CONCORD, N.C. -- Monday may feel like any other day in the NASCAR offseason, but in the countdown to the Daytona 500, it's a milestone.
That's just 48 days until the No. 48 team hits the track once again on a quest to repeat as champions -- which would give Jimmie Johnson a record eight NASCAR Cup Series titles in the process.
"Obviously when you show up in Daytona as the defending champion, you’ve got a bit of a bullseye on your back," No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus said. "We like that."
All four Hendrick Motorsports teams closed the 2016 campaign on a high note, so the Nos. 5, 24, 48 and 88 teams will be looking to build on that momentum when the 2017 season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway.
The Daytona 500 green flag drops on Sunday, Feb. 26.