The storylines and drivers that will define the season

Jimmie Johnson is looking to join Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win three straight Cup championships. AP

This Sunday afternoon the shortest offseason in sports ends when the green flag drops on the 2008 NASCAR season with the 50th running of the Daytona 500. Herewith, a look at what to keep an eye on this year on the Sprint Cup circuit.

Five Intriguing Story Lines

1. Can J.J. three-peat?

No driver since Cale Yarborough (1976-78) has won three straight championships, but Jimmie Johnson should have an excellent shot at pulling off the trifecta this season. All the key members of his team return and, at age 32, Johnson is just entering the prime of his career.

2. Will the Hendrick dominance continue?

Last season drivers from Hendrick Motorsports won 18 of the 36 races and Hendrick's Johnson and Jeff Gordon finished first and second, respectively, in the final standings. Hendrick has flexed more of its muscle in the early events of the Daytona Speedweeks -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Budweiser Shootout and Johnson captured the pole for the 500 -- but during test sessions over the winter it appeared that both Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing had narrowed the gap on Hendrick. Stay tuned.

3. Will the Car of Tomorrow produce quality racing?

It's no secret that last season the CoT, which was used in 16 events, turned out to be something of a dud. Drivers complained that it didn't handle well in the corners, and as a result they couldn't pull off passes as easily as they had in the previous generation of car. But now that the teams have had an offseason to tinker with and tweak the CoT, there's newfound optimism in the garage that the car's handling woes won't be as dramatic in '08. We'll see.

4. When will Toyota win?

Last season Toyota, in its first year on the circuit, was shut out of Victory Lane. But the Japanese auto giant has now aligned with Joe Gibbs Racing -- one of the elite teams in NASCAR. Tony Stewart, JGR's top driver, has been raving about the increased horsepower in his new Toyota engine, and it seems a sure thing that one of the Toyota drivers (probably Stewart or teammate Denny Hamlin) will win a race within the first month of the season.

5. Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. be a title contender?

In a word: yes. Now that Little E has moved to the Hendrick powerhouse from DEI, most observers in the garage believe he'll win at least three races this season and qualify for the Chase, which he didn't do last year.

Five Drivers to Watch

1. Jimmie Johnson

Johnson has simply been the best driver in the Chase era, which began in 2004. He's not flashy, but he rarely makes mistakes on the track and his crew chief Chad Knaus possesses one of the sharpest minds in the garage.

2. Jeff Gordon

Gordon had more top-10 finishes last season (30) than in any season of his career -- and he still couldn't beat Johnson. Look for Gordon to be in the title hunt all the way to the season finale in Homestead, Fla.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The most popular driver in the sport is currently sitting on a 62-race winless streak in points-paying events.

4. Tony Stewart

Stewart's season got off to an edgy start last week when he punched Kurt Busch in the face in the NASCAR hauler after the two had tangled on the track during a practice session at Daytona. Stewart always seems to be at his best when he's courting controversy, so his dustup with Busch could portend big things for his 2008 season.

5. Carl Edwards

Edwards was the most impressive performer during the winter test sessions at Las Vegas and Fontana. He won't win the Daytona 500, but he could end up in Victory Lane on Feb. 24th at California Speedway.

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