Tuesday, April 5th 'What If' Question

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was three laps away from winning his first Sprint Cup Series race in nearly three years last Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway. After taking the lead from Kyle Busch with less than 20 laps to go it was all about counting down the laps for the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, until Kevin Harvick showed up on the scene.

Harvick took the lead and the win with three laps to go and Earnhardt Jr. held off Busch for the second spot. Afterward the talk of whether or not Earnhardt Jr. was back and could contend for the title became the headline early in the week. For Junior Nation it was a close but no cigar moment yet they were proud of how their driver had performed and are anxious for the weeks to come. No more than ever do they feel a win may be around the corner.

For some though it is not enough as attention has turned to how Earnhardt Jr. should have won on Sunday. During a discussion on NASCAR Now on Tuesday it was stated Earnhardt Jr. let Kevin Harvick pass him for the win. Comparisons of his father have always followed Little E, but by not winning on Sunday many feel as though he let his old man down. He should have wrecked Harvick or roughed him up they say.

Yet, for those who really know Earnhardt Jr. and as he stated on Sunday, he doesn't want to be the bad guy. Never one to be overly aggressive and just take someone out, Earnhardt Jr. opted to race Harvick the same way that Harvick raced him, clean. A complete failure he's been called because he is not his father and never will be. In settling for a second place finish it was as if some thought Earnhardt Jr. just let Harvick have it and moved over.

In his post race comments that was far from the truth as Earnhardt Jr. said,"I was thinking at the end that I was meant to win that damn race. Hell, I'm not sitting there leading that thing by seven car lengths thinking I'm about to lose."

But ...

What if Dale Jr. had moved and/or wrecked Harvick for the win, would you have thought any less or more of the win? #NASCAR

@mwoodruff8829: Since being there I would had not thought less if Jr had moved him I like seeing competitive racing between my two favorites!

@MCs_nascargang: I wouldn't have minded if Jr had moved Harvick for the win, not wreck him, but put his nose in there and take the win

@leesdog1966: I would have loved it, its racing like harvick said I am in it to win it, Go dale jr

@kartracer3886: id be happy anyway he won. But I'm fine with the way he raced.

@weizdawg: if jr would have wrecked him that would of been his move to win not on purpose but to win anyone else would have done it to.

@RoushGirl17: Not in the least, Harvick would have moved him, and others would have. He stuck to his way though, got to give it to him for integrity. #NASCAR

@ladybug388: Probably felt the same regardless, personally. Though it'd create excitement in seeing what Kevin would do

@4xLeft: When he had a chance to move Kevin, there were too many laps back. 29 woulda moved him back. He was 2 fast to get away from.

@TominBristol: If the 29 didn't have a wrecked rear, Jr's nudge might have been enuff!

@jester_3: Harvick was positioned so he would have come across and destroyed Jrs front, but had he done it... Just Martinsville

@cruetten: I would've been fine with it, but I'm a Jr fan.Any other driver, and I wouldn't have been fine with it. Yes, I admit my bias!

John Gazarkiewicz (via Facebook) More, he needs to be more aggressive, Harvick is...

Stephen Taylor (via Facebook) no I would have applauded!