AVONDALE, Ariz. — While Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart have gone round-for-round in their race for the Sprint Cup title, Kasey Kahne has quietly turned his performance up a notch outside of the championship spotlight.

Kahne’s performance the last nine weeks has trailed only the two title contenders, and on Sunday, he finally got a win to show for his efforts.

Kahne snapped an 81-race winless streak with his victory at Phoenix International Raceway, where Edwards and Stewart finished second and third to keep the title race tight headed into next weekend’s season finale.

“If I’m in a racecar, I want to do the best that I can,” Kahne said, crediting crew chief Kenny Francis for giving him strong Toyotas that have allowed him “to perform with and run with Carl and Tony, who have been probably the two best.”

They’ve been the only two drivers better than Kahne, and one of them will officially unseat five-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson next Sunday at Homestead.

Edwards will take a three-point lead over Stewart into the 36th and final race of the season, marking the closest championship battle since the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format made its debut in 2004.

The two were nearly giddy discussing the title race as they sat side-by-side in the post-race news conference.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a dead heat going in there,” said Stewart. “I want to go to Homestead tomorrow and start. I want tomorrow to be Friday. I’m pumped up, I’m excited about it and ready to go.”

So was Edwards.

“This is going to be a battle. I truly believe it’s going to be a good race,” Edwards said. “That place is magical for us. I really enjoy going there. I hope it comes down to the fastest guy winning the race.”

Stewart, winner of four Chase races this season, dominated Sunday at Phoenix and led 160 of the 312 laps. But he had to pit for gas with 18 laps remaining, and was forced to work his way back to the front. He needed a late pass of Jeff Burton to finish third, right behind Edwards.

“I wasn’t going to give him the spot. He earned it and he got it,” Burton said.

It was a critical pass, as it picked up another point for Stewart and kept his deficit at three points.

“We had an awesome day. We came up two spots shy. I don’t know how you could have asked for a better day,” he said. “We led the most laps, we were on the same pace we were last week, just to have a perfect day. Just fought as hard as we could all day.”

Edwards did, too, despite having to chase Stewart most of the race. He’s not faltered once with the two-time champion bearing down on him, and he’ll go to Homestead with his first Cup championship in reach.

Edwards is a two-time Homestead winner and drives for Roush Fenway Racing, which has won seven of the past nine races at Homestead. Stewart, trying to become the first owner/driver since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 to win the championship, won the first two Cup races at Homestead in 1999 and 2000.

“It’s the best points battle I’ve been a part of at this level, so it’s fun for me,” Edwards said. “I still don’t understand why we’re both running so good. It’s pretty neat. Seems like subconsciously we’re both able to dig down and our teams are able to give us what we need and everybody has been performing at a high level.

“It’s been neat that this battle has brought out the best in us.”

Sunday officially marked the end of Johnson’s reign: He finished 14th and was mathematically eliminated from title contention.

“It’s been one hell of a run,” he posted on Twitter shortly after the race.

Burton finished fourth and was followed by Ryan Newman.

Kyle Busch, racing again after NASCAR parked him at Texas last weekend for intentionally wrecking Ron Hornaday Jr., worked his way up to third before his engine failed. He finished 36th.

Also on Sunday:

Worsham, Hagan race to first NHRA season titles

POMONA, Calif. — Del Worsham and Matt Hagan raced to their first NHRA season championships and won in the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals.

Worsham took the Top Fuel season crown, while Hagan avenged last season’s runner-up performance by taking the Funny Car title. Eddie Krawiec claimed his second Pro Stock Motorcycle championship. Pro Stock champ Jason Line secured his title two weeks ago in Las Vegas.

Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the event at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Longtime Funny Car racer Worsham claimed the Top Fuel championship in dramatic fashion by edging series challenger Spencer Massey at the finish line in a winner-take-all semifinal round.

Worsham went on to claim his eighth victory of the season and 33rd of his career by outrunning Tony Schumacher in the final round. Worsham powered his dragster to a 3.796 at 318.02 to finish in front of Schumacher’s machine, which posted a 3.799 at 321.50.

Virginia cattle rancher Hagan avenged his painful loss to John Force last year by powering past two-time champ Cruz Pedregon in the semifinals for his first world championship in Funny Car. He powered to his second win of the season and fifth of his career by posting a track-record performance of 4.009 at 317.79 in a Dodge Charger to finish in front of Robert Hight, who trailed with a 4.031 at 318.92 in a Ford Mustang.

Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lewis Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel retired on the first lap. Vettel’s Red Bull picked up a right rear puncture and spun off at turn 2. The German driver made it back to the pits, but was forced to retire for the first time this season. Hamilton, the 2008 champion, took over the lead from Vettel and took the checkered flag 8.4 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso for his third win of the season.