ATLANTA — Hey, NASCAR. Got any other tweaks that might actually bring a little suspense to what is supposed to the most exciting part of the season?

Jimmie Johnson has turned the current Cup Chase into a laugher. Judging by all those empty seats at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, most fans have already turned their attention to 2009.

Maybe the folks that brought you yellow flags for "debris on the track" can sneak a couple of cement blocks into Johnson's car. Maybe they can get some troopers to set up a speed trap that only targets the No. 48. Maybe they can send him out in a REAL Chevrolet Impala.

The way things stand now, they might as well set up the ballroom, warm up that banquet-circuit chicken and shine up the big trophy for Johnson.

Even on a day when Carl Edwards cruised to victory in the Pep Boys Auto 500, the star of the show was the laid-back Californian who has essentially locked up his third straight Cup championship with three races still to go.

Even with a rare mistake — he was caught going a bit too fast on pit road (maybe NASCAR did take the advice about the speed traps) — Johnson roared back from 30th place to take the runner-up spot behind Edwards.

"We just fought and fought and fought," Johnson said. "We leave here very happy. It's almost like a win."

It sure seemed that way to Edwards, even though he pulled away to win by more than 2Z\x seconds. While celebrating in victory lane, a TV reporter asked if he knew who finished second.

"Who?" Edwards said.

Johnson, came the reply

"Are you kidding me?" Edwards shot back, incredulous. "Well, you've rained on my parade. I could have done without that one. That's unbelievable. He does a great job."

Johnson sure stretched the bounds of believability after crew chief Chad Knaus gambled on a late pit stop to change all four tires. His driver returned to the track in 11th place with eight laps remaining.

"That was just a great call, a risky call, but it just goes to show that Chad is out there racing," Johnson said. "He's not trying to ride around and get points. He's out there to earn them. He called me in for tires and told me to put my cape on and off we went."

One by one, Johnson took down those ahead of him — Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth among them. Finally, he set his sights on Denny Hamlin, who led 56 laps late in the race before being passed by Edwards on a restart.

"Jimmie just put a show on there at the end," said Steve Letarte, crew chief for Gordon. "It was pretty impressive."

Johnson saved his best move for the final lap. Coming through the last big sweeping turn on the 1.54-mile trioval, he closed in on Hamlin's bumper, then went high. The rear wheels on the No. 11 car drifted up the banking, before Hamlin got the tempestuous car under control and avoided a spinout.

Johnson kept from wiping out himself and sped on by as though he had places to be, awards to collect.