LOUDON, N.H. – The answers varied. There was no clear-cut favorite.

Thirteen Winston Cup drivers at this Sunday’s New Hampshire 300 Winston Cup race were asked if they could be a professional athlete in any other sport, what would it be and why?

“I would be a pitcher. Pitchers control the game. I love sports,” said Newburgh native Ricky Craven.

“I think a pitcher has such an impact on a game,” he said.

“I’d get bored as hell being in the outfield. I wouldn’t mind catching because my hero growing up was [former Red Sox catcher] Carlton Fisk.”

“Probably basketball,” said Jeff Green. “I enjoy watching UK [University of Kentucky] play and I enjoy college basketball. I wasn’t much of an athlete growing up in high school. I played in the band; I played the trumpet. I might like to be in a professional band. I don’t know. It’s just one of those deals. I’m pretty happy doing what I’m doing. I’m not really looking forward to doing anything else.”

Kurt Busch chose baseball.

“As kids, we all grew up wanting to be professional baseball players,” said Busch. “I’d enjoy the travel, going to different ballparks, the atmosphere, and playing the games. I’d be an infielder of some sort. I’ve never been a big power hitter. Those guys are usually the outfielders. I’d probably be a shortstop. I played three years of that. I played a bunch of catcher, but that was because nobody else wanted to play it.”

Diminutive John Andretti laughed and had some fun with the question.

“Probably a lineman on a football team. Nah, I’m just kidding,” said Andretti, who is built more like a kicker. “I don’t know. I love ice hockey. I think the NHL is really, really cool. The speed of the sport and the action and stuff is probably the closest to Winston Cup. Evidently, the action on the ice is kinda what happens in the garage area [fights] sometimes. I love that sport, but I’m way too small to play most other sports. I’d probably only be able to be a horse jockey if I was to do something else and that’s too dangerous. I don’t want to do that.”

Ward Burton gave it some thought.

“I don’t know if I got the physical characteristics for a lot of them,” said Burton. “I guess I could be a horse jockey. I don’t really know, man. That’s a good question. I was always good with stick and ball. I’m not good enough to play professional in any of them.”

Michael Waltrip never hesitated.

“A golfer,” said Waltrip. “It looks like a lot of fun. You get to play golf for a living. What else could a guy ask for?”

Morgan Shepherd said, “Probably, I would have been a boxer or a skater. Something in skating. I love boxing. George Foreman is my hero.”

Kyle Petty responded, “Man I don’t know. Never thought about it. Maybe a golfer. And maybe a good golfer so I could make a lot of money. That’s why.”

Jerry Nadeau went along with Waltrip and Petty in the golf stable.

“Golfers make a lot of money and you can’t really get hurt unless you get hit by a golf ball,” said Nadeau.

Todd Bodine struggled with the question.

“Jeez, that’s a tough question. I’ve never thought about it. I played football in high school,” said Bodine, who chose professional bobsled driver.

Bodine has ridden in bobsleds because his older brother, Geoff, has been instrumental in the development of the U.S. bobsled program that won several medals at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City this past winter.

“I’d love to do it. That would be cool,” said Bodine.

Ryan Newman said he “probably wouldn’t be” a professional athlete in another sport.

“If you’re good at something, and some people are good at more than one thing. But this is what I enjoy,” said Newman.

Bobby Hamilton said he’d like to be a boxer.

“It’s a pretty neat sport. It’s real demanding. A lot of discipline, focus-type deal. I just think it’s a real cool sport,” said Hamilton, who is sidelined with a broken arm.

Joe Nemechek said, “Offhand, I don’t know what it would be.”

When asked if there were any sports he enjoyed, he responded, “Fishing.”