rpm.espn.com: Stewart vs. Martin

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Thursday, November 14

Stewart vs. Martin
ESPN.com

Tony Stewart
Stewart

Mark Martin
Martin
One is a wily veteran who has come close before. The other is a younger hotshot who has taken the Winston Cup series by storm over the past few years. Now, both Mark Martin and Tony Stewart are in position to claim what would be a first Winston Cup championship for either driver.

So which driver do you hope comes out on top, and why? Check out the responses from our users:

The answer: Tony Stewart
This sport deserves a champion like Stewart who is learning to navigate the politics of NASCAR as well as the other 42 cars on the track!

Stephen Rose
Greensboro, N.C.

Tony Stewart is my choice because he has had a rough way to go this season. I think he has the right frame of mind to win a lot more also. Tony is not a NASCAR puppet on a string, either, and I like that.

Ken Bigglay
Franklin, Tenn.

I hope Tony Stewart wins. I have all the respect in the world for Mark Martin, but anyone who has seen Tony Stewart march from the back of the pack to the lead knows that Tony Stewart is best and most talented driver in motorsports.

Harold Connolly
New York, N.Y.

Tony Stewart should win. Mark Martin is in my eyes a cheater. The story about his long string of penalized infractions proves it. This will be the second championship he loses from cheating and probably not the last. I hope he loses this championship by the same number of points he just had taken away for his latest cheating!

Robert Christian
Brownsburg, Ind.

Stewart will be a great champion. People tend to relate his will to win with having a bad temper. Sure, he hasn't been the best role model but he is under the spotlight and everything he does is blown out of proportion. Young drivers like Stewart will help bring younger fans into the sport like Gordon did in the early '90s.

Jason Martinelli
Tucson, Ariz.

Mark Martin is vanilla ice cream. Tony Stewart is jalapenño jelly. NASCAR means excitement. Bring it on home, Smoke!

J. Edmund
Springfield, Mo.

Tony Stewart. Because sometimes attitude is everything

Henry Schultz
North Vernon, Ind.

Mark Martin is only in the race because of NASCAR's ridiculous point system, which is designed to insure a close finish rather than reward the best driver. Stewart should be fighting it out with Busch and Kenseth for the title. Martin shouldn't even be in the picture.

Bill Kuhlmann
Independence, Mo.

The answer: Mark Martin
I would like to see Martin win the championship. He is a veteran driver who deserves to win. Tony Stewart is a snot-nosed snob who does not deserve to win anything. He will not accept responsibility when he does anything wrong, everything is always the other person's fault. If i were Joe Gibbs after Atlanta when he called my race car the worst peace of crap he had ever driven, he would have been looking for a new ride at The Rock.

Brad Hay
Bessemer City, N.C.

Martin exemplifies all that NASCAR stands for in temperament, attitude and respect. Tony Stewart is a talented driver, which is his only saving grace. If Mr. Stewart were 31st in the standings, he would no longer be representing Home Depot or Joe Gibbs.

Dick Clarke
Colorado Springs, Colo.

Mark Martin is my pick. He has come so close so many times. He has had an excellent, very consistent season. He comes across as a genuinely nice guy and I think he deserves the championship.

Leigh Anne Buford
Deltona, Fla.

Mark Martin is 100-percent class act, respectful of his crew, team and sponsor. Tony Stewart is slightly a better driver. However, he is so disrespectful to his crew, team and sponsor that even with the Cup he will be no champion to me. Mark Martin, CHAMP all the way!

Steve Smith
Lakeside, Ontario

I think and hope Mark Martin wins the Winston Cup. Mark is long overdue and Tony Stewart has many more years ahead of him. Go Mark!

Susan L. Thompson
Columbus, Ohio

I have been a Mark Martin fan for a long time. I have seen him come so close to winning and come up short. And then go through the horror that was last season. These two guys are two of the most fiery competitors in NASCAR. I would love to see Mark and Jack Roush win this championship because of what they have done for the sport. In a sport where "new blood" is about to take over, it would be nice to see one of the vets stand on top of the hill.

Donovan Williams
Lakewood, Calif.

I have been a fan of Tony Stewart since he entered the series, but I have been a fan of Mark Martin since I started following Winston Cup way back in 1990. Anyone who takes the time to watch Mark on the track knows what a top-notch race driver he is he races clean, hard, and consistent, which is why you will NEVER see an accident caused by the No. 6 Viagra Ford. I like Tony, but Mark deserves this more than anyone, I'm pulling for him to take the goods home on Sunday .

Nathaniel Tangerini
Sherborn, Mass.

Mark Martin gets my vote. There isn't a driver more deserving in Winston Cup. He has had a stellar career and it would be a travesty for someone so successful to retire without that ever-elusive championship. Unfortunately, this might be his last chance to get one as he gets older and the "young guns" begin to take over the sport. He is a great driver, great spokesman and has done nothing but improve NASCAR throughout his career.

Thomas Reed
Morganville, N.J.

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