The 20 or the 24? It's an easy call.(NASCAR)

Who's the best driver in the garage?

That question was posed last week at a NASCAR function at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

The list eventually narrowed to Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. The question then became: What's the greater accomplishment, winning four Cup championships, as Gordon has, or winning the USAC Triple Crown and an IRL title in addition to two Cup titles in the past four years, as Stewart has?

Stewart's accomplishments won the day, hands down. His ability to race competitively in a variety of vehicles on so many different surfaces puts Smoke in a class by himself. And the streak Stewart went on from July to November last season was nothing short of spectacular. If Stewart and the No. 20 team continue that momentum, there's no telling what he can accomplish.

So where does that leave Gordon, who has been the best driver for so long? Even as he struggled last season and his confidence was shaken, his demeanor off the track remained upbeat and professional.

He is the last driver to win consecutive titles, and he won three in a four-year period from 1995 to 1998. When Gordon won his fourth Cup title in 2001, it seemed inevitable he would join the elite class of seven-time champions, alongside Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.

Gordon flirted with a fifth title in 2004, and under the old points system, it would have been a done deal. But now even Gordon believes it would take an unbelievable hot streak to win three more championships.