(DAYTONA BEACH, FL) -- With about a week and a half to go before the 50th running of the Daytona 500, activity is heating up at the two and a half mile tri-oval super speedway. The anticipation is giving current Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson visions about the 2008 season. "I've woken up (in the) middle of the night dreaming of driving race cars and have been dying to get back in a race car. I didn't want to stop," said Johnson.

Denny Hamlin has been concentrating on his focus for 2008. "Being a little bit more patient through the mid-points of the races to make sure I'm still around at the end," said Hamlin.

Kevin Harvick is ready for the rubber to meet the track. "I hadn't been this excited heading into a year, for some reason, for a long time. I just feel like we're prepared," said Harvick.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart had a zinger when asked about the dominating Hendrick Motorsports team. "We don't care about Hendrick. We just want to beat everybody. If we do our jobs, they're going to have to worry about us," said Stewart.