rpm.espn.com: Approaching the twilight?

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Friday, January 18
Approaching the twilight?
ESPN.com

We asked our users whether Mark Martin had another title run in him or if his best days were behind him. Here are some of the responses:

I have been a Mark Martin fan for many years and his best days are not behind him. He will get his long overdue championship before he retires from driving. Jack Roush needs to concentrate more on Mark for the next few years and less on the so-called "young guns" of NASCAR. Their turn will come in due time. Mark just needs to be more aggressive in his style of driving. I know he can!

Kim Turner
Port Allegany, Pa.

Mark is not a has been. In a sport known for the intensity of its athletes, Mark is one of the most intense and focused of all the drivers. A couple of years ago many people were saying Dale Earnhardt, in his late forties, was just about washed up and he came back strong. I see Mark doing the same. Mark will be back in the top-10 this year!

Cathy Jacobsen
Oscoda, Mich.

Mark has been my favorite driver for several years now. But after his back and knee injury year before last he just has not seemed the same. I hope he can pull one off in my heart, but my head says no way.

Tim Haynie
Conyers, Ga.

Mark Martin is, by far, the best NASCAR driver to never have won a championship. The question in not whether he has the ability to win, it is whether he has the desire to win. Forty-three is by no means over the hill in Winston Cup. Mark should rebound well and show his worth to Jack Roush and Pfizer with another top-10 finish. A championship run may be a little out of the question, though.

David Ward
Memphis, Tenn.

I believe Mark's good days as a race car driver are over. I wish he would retire before he ends up hurting someone or himself on the track.

Kathy Legner
Pontiac, Ill.

I think Mark's biggest problem will continue to be his sportsmanship when driving. All the young guns and most of the top players use the "bump them out of my way" theory. Mark continues to drive a gentleman's race and that will not work.

Ralph Murphy
Rochester Hills, Mich.

As a Mark Martin fan it hurts me to say this, but his best days seem to be behind him. The crew chief change was more for the benefit of the future of Roush Racing (Kurt Busch) than for Mark's. With Matt's career taking up more of Mark's time, can Biffle sitting in the No. 6 really be that far off? There are lots of great drivers who've never won a championship, at least us Martin fans can look back on the four IROC championships, the Busch record and the class with which Mark has handled himself throughout his distinguished career.

Mike LaBosky
Moyock, N.C.

The lowest common denominator to me seems to be money. Roush has just not been able to keep everyone well taken care of. If Mark had been able to land one of the Dodge rides he would have been much better off. The success of the p7 motor program in the truck series, I think, will go a long way in regards to parity in Winston cup this year.

Steve Bain
Salt Lake City

I wish Mark Martin had a championship on his resume, because I don't think one is in his future. It's unfortunate this true gentleman may end his career as an "also ran." The wholesale changes to his team will probably cause early setbacks that might keep him out of the top-10 again in 2002. Staying out of Busch competition hasn't been a plus, but he seems to have redefined his priorities to place a larger emphasis on his family. That's not a bad thing.

B.J. Gadola
Poconos, Pa.

I think Mark can drive with anyone out there when he has the car. My biggest problem with Mark is that he is too "nice" on the track if he can't win. He should muscle the car a little more when he has what he refers to as "junk." He seems to ride around when the car isn't perfect.

David Dunevant
Lynchburg, Va.

Mark will get it together during the second half of the season. His desire to win is still strong so don't count him out yet. When the team gels, look out.

Steve Constantine
Pickerington, Ohio

After so many years of coming up short, I think the best thing for Martin to do is move on to another team. Martin needs to be with an organization that just doesn't give him wins, but championships. Roush "stock" isn't very high in Winston Cup right now. If Roush was a coach in the NFL, he would have been fired for not taking his team to the Super Bowl. Mark needs to try something new.

B.J. Mayes
Rogersville, Tenn.

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