DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After winning his first Daytona 500 in 2006, which served as the launching point for his unprecedented streak of five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championships, Jimmie Johnson seemed to fade into the background in his next six appearances in NASCAR’s traditional season opener at Daytona International Speedway, finishing no better than 27th, in both 2008 and 2011.

And last year’s race?