Monday, April 4th 'What If' Question

When Kevin Harvick won on Sunday beating the favorite son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., he did so without having to go through the Martinsville masters of Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. Entering the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 the two had won the past nine races at the speedway going all the way back to 2006 when Tony Stewart was the last driver not named Hamlin or Johnson to capture the checkered flag.

Sunday though started out like a typical Martinsville race. Both quickly found their ways to the front and led laps. Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's team held serve on pit road during many of the early stops and he began to rack up the laps led. After Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Kyle Busch, asserted himself as the one to beat both Hamlin and Johnson seemed content to run in the top five as the laps wound down.

That was until the final pit stops of the day shook up and changed the outcome of the race. When the leaders hit pit road Hamlin lost positions and was dropped from win contention. Johnson was caught speeding and had to restart at the tail end of the longest line, also dropping out of win contention. It left Busch, Harvick, Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth at the front and in prime position.

Hamlin came home with a 12th place finish and Johnson finished 11th. Not what the NASCAR world is used to seeing from two drivers who usually settle who takes the Grandfather clock home between them.

But ...

What if @JimmieJohnson doesn't get a speeding penalty & restarts 2nd next to Busch, how different does the race end yesterday? #NASCAR

@Talon64: Dale Jr. restarts 4th and probably loses spots. Harvick takes lead like Dale Jr. did and doesn't look back. JJ 3rd.

@ladybug388: It probably would end the same with Kevin winning as he was coming no matter what. Though he would've finished top 3 #NASCAR

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) The Closer still wins!

Matt Wenzel (via Facebook) I agree with Andy.