Holden veteran Craig Lowndes says returning to Supercars' top table is his only goal in 2018.
The 43-year-old had his worst championship result in more than a decade last year by finishing 10th on the standings.
Lowndes had just one podium finish in 2017 and started his 2018 campaign with a ninth in the season opener at Adelaide on Saturday.
The six-time Bathurst champion doesn't however believe his time as a leading driver is over.
"Our expectations are to be top five, we want to be pushing for race wins," Lowndes told AAP.
"We've got to score points when we're not winning races, or when we're not on the podium, so (Saturday) was all about survival and a little bit of recovery. Try and get as many points as we could."
Lowndes third and last drivers' championship came in 1999, with Triple Eight Race Engineering teammate Jamie Whincup denying him from adding to that tally in recent seasons.
The superstar believes last year's woes were mainly on the back of poor qualifying displays, leading to his first winless campaign since joining Triple Eight in 2005.
A failure to make the top 10 shootout for pole position in Saturday's race at Adelaide meant Lowndes began the race in 15th and he says that sort of starting position has to be avoided if he's to rediscover his best form.
"Of course we need to qualify better," he said.
"We're disappointed in Friday's qualifying. Saturday's race was great again, we've just got to make sure we start closer to the front."
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