Monday, December 27th 'What If' Question

It's hard to remember the time that no one could touch Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona International Speedway.

Little E had picked up where his dad left off, by winning something whenever NASCAR was in town. In the Sprint Cup Series: the Pepsi 400 (2001), Budweiser Shootouts (2003, 2008), Gatorade Duel races (2003, 2004, 2008), and the Daytona 500 (2004). In the Nationwide Series (2002, 2003, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010).

But lately it's been a struggling in anything that Earnhardt Jr. has sat in, not winning a point paying race in the Sprint Cup Series since June of 2008 and being shut out of victory lane in Daytona since the Nationwide July race in 2006. He did win the July race this past season.

Before that however, Earnhardt Jr. was back in the season-opening race for the Nationwide Series looking for another win. In order to do so he would have to beat the Kevin Harvick Inc. car of Tony Stewart, who has won the last two February events. Earnhardt Jr. was a contender, as always, back in February, driving his own No. 88 Hellmann's Chevrolet.

Running third on lap 92 of 120, Earnhardt Jr. was suddenly flipping down the backstretch instead of charging into turn three. Carl Edwards had turned right, clipping Brad Keselowski who clipped the rear end of Earnhardt Jr.'s machine and sent him for a wild ride. Stewart went on to win his third straight race.

For Earnhardt Jr. it was an expensive day. With the No. 88 mangled, as well as the No. 7 of Danica Patrick who also crashed, JR Motorsports he said would have to go back and balance their check books. The bright spot though, was that his crash was spectacular, he didn't want to go flipping and not have it be worth it he said.

But ...

What If @DaleJr didn't flip in February NNS race @ Daytona, could he have ended Tony Stewart's win streak (Stewart won 3rd straight)

@ARosser14 No. And that isn't bias. KHI's cars were far better. A guy collected in that crash, Kevin Harvick, would have if anyone did.

@smokinace88 I believe June could have won it he had a strong powerful car all day

@cruetten if Harvick hadn't wrecked too, it would've been Jr, Stewart, and Harvick at the end with Jr winning the race--not Stewart.

@RoushGirl17 Yes...I think he had the car, and the confidence to have won that race. He was running right up front and doing a great job when he flipped. Just look at what he did in the 500...right up the middle and almost caught McMurray.