BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Carl Edwards admitted Friday at Michigan International Speedway that it is getting wearisome for him to repeatedly have to defend himself and the Cup season he's having.

“

I've done as good a job or better this season than I did last season. We don't have the results to show for it, but I feel I've done a really good job.

”

-- CARL EDWARDS

"I've done as good a job or better this season than I did last season," Edwards said. "We don't have the results to show for it, but I feel I've done a really good job."

For the perception that he hasn't lived up to expectations this season, Edwards can blame himself -- or more specifically, the series-high nine victories he posted last season. That led to him widely being labeled as the preseason favorite to challenge three-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson this year.

Instead, he enters Sunday's Carfax 400 at MIS having yet to win a Cup race in 2009. Despite being a more-than-respectable sixth in points after 22 races, it seems that's all anyone wants to ask him about these days. Everyone wants to know why he hasn't won and when he's going to win next.

Edwards pointed out that he hasn't run poorly. Even though he has yet to win a race, the fact that he's been close several times is reassuring to him. He insisted that is evidence of No. 99 Ford team being on the right path.

"We've had some scenarios," Edwards said. "I mean, let's just look at this, guys: if we would have had a good pit stop at the end of the race in Texas, we would have won there; if things had gone a little bit differently at Talladega, I would've won Talladega; at Pocono, if I didn't have to worry so much about fuel mileage there, about where we were in the points, it's very possible I could have won that race. I mean, those are a legitimate three races I could have won.

"Then nobody would be asking me these questions. That question wouldn't even exist -- and the only reason it does is because of just very slight, extraneous, small things." (Continued)