CONCORD, N.C. - There are 10 drivers in the race for the Nextel Cup title, but only three of them are in the thick of the chase.

Mark Martin wants to make it a four-man race, and Lowe's Motor Speedway is the perfect place for him to get back into it.

Martin heads into the UAW-GM Quality 500 on Saturday night in fifth place in the standings, 150 points behind leader Kurt Busch. But Martin has four wins at Lowe's - three of them in the fall race - and a victory could close the gap on the competition.

Asked if he could win Saturday night, Martin didn't blink.

"There's not a doubt in my mind," he stated.

This is the way Martin wants to wind down his career - at the top of his game, as a championship contender. That's why he chose this weekend to announce that next year will be his final full season of competition.

"One of the reasons for my stepping out at this time is because I was never really convinced, deep down inside, that I was all that good," Martin said. "I've fooled a lot of people for a long, long time, and I don't want to take any chance on getting caught up in something where everybody figures out that I was sham and I really wasn't as good as the results I got."

Martin was never a sham at Lowe's, his favorite on the circuit. His last victory at the track was in 2002, when he broke a 73-race drought by taking the Coca-Cola 600.

That victory resurrected Martin's career, and pushed him to a second-place finish in the series standings. But last season he wound up 17th - the worst finish in his first 17 years as a full-time competitor.

And in a bittersweet twist, teammate Matt Kenseth won the championship. Of course Martin was happy for his protege, but it still stung just a bit. After all, Martin is famous for never having won a title - finishing second four times and third another four.

The hard luck seemed to follow Martin into this season, where he lingered around 15th in the Nextel Cup standings for most of the year. But his Roush Racing team turned it up over the summer, and Martin clawed his way into NASCAR's new 10-race championship playoff system.

Getting there was what finally convinced Martin he'd had enough full-time racing.

"Chasing for the Cup in 2004 has definitely been the most consuming season of my life," Martin said. "No one can understand how important it has been for me to be a contender."

But his run through the championship hasn't been spectacular - save for a second-place finish in Dover three weeks ago.

His shot at getting back on track will be challenged Saturday night by championship contenders Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson, who both ran Friday night in the Busch race.

The two finished second and third, behind race-winner Mike Bliss, and gained valuable experience by running under the cooler, night conditions that will be in effect for the Cup race.

Kenseth wouldn't give up the goods when asked what the Busch experience does for Cup preparations.

"I can't tell you that because then we wouldn't have an advantage," he said.

Kenseth and Johnson both had a shot for the win when Bliss used a gutsy move to steal the race from them.

As Kenseth and Johnson battled side-by-side when the SpongeBob 300 restarted with 19 laps to go, Bliss pulled up next to them and coasted by in a three-wide pass coming out of the fourth turn.

"I didn't care about second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth," Bliss said. "I wanted to win. I just drove my heart out."

The victory was special for Bliss, who currently drives for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Busch series, but isn't sure he'll be back next season.

"I don't want to go anywhere. I love these guys," he said, motioning to his team.