Johnson begins quest for 5th straight Sprint title at Daytona

Jimmie Johnson can feel the eyes watching him, his fellow racers wondering if this is the year they'll catch him.

"I'm trying to be a realist," the 34-year-old NASCAR driver said during a recent phone interview. "I'm motivated by fear and the mistakes I've made. And not accomplishing what I want is a big motivating tool."

Last year, Johnson did what no driver in NASCAR's 61-year history had ever done: capture a fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Series championship. And Sunday, he'll officially begin his quest for an unprecedented fifth straight title.

Johnson will be one of 43 drivers competing in the Daytona 500, the most anticipated and prestigious event in American motor sports. An estimated 200,000 fans are expected to attend "The Great American Race" at Daytona International Speedway.

Johnson has dominated Sprint Cup competition since 2006, winning 29 races and posting 94 top-10 finishes. He has 47 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins, which puts him 13th on the all-time list.

No one would be surprised if Johnson, who races for arguably the best team in NASCAR - Hendrick Motorsports - were to win again. But he won't allow himself to relax.

"The fact is, it's a new season, a new set of challenges," said Johnson, who outdueled Casey Mears down the stretch to capture his only Daytona 500 in 2006. "What we did last year was great, but that's in the past. In sports, it's what are you doing for me now? We're starting off on a clean slate."

His teammates, Jeff Gordon - a three-time winner of NASCAR's biggest race and a six-time Cup race winner at Daytona - Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin are among the favorites entering today's race, along with Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.

There's also last year's surprise winner, Mark Kenseth, who'll seek to become the first back-to-back Daytona champion since Sterling Marlin, who accomplished the feat in 1994-95.

Johnson finished 31st last year. Still, the bull's-eye is fixed on his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet.

And he knows it.

"There is right now," he said, referring to the target on his back. "But again, with sports, we have to go out and prove ourselves this year. We're all starting with the same points total.

"I think right now, yes , but once we get one race in, it's going to reset. Right now, the mark's on us. Last year, we were the guys."

Many are anxious to see how Johnson, who was named Male Athlete of the Year by The Associated Press last season and had his own four-part series on HBO, will be affected by fatherhood. (He and his wife, Chandra, are expecting their first child in July.)

But Johnson is accustomed to stress and lofty expectations.

"To be on top of any pro spot is tough to do," he said. "I can't explain how difficult it is to do year after year. There are so many emotions that come together. Everything is rushing in at once. There's a lot of pride in what we've been able to do. And I'm excited.

"I certainly recognize four in a row had never been done for a reason. Five in a row - I'm not even thinking about it so much. First, I'm concerned about making the Chase. It's been quite a ride. So much has happened. We'll see what happens."