best E Casino) - Jeff Gordon captured the pole for Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500 Nextel Cup race at the Phoenix International Raceway. The No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver circled the flat, one-mile oval in 26.773 seconds (134.464 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Gordon's second of the season and 56th of his "Cup" career.

"It's been a spectacular week," said Gordon, who got married to Belgian model Ingrid Vandebosch in Mexico at mid-week. "The guys brought a great race car and its been good all day."

PIR is one of just three tracks where Gordon has not won a race (also Texas and Homestead).

Starting alongside Gordon will be Kevin Harvick, who posted a second-best time of 26.876 seconds.

Brian Vickers (26.876) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (26.932) will make up row two.

Following a fourth consecutive top-two finish, Jimmie Johnson has ascended to the top of the "Chase for the Nextel Cup" leaderboard.

Johnson is the fourth competitor to lead the 2006 "Chase." Kevin Harvick won the playoff opener at New Hampshire. Jeff Burton won the following week at Dover and edged his way into the championship lead. The No.31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driver held the top spot until a couple of 25+ finishes allowed steady Matt Kenseth to take the points lead.

But Johnson, who opened the "Chase" with four mediocre efforts (39th, 13th, 14th, 24th), has turned his season around over the last month. He began his turnaround at Talladega, though he didn't get the results there that he deserved. He was sitting second at the 2.66-mile restrictor-plate track when teammate Brian Vickers in an attempt to help Johnson draft his way to the lead sent him spinning to a 24th-place finish.

The following week he rebounded at his favorite track in Concord, NC for a second-place finish. Then he won at Martinsville and over the last two weeks has twice finished as the runner-up behind Tony Stewart. Johnson arrives at the Phoenix International Raceway with a 17-point lead over Kenseth.

Johnson had an early starting time on Friday and qualified 29th, while Kenseth went out after the track had cooled and put up a 10th-place run.

Other "Chase" drivers and their starting positions: Denny Hamlin (22nd), Burton (18th), Kyle Busch (ninth), Mark Martin (21st) and Kasey Kahne (11th).

The race is scheduled to drop the green flag on Sunday at 3:25 p.m. (et).