“Gentlemen, start your engines.”

On Feb. 18, the engines will roar to life on pit road at Daytona International Speedway to the sound of those very words. After a three-month off-season, the NASCAR drivers return to the track with a season of unfamiliar alterations looming ahead, but also with the familiar excitement of a new season.

Motorsport enthusiasts regard the Daytona 500 as a premier race and sometimes even as the “Superbowl” of NASCAR, only this race kicks off the season rather than ending it.

Daytona stirs up memories of racing legends, and it’s only natural to start thinking of names such as Earnhardt and Gordon. However, with the rules being tighter, and more drivers maturing, other drivers have claimed the right to be named the favorites at these races.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. exude the talent and skill required at this track, but if branching out and rooting for a less obvious choice seems like a good idea, then go with Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart.

Confusion may be associated with choices such as, “Wait, Jimmie Johnson was the 2006 Nextel Cup Champion, and he won the 2006 Daytona 500! And that Tony Stewart guy, he was the 2002 and 2005 Champion! How are they less obvious choices?” or maybe just “Who’s Johnson and who’s Stewart? I just figured out who Gordon was,” but bear with me here.

Johnson’s limited success and luck at restrictor plate tracks until last season make him a less obvious choice, and a victory in the Daytona 500 has eluded Stewart his entire career. Perhaps, he’ll drive his way to Victory Lane and finally jerk the monkey off his back, or maybe he’ll just lose again.

Sure, the Daytona 500’s over $1 million payout and the priceless publicity make this race important, but in reality, it’s measured equally with the other 35 races in the season, so no one should get too caught up on this one, especially with the changes.

Toyota becomes the first foreign manufacturer to enter this sport, and whether or not they’ll find success remains to be seen. They boast strong veterans (Dale Jarrett and Michael Waltrip) and some “young guns” (Brian Vickers and A.J. Allmendinger) on their roster.

As with any new team, it takes time to find the right niche, and sometimes it’s a long and arduous process; I’d advise Toyota to take their time and ease themselves into the sport. Toyota should not get too frustrated if these new teams don’t find their way to Victory Lane just yet.

Not only will Toyota teams be dealing with new equipment, but the entire field will be forced to adapt as well. NASCAR has produced the “Car of Tomorrow,” which NASCAR created in hopes to “revolutionize” racing, as we all know it.

This new car possesses safety, which fans usually support. But honestly, the car doesn’t shine like a winner, and basically looks boxy and strange for what NASCAR made famous: sleek, fast racecars.

As the season starts, making predictions as to who will be holding the Championship trophy over their heads at the end of it all seems a little too bold. It worked for me last year, however. So, I think I’ll try predicting this season now.

I will be honest and say right now that I am a Jimmie Johnson fan through and through, but with that in mind, my prediction is made objectively. I believe that Jimmie Johnson and his team will repeat, even though it’s very difficult to do. This team finished the season at the top of their game with 6 top 10 finishes in a row.

A driver that I don’t favor so much, Tony Stewart, will be fiercely competing for the title. He also finished out at the top of his game, by winning 3 of the last 10 races. His sponsor, Home Depot, and Johnson’s sponsorm, Lowe’s, “duke it out” daily with the sales of home improvement merchandise. The signs are all showing that the competition on the track between these two drivers may be the most cutthroat this season.

With the points all at zero right now, it literally is anybody’s game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dale Earnhardt, Jr. walk away with the trophy. Another one that could possibly show great strength is Kasey Kahne.

With all this in mind, as Darrell Waltrip says, “Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let’s go racin’ boys!”