Edwards shrugs off winless start

The Roush Fenway racer won nine races last season - more than any of his rivals - on his way to finishing runner-up in the championship to Jimmie Johnson. This year though, a third place at Atlanta shows as his best result thus far and he ranks eighth in the drivers' standings.

The 29-year-old made the point that it has not been long since he won for the last time, as he scored his most recent victory in the 2008 season finale at Homestead.

Despite a 15th place at Bristol and a 26th at Martinsville last week, he feels he has run well enough although different issues have hampered him from getting better results.

"It's been six races since we've won. I don't think we need to panic," Edwards said.

"We're fine. We've performed very well. For instance, last week we were the best I've ever been speed-wise at Martinsville. I'm really proud of that. Had a flat tyre and didn't finish well in the race, but we're doing fine.

"Obviously, we'd love to have six wins, but we're fine."

A year ago, Edwards had already won two races, before taking a third victory at Texas. He believes last season was a very special one, as wins do not come along as easy as it may have looked like for him. He insists his team is not in trouble and reckons that a winning streak may kick off anytime.

"I think if you look at the drivers that have won no races for the last year, the drivers who have won one race in the last year or year and a half, shows you how difficult winning races is," said Edwards.

"And so it makes those seasons, like last season, seem that much more special. But, literally, we could win here and win the next ten in a row, or we could run second in the next ten, and the difference could be six inches in each race, and people would say, 'Wow. Why haven't you won a race?' It's been a total of five feet, you know?

"The perception is always different than the reality. It's kind of interesting. I guess my answer is, just like earlier, it's been six races since we've won. I don't think we're in any sort of trouble."

Edwards arrives at Texas this weekend as the most recent winner at the track. He scored two victories out of two races at the mile-and-a-half oval last year.