Carl Edwards went hiking in the Arizona hills Saturday. It felt like a bit of a revelation when he realized, “I’m in a great mood!’’

Recent events would make anyone miserable; Edwards was in five crashes during Speed Weeks in Daytona. Even though none of them seemed his fault, that gets a race-car driver thinking.

“I’ve handled it the same way I have in the past; keep working as hard as I can to maintain confidence,’’ said Edwards. “There are cycles; ups and downs. Am I doing the right things? As long as I do that, whether or not we win 10 races a year, I’m OK.’’

Then Edwards was asked if these times raise doubts.

“I go into every race thinking we’re going to win,’’ Edwards replied. “Some people would consider that insanity the way we’ve run.’