In retrospect, the void caused by the lack of winter racing cannot be filled by reality television. True gladiators of speed are needed to fill this vast emptiness. Race fans are grasping for a temporary pacifier, that has yet to be found.

Hope is looming just around the corner. With the dawn of a new year, local racing conventions will begin in anticipation of The Big One. The greatest event of 2008 will be the 50th anniversary running of stock car racing’s Great American Race, where 43 of racing’s gladiators will battle for supremacy on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.

They are not called Wolf, Tao or Helga. Instead they bear the names of Earnhardt, Gordon and Petty. For two months, they have planned to crush the competition in the season opening event. Preparations have been made, with cunning skill, comparable to only the militia. With stealth like nerves, these fiery competitors will react in milliseconds to miniscule movements at speeds over 190 miles per hour.

Sirens have been prepared to mark the start of this glorious occasion, that ranks second only to the NFL’s Superbowl Game held in early February.

Over 168,000 diehard race fans are expected to attend this years event, where a collector’s ticket has been designed by redneck comedian Jeff Foxworthy. And to make the event more memorable, race fans will receive photographs of historic events over the 50 year history of Daytona when they purchase tickets to different events during Speedweeks.

The days of racing in the sand are long gone, along with some of the greatest drivers to ever sit behind the wheel. Now a new challenge begins. Strolling down memory lane, fans remember Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Davey Allison as two of the more prominent faces of racing in the past. Those men that crossed the finish line first are truly called Daytona 500 champions . They are few. Only 31 men earned the title in the sports 50-year history.

One-third of those champions may be among the starters in the famed event. It is one for the record books, the Sprint Cup makes its first race official. Which man among them will emerge victorious when Speedweeks comes to a close? A new face may dominate, or a true contender may rewrite history. One thing is for certain, racing will never be the same, so let the games begin.

The first contender to represent Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) is Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. With Chad Knaus in his corner, this dynamic duo will defend their second consecutive championship in 2008. A piece of Daytona 500 hardware could bookend his two Nextel Cup titles. Johnson won the Great American Race in 2006.

Battling his teammate for the win will be three-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon. The Rainbow Warrior does not create mayhem, but in the final races of 2007 mayhem found him.

In the heat of the moment, don’t forget the restrictor plate snake who has joined the team. With a new skin color on the car, the No. 88 will debut with an Earnhardt behind the wheel. Junior hopes to take a bite out of the action at Daytona to attack in 2008. He may best be called venom.

Last, but certainly not least in the HMS arsenal is Casey Mears. The silent predator will move into the No. 5 car along with his National Guard sponsor. With Fury he may strike for the Chevrolet camp. This driver’s prowess is growing and so is his confidence after his first win in Nextel Cup competition. He may once again strike while the iron is hot.

Hot is the only way to describe the next contender. He tore up the track in the season ending Race for the Chase. Matt Kenseth sizzled in those final races with Robby Reiser as crew chief. After 10 years together, Reiser will now lead Roush-Fenway Ford Racing a General Manager. His new position could spark Kenseth’s season or it could smolder his efforts straight out-of-the-box.

Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle need Reiser to ignite their season. After 2007 seemed to produce mediocre results. A driver that needs no ignition is Tony Stewart.

The two-time Nextel Cup Champion has been flexing his muscle in the off-season. Stewart slammed the midget field in Fort Wayne Indiana to wrap up 2007 on a high note. Now, he is headed west to the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals where he hopes to defend his 2007 midget title. He stands amongst the crowd not only as a highly decorated professional, but as a driver with the passion to win regardless of the odds.

Stewart and his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates are fighting to put Toyota in victory lane. The feisty Denny Hamlin could make waves among the top drivers, but it is the new incumbent Kyle Busch that continues to shine.

Like a diamond in the rough, Busch is a real gem for JGR to have acquired. On the track, he polishes his skills and fine tunes his machine during each event. He is capable of pushing cars to the limit at any cost. Now, from the shadows of HMS Busch emerges to join Stewart on the guest for a title. One thing is for sure. Busch became the 14th driver in the history of NASCAR to win in all three levels. A feat his HMS teammates never mastered.

After news hit this week that Joe Gibbs retired from the Washington Redskins, again; minds are wandering if he plans to lead his new defensive weapon around the track.

The next contenders need no formal introduction. Their Richard Childress Racing (RCR) team debuted as a new force in 2007. The humbling Jeff Burton, wise-cracking Kevin Harvick and the strong but silent Clint Bowyer make-up a cast for Three’s Company. This unique trio hopes to make RCR a titan in NASCAR Racing.

Leading a team of unknowns is veteran wheeler Mark Martin at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI). It is not a secret that the widely publicized departure of Dale Earnhardt Jr. has race fans looking upon the team with disdain. In return the pressure falls on the shoulders of Martin Truex Jr. He will remain as team leader for two new full-time competitors in NASCAR racing, Regan Smith and Aric Almirola.

Smith will have the benefit of working with long-time crew chief Doug Richert who returns to DEI. This is Reichert’s third team in three years, but his experience is extensive. He won a championship title with Dale Earnhardt Sr. at a very young age.

Growing older is Roger Penske, who always seems to be chomping at the bit. His drivers; Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman and Sam Hornish have never won on a restrictor plate track. They are all hunting a trophy that has been elusive. Could justice be served for the Penske team in 2008? Kurt Busch certainly hopes so. After all he will start the season without a safety net. His teams points were given to Hornish in order to secure a spot for the rookie in the first few races of the season.

Another team that needs to secure wins and titles is the newly formed Gillett-Evernham Motorsports (GEM). Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler will bookend the newest recruit to the team, Patrick Carpentier. He made his debut on a road course in 2007 and has joined the big league. It was the “Best Buy” for the team, as the new sponsor joined GEM for the 2008 season as well. The royal blue logo will ride on Sadler’s No. 19 Dodge.

Team Red Bull has its primary season all wrapped up. Brian Vickers and A.J. Allmendinger are prepared to joust with others for a premier spot amongst the top-35 drivers in the Sprint Cup. They are among those often forgotten when racing looms on the horizon.

Jacques Villeneuve will join the cast of characters preparing to fight for real estate at Daytona. His teammate Dave Blaney is no stranger to the super speedway. Nor are the names Mayfield, Jarrett, Green, Waltrip and Yeley. Add to those names Riggs, Gilliland, Reutimann, Menard and Regan. All these men are preparing for the ultimate fight. A rumble with the top-43 drivers in the world banging on their door. Side-by-side they will push the cars to its limit of speed.