After two years, Martin returns to different Bristol (cont'd)

There are no visions of victory this time, not after what's happened the last three weeks. Martin's alliance with the powerful Hendrick team was supposed to result in one last run for the premier-level championship that's always eluded him. Instead he's been snake bitten by equipment failure, completing just 768 of the 1017 laps contested this year, and forced to put any Chase aspirations on indefinite hold.

No question, Martin still has plenty of time to make up the 189 points that currently separate him from a postseason berth. That's 99 points less than the gap Alan Kulwicki made up to win the 1992 crown, and 33 points more than the deficit Jimmie Johnson came back from en route to his 2006 title. Still, two DNFs and an average finish of 31.8 are not exactly what the No. 5 team had in mind when Martin came on board.

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"The main goal is just keeping the guys positive and focused, including Mark," Gustafson said. "Things have definitely not gone the way we envisioned this year, but we can't afford to lose any of our intensity or our drive. We don't have the time to sit back and feel sorry for ourselves. What's done is done. If we keep working hard and pushing towards that first win, things will go our way. The best personal way I can lead and motivate this team is by example, so that's what I'm focusing on in the upcoming weeks."

In that light, the objective at Bristol is a simple one. "The first goal is to finish a race, the complete distance, on the lead lap," Martin said. "That's the first one, no matter where we finish. Instead of trying to shoot the lights out, we really just need to complete the distance and continue to build our communications with Alan. Hopefully we'll start getting consistent finishes and results."

That mission takes on a little more urgency this week. The Sprint Cup Series begins using 2009 season points next week at Martinsville Speedway, and right now Martin sits directly on the cutoff line separating those who will have guaranteed starting berths and those who will have to get in on speed.

"The main goal is to get back up on our feet," Gustafson said. "I feel that we've been kicked down a lot in the beginning of this season, and we have to turn that around. We need to have solid finishes. Well, first we need to finish. Nothing we're doing -- as far as setup, speed, pit stops -- has been wrong. We've been doing everything right. We just haven't finished a race due to the two engines and the tire at Atlanta. So it's hard to say that we need to change what we're doing, because I don't believe that's the truth. We just need to start getting the finishes we deserve."