A driver with unrelenting drive.(NASCAR)(Lowe's Motor Speedway)

Considering the roller-coaster ride of emotions Mark Martin has experienced during his 20-plus years in NASCAR's elite series, it's no wonder he has been pegged as racing's eternal pessimist.

But it's more accurate to refer to Martin as a pragmatist. Imagine holding the reins on your exquisitely crafted carousel pony with one hand and grasping for the elusive brass ring with the other, knowing it's oh, so close, but so far away.

In 16 seasons with Roush Racing, Martin, 45, has finished in the top five in points 10 times, including second four times. He has finished outside the top 10 only three times. Last year was one of those times; Martin's 17th-place finish was his worst with Roush.

When Martin said at Daytona this season that he'd "rather sit on the couch" than have another year like 2003, you had to believe him. But rather than wallow in sell-pity--even after his engine puked out seven laps into the Daytona 500--Martin and his team fought back ... and fought back ... and fought back. This was a group effort. That's the only way a team can rise from 43rd to eighth in points in 25 races.

But Martin refuses to settle for riding around, and he shouldn't. He never has. Martin, who has 10 years on Jeremy Mayfield, the next-oldest Chase driver, has built a career on consistency, and his record shows it.

In 39 starts at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the site of Saturday night's race, he has four victories and 15 top fives. He has won twice at Martinsville (October 24) and at Atlanta (October 31) and once at Phoenix (November 7) and at Darlington (November 14). He hasn't won at Homestead (November 21), but there have been just five races there.

So what's his best track in the remaining six races?