"I think I'm better equipped to handle this than ever before, based on the experiences I've had," Martin said on a Tuesday conference call. "You have to look at the positive things and not focus on the negative. Expectations are really tough to deal with when you don't meet them. That's why I've tried so hard to limit and keep my expectations in check."
Thirteen races into this season, Martin was 10th in points. But since then, he's had only one top 10.
With the end of his racing career in sight, Martin might be known as the best driver never to win a championship. His runner-up finish last year was the fifth time he's finished second in points.
"When I look back now, it wouldn't have changed my life had I won it in 1990," he said. "I've been very fortunate to have been incredibly successful at doing what I have passion for and love. [But] I'm not a champion. I haven't earned the right to be in that category.
"There's different ways you measure success. [For] a race car driver, points is one of those measurements. But it is not the only measuring stick."
Martin still enjoys the thrills of racing. "There's more to racing than points," he said. "I believe the attraction of the sport is the race. You can't see the points tally until these [races] are over."
