By LEE MONTGOMERY

ThatsRacin.com Writer

HAMPTON, Ga. - Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson might want to think about someone besides each other.

Like Carl Edwards, for example.

Edwards, Roush Racing's youngest NASCAR Nextel Cup hotshoe, won for the second consecutive time at Atlanta Motor Speedway, going to Victory Lane in Sunday's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. The victory also helped Edwards close on the leaders in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

With three races left in the 2005 season, Edwards is fourth in the standings, 107 points out of the lead.

Stewart extended his Nextel Cup points lead and stands 43 ahead of Johnson, with Greg Biffle third, 75 points out. Ryan Newman is tied with Edwards, 107 behind.

The rest of the Chase contenders are Mark Martin in sixth, Matt Kenseth seventh, Rusty Wallace eighth, Kurt Busch ninth and Jeremy Mayfield 10th.

Jeff Gordon finished second to Edwards on Sunday, with Martin third, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fourth and Matt Kenseth fifth.

Edwards lapped Johnson with 43 laps to go, but interestingly, NASCAR threw the caution for debris not long after. That allowed Johnson to get the free pass back to the lead lap.

It also set up the final round of pit stops, with Edwards leading Kenseth, Earnhardt Jr., Martin and Gordon when the green flag waved with 37 laps to go. Kenseth shot into the lead in Turn 1 just after the green, but Edwards got it back one lap later and easily pulled away. There would be no thrilling finish to match Edwards' victory here in March, when he nipped Johnson at the finish, not it's no less sweet for Edwards.

"This is the greatest day," said Edwards, who won for the third time this season. "Unbelievable. We had a great race car."

The championship hopes of Wallace, Mayfield and Busch may have been ended Sunday, as all three had trouble early in the race. Wallace had damage to the nose of his car in an early accident and spent time in the garage to fix it, Mayfield had clutch trouble, and Busch had a flat tire and nosed into the Turn 4 wall.

Earnhardt Jr.'s dominance slipped just after the 200-lap mark, as he dropped to third behind Edwards and Martin in what was a good - but brief - three-car tussle for the lead.

That's when Edwards took over, pulling out to a three-second lead over Gordon with 100 laps to go, with Martin, Earnhardt Jr. and Kenseth rounding out the top five.

Kyle Busch, winner of Saturday's Craftsman Truck Series race, had a strong car Sunday, leading four laps and running in the top five when he was socked with a penalty for passing in the grass on pit road.

Kenseth had his third-place position taken away for a speeding penalty under the race's third caution, but he wasn't alone. Kurt Busch and Kyle Petty were nabbed, too, in what was increasingly becoming an issue during the race.

Earnhardt Jr. led when the race went green on Lap 70, with Edwards second, Kyle Busch third, Gordon fourth and Mike Bliss fifth. Earnhardt Jr. flexed the considerable muscles of the No. 8, leading to the next yellow on Lap 123.

Martin's early lead was lost when he was busted for speeding exiting it road during the second caution, moving him back to 27th on the green flag at Lap 54. Earnhardt Jr. held the lead at that point, but let Stewart slip past to lead the 59th lap - and get five bonus points.

Once that friendly deal was done, Earnhardt Jr. led to the next caution on Lap 66.

Martin took control early in the race, passing Elliott Sadler for the lead after the first caution when Sadler was the lone driver who didn't make a pit stop. Behind Martin, Earnhardt Jr. rocketed into the top-five from his 17th starting spot. After 50 laps, Martin led Edwards, Earnhardt Jr., Stewart and Jeff Gordon - who moved through the field after starting 24th.

Wallace was the first Chase driver to suffer trouble, getting a piece of the first caution on Lap 7after Mike Skinner had a tire go flat in Turn 2. Skinner slid quickly up the track, nipping the rear of Kevin Lepage's car. Lepage kicked sideways, and before Wallace could get past, the right-front of Wallace's No. 2 Dodge clipped Lepage.

Wallace lost 11 laps on pit road fixing the damage, crippling his fading championship hopes.

Another driver whose title chances were slim before the race, Mayfield, went to the garage on Lap 43 with clutch problems.