Storylines abundant as Preseason Thunder begins

Can you believe NASCAR turns 60 this year? It's true -- February 15, 1948, the first NASCAR race took place on the beach/road course in Daytona Beach, Fla. Red Byron took the checkered flag at a time when milk cost 86 cents a gallon and the average price of a house was around $13,000.

Fast forward to 2008, where milk can run you up to $4.00 a gallon and instead of a 10-race schedule spanning five states -- North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia -- the Cup Series has grown to 19 states featuring 36 races in 22 cities across the U.S.

'08 is here

The 2008 Sprint Cup season gets under way Jan. 7 with Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway.

• Complete story, click here
• SPEED's testing coverage
• Get your tickets
• Book your travel

In a relatively small amount of time, NASCAR has changed exponentially. As the sport moves into its sixth decade, more change is on the horizon and will be seen for the first time during Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway beginning Jan. 7.

In honor of NASCAR's 60th season, here are six story lines to keep an eye on throughout testing. Some have to do with drivers, some have to do with equipment, but all will play a major factor in how the 2008 season will be remembered 60 years from now.

The Day after Tomorrow

No more should we refer to the current model of stock car as the Car of Tomorrow. Beginning with this year's testing at Daytona, the COT is the only stock car fans, drivers and teams will see each and every week.

Most agree NASCAR is doing the right thing by implementing the car full time in 2008, rather than continue to mix it in with the old model. But questions and concerns still remain with the COT, despite 16 races under its proverbial belt.

There is the concern of speed. Many drivers have said the car runs slower than what they are used to, and they don't like it. There's the handling of the car, or lack thereof which was voiced by numerous drivers in 2007.

Tires, set-up, difficulty in passing -- all these were issues in the course of 16 races last season. Some yammering could be chalked up to drivers complaining about the unknown, but the fact is there's still a lot to be learned about this new car.

And then there is the gray area. It's a crew chief's job to get as much speed out of his car as possible. When it comes to the COT, tinkering has become an art form as inspection is tougher than ever.

There were three major COT infractions in 2007: Tony Eury Jr. was suspended six races for an illegal rear mounting at Darlington; Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte also were suspended six races for altering the front end at Infineon. Their drivers -- Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon -- were docked 100 points for the infractions.

As the car goes full time in 2008, it's safe to assume more COT penalties will be levied as crew chiefs learn what is OK and what isn't kosher when it comes to altering the car for peak performance.

Home Sweet Home

After spending his entire nine-year Cup career at DEI, the race team his father, Dale Earnhardt, built, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new address and some new roommates as he debuts at Hendrick Motorsports alongside champions Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

It was clear this season Junior wanted to leave DEI. He was unhappy with his team owner and stepmother, Teresa, and engine failures -- six of them in '07 -- were enough to send the 17-time race winner packing for greener pastures at Hendrick.

But with all the positives in starting anew at a championship organization fresh off winning half of last season's races -- a new number (88), a new sponsor (Amp) and a new attitude -- pressure is at all-time high for NASCAR's most popular driver to be successful -- and quickly.

Some of it is self-inflicted as Junior knows he is with the best organization in the sport with teammates who can help take him to the next level. But his extensive fan base is tired of seeing their driver miss the Chase and go winless the last 62 races.

Autostock

Kyle Busch

Pressure is on

With the move to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, Kyle Busch is among nine drivers Jarrod Breeze says has to step up and shine in the upcoming season.

• Complete story, click here
• Teams feeling the heat in '08

Still, Junior knows if there was ever a golden opportunity for him to shine, the time is now.

"I think I have a good opportunity to succeed and win a lot of races," Earnhardt said. "I believe, honestly and personally, that I will carry a championship on my mantle when I'm all said and done. I really do want it."

The spotlight will shine on the 88 all season; will it be one of success or one of disappointment?

The "Real" Kyle Busch

With Junior's move to Hendrick, that meant somebody in the Hendrick garage had to go. No way can you say goodbye to Gordon or Johnson and Casey Mears just came aboard so Kyle Busch -- thanks for everything, there's the door.

In three full seasons at Hendrick, Busch grabbed four wins, 30 top-five finishes, 51 top-10s and made the Chase twice. There is no question the 22-year-old can drive. But there has been one negative to follow him throughout his short career -- his attitude.

From blasting the COT in Victory Lane at Bristol to leaving a race after a crash without first talking to his team, Busch has always been a lightning rod for controversy. Never one to shy away from speaking his true feelings, his naivety has gotten the best of him at times.

But with the move to Joe Gibbs Racing, 2008 is an opportunity for Busch to shed some of the baggage -- although Busch doesn't mind being a little rough around the edges.

"I wear my hair messed up because I really don't care, I'd rather wear jeans or shorts with flip flops and a raggedy T-shirt," Busch said. "Jeff and Jimmie, they fit the Hendrick mold and I just never fell into that. They seemed to be kind of spit-shined and polished where I'm not as much. I've got some dirt on my hands."

At Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch will gain a teammate who sees a lot of himself in the youngster and that is Tony Stewart. Stewart never shied away from a fight, be it from a driver or NASCAR officials, and constantly found himself visiting the hauler for a stern lecture on appropriate behavior.

The last couple seasons Smoke has calmed himself tremendously, although we occasionally still see glimpses of his "dark side." But in growing up, he can now lead Busch down that same path.

Busch has all the tools and talents to be one of the top drivers in the sport today. With the guidance of Gibbs and Stewart, Busch can make the transition from good driver to superstar. The only question is, will he be willing?

Second-year success?

It's safe to say Toyota's first year in the Cup Series didn't go the way the car manufacturer had hoped. Yes, there were some success stories -- Dave Blaney most notably with his pole at New Hampshire, third at Talladega and the only Toyota driver to race his way into the top 35 -- but beginning with the Michael Waltrip fuel-additive debacle at Daytona, Toyota's season was one of disappointment.

Heading into 2008, all eyes will once again be on the car maker to see how much improvement they have made but even more importantly, to see if the manufacturer has forced a championship team to take a major step backward.

Joe Gibbs Racing announced in September it would be leaving Chevrolet and start running Toyotas in '08. With three championships in the JGR garage and three drivers who have each made the Chase in two of the past three years, the pressure is on the manufacturer to make sure Joe Gibbs Racing remains status quo.

As for the other teams, Hall of Fame Racing now features J.J. Yeley; Team Red Bull remains the same with A.J. Allmendinger and Brian Vickers; Michael Waltrip Racing is losing Dale Jarrett after the first five races, replacing him in the No. 44 with David Reutimann and filling the No. 00 with Michael McDowell; and Bill Davis Racing has added open-wheel star Jacques Villeneuve.

Expectations weren't very high for Toyota in '07 but with a year of experience and the addition of a championship organization, the '08 season must be better than 2007 or Toyota could be on the verge of failing.

Come on in ... the door is open

Open-wheel drivers racing a stock car is nothing new. A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon are just some of the drivers who have taken their skills from Formula One, CART or the IRL to NASCAR.

Juan Montoya made the leap last year with Chip Ganassi Racing and after a tumultuous start, found his rhythm and won rookie of the year honors. Montoya's immediate success has opened the flood gates for more open-wheel transfers and this season NASCAR will see more open-wheel stars race full time in the sport than ever before.

Four former open-wheel stars will run full time in the Cup Series for the first time in their career: 2007 Indy 500 and IRL champ Dario Franchitti will pilot the No. 40 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing; Indy 500 champ and 1997 Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve will drive the No. 27 Bill Davis Racing Toyota; champ car driver Patrick Carpentier is in the Gillett Evernham No. 10 Dodge and three-time IRL champ Sam Hornish Jr. will drive the No. 77 Penske Dodge.

Add to that A.J. Allmendinger and Juan Montoya, both in their second year and you could see 13 percent of a race's field as former open-wheel stars.

Autostock

David Stremme

Out in the cold

In 2008, NASCAR will see as many as five former open-wheel stars run full-time in the Cup Series. Bill Kimm says this infusion of open-wheelers is leaving some good drivers without well-deserved rides.

• Complete story, click here
• 2008 Silly Season

While their success can't be questioned, their experience in a stock car can. Not one of the four drivers making their Cup debut this season has spent a full season in the Nationwide or Truck Series. Combined, the four drivers have 33 starts among NASCAR's top-three national series and 14 of them were DNFs.

While everyone in the garage will welcome these newcomers, there is concern that their inexperience will lead to mishaps on the track. Throw on to that the newness of the COT and this '08 season has all the ingredients for a wild one.

Much can be learned at Preseason Thunder, both for the new drivers coming in, but also for the veterans to see just what these open-wheel stars have behind the wheel of a much heavier car.

Who's got what it takes?

The 2007 season can be summed up in two words: Hendrick dominance. As a team, Hendrick drivers won 18 of the 36 races, an astounding 50 percent, a Cup Series record for a season. Jimmie Johnson brought home his second consecutive Cup championship, while Jeff Gordon finished second and Kyle Busch fifth. Casey Mears was the only HMS driver to not make the Chase, but he finished just outside it in 15th.

The Car of Tomorrow was a huge factor in Hendrick's success. The team won the first five COT races of the season and went on to win nine of 2007's 16 COT events.

Looking at 2008, Hendrick has to be considered the one to beat again. The COT goes full time plus it added NASCAR's most popular driver in Dale Earnhardt Jr. making Hendrick one of the most successful teams in the sport today.

But who has what it takes to challenge the folks at Hendrick for NASCAR supremacy in '08?

Richard Childress Racing had a great 2007 landing all three of its drivers in the Chase. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer all found Victory Lane and had some success in COT races, with Bowyer's win coming at New Hampshire. Maintaining that level of success isn't easy, and the boys at RCR will have to show they weren't a one-year wonder come Jan. 7.

Joe Gibbs Racing has to be considered a threat with two time champion Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and ex-Hendrick star Kyle Busch. Those three won three of the COT races last season and all three were in the Chase. But there is a huge unknown with JGR and that is how well it will perform now that it's with Toyota.

Roush Fenway really struggled to find itself last season, but in the second half of the season started turning it around. In all, Roush Fenway won seven events last season, second to Hendrick with Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray all finding Victory Lane.

Edwards had the most success in a COT, winning races at Bristol and Dover, both late in the season. The 2008 season will be the first time in three years there has been no driver turnover at Roush Fenway so a lot will be learned about this organization at Preseason Thunder. With the COT making its first laps at Daytona, RFR will have to prove they have closed the gap with Hendrick.