"When we got the one-to-go (to halfway) signal, I looked in the mirror and I saw the 15 and 8, hands out the window, hand signals, pointing, thumbs up," he said. "I knew I was in trouble."
Indeed he was. Earnhardt, a lap down in the No. 8 Chevrolet, passed Johnson on the restart on Lap 100 of last year's Daytona 500, then drafted teammate Michael Waltrip and the No. 15 Chevrolet into the lead. Five laps later, rains returned to shorten the race and give Waltrip his second Daytona 500 victory.
Johnson was third, as Kurt Busch slipped past him for second. It left an empty feeling, but Johnson does not think Daytona owes him anything today.
"You don't like it when a race ends that way when it doesn't benefit you," Johnson said. "But who knows what would have happened had we gone on and finished it?"
The way Johnson continued on in that breakout 2003 season, he likely would have contended for his first win at Daytona. Because by the time the regular season ended 37 weeks later at Homestead, Johnson was second in the driver standings, 90 points behind champion Matt Kenseth.
Johnson had three wins last season, which he ended with six consecutive top-threes. If not for three costly races unfinished, Johnson likely would have made an even stronger run at Kenseth, who faltered in the final months.
If NASCAR had used the "Chase for the Championship" format that it will employ to determine the driver champion this season, Johnson would have won his first series title and seventh for Hendrick Motorsports.
"Maybe we can go over to Matt's house and get the trophy," said Johnson, who has run in the top 10 at some point in his past 69 races, tops among active drivers.
Though widely expected to be among the favorites for a driver championship this season, Johnson continues to deflect as much attention as possible.
"It's something great to talk about for the team," he said. "It's something that kind of puts a smile on the guys' faces and gives them something to talk about, but ultimately we still have to go out and win races."
There are plenty of places to deflect attention for Johnson, which works well for the confident but low-key 28-year-old. His car co-owner, after all, is teammate and mentor Jeff Gordon, a four-time Cup champion who used his considerable influence to get Johnson in a Rick Hendrick car three years ago.
That doesn't mean it was easy.
"Getting sponsorships is not easy whether or not your last name is Gordon or Hendrick," Gordon said. "You've got the president of Lowe's (Johnson's primary sponsor) sitting there asking you if this team can win, and you're going to say "yes,' and all the good things.
"I believed it because I saw Jimmie's talent, and I knew our resources at Hendrick Motorsports were very good. But I honestly have to say I was putting it out there a little bit. I wasn't exactly sure and I was glad to see him back that up."
Johnson, who began his career riding motocross and racing trucks in the desert in his native California, started backing it up almost immediately, winning the pole at the 2002 Daytona 500 in his fourth start.
He went on to win three races that year, capturing the race in California in his 13th start. By winning twice at Dover, he became the first rookie to sweep races at one track in a season. Johnson finished fifth in the driver standings in one of the best newcomer performances in years. His six wins in his first two full seasons is four more than Gordon had when he began his career with Hendrick.
"As far as I'm concerned, Jeff's concerned and Rick's concerned, Jimmie's ready to step up to be champion," crew chief Chad Knaus said. "And when, not if, he wins the championship, he's going to be a great champion."
Hendrick spotted Johnson in the Busch Series, where he finished eighth in driver points for Herzog Motorsports in 2001.
Gordon became part-owner of a car for the first time in his career when Hendrick signed Johnson. He also became a team builder. Many members of Johnson's team were hand-picked by Gordon and crew chief Robbie Loomis. The No. 24 team of Gordon and No. 48 of Johnson are two of the most collegial, even among teammates, on the Nextel Cup circuit.
Knaus started as a tire-changer and body man on the "Rainbow Warriors" teams that helped Gordon establish his early credentials.
Seeing his team seed another successful outfit only heightens Gordon's satisfaction.
"It's very rewarding," Gordon said. "It's exciting and it's awesome to see a team that basically you started up from scratch, and to see how well they've done. It's great to be a part of that and it makes you extremely proud.
"Now I can sit here and honestly say, "I told you so,' because nobody believed it, and now they do."
By season's end, everyone might have to come around.
