Jimmie Johnson is seeking to become only the second driver in the history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series to claim three consecutive titles. Last year Jeff Gordon was his main opponent, but in 2008 he also has Dale Earnhardt Jr and the Toyotas to worry about.
Looking at how Johnson kicked off his 2008 campaign, it's hard to bet against him putting on a strong challenge to defend his crown and match what Cale Yarborough achieved between 1976 and 1978. A third championship in a row is very possible.
The Californian returned after weeks of being out of the car to set the pace on the first official test session of the year in January at Daytona.