Wednesday, May 18th 'What If' Question

Contrary to what Jimmie Johnson has done the last five years, winning a Sprint Cup Series championship is never easy. In 2002 Sterling Marlin was cruising toward what could have been his first, winning early and often in the season and firmly sitting atop the standings.

During the summer months Marlin started to stumble and his point lead started to decrease and was down to 90 points by September. During a time when there was no Chase, the pressure was on the competition to hunt down Marlin and take the point lead by outperforming the No. 40 Coors Lite team. It would end up happening but through unfortunate circumstances.

It started in Richmond when Marlin crashed hard and suffered chest and shoulder injuries while again letting the point lead close up. A few weeks later in Kansas Marlin would again wreck and ended up fracturing a neck vertebra, ending his season. Jimmie Johnson would take the point lead.

From there it appeared that the next seven weeks the championship would be determined between Johnson and Mark Martin. But the two would get together on the pace lap at Talladega the following week before the green flag even flew. Their misfortune put Tony Stewart in the point lead for the first time in his career and he never looked back.

Stewart went on to win his first Sprint Cup Series championship by 38 points over Martin. Stewart would go on to win his second Cup championship three years later, 2005, by 35 points over Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.

What if Sterling Marlin didn't fracture a neck vertebra in 2002, would Tony Stewart be a two-time #NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion?
@Talon64: Sterling had a 91 point lead going into Richmond where he originally hurt his neck. Without the injury, he would've won.

@carolynbrewster: YES!!

@Irrational_LA: Yes.

@ladybug388: Yes

@GL2488: Nope, Marlin would have won, everyone wanted Stewart, which is a crying shame

@MattEmbury: Still don't think Tony would've caught Sterling that year.

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) Yes. Marlin had a free fall going.