2006 Daytona 500
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The 2006 Daytona 500 was the first
stock car race Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It or ...
of the
2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series The 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 58th season of professional Stock car racing in the United States and the 35th modern-era NASCAR Cup series season. It was started at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 12 with the Bud ...
. The 48th running of the
event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of e ...
, it was held on February 19, 2006, in Daytona Beach, Florida, at
Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NASC ...
before a crowd of 200,000 spectators. Hendrick Motorsports driver
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
won the 203-lap race starting from the ninth position.
Casey Mears Casey James Mears (born March 12, 1978) is an American professional off-road and stock car racing driver. He has raced in IndyCar, NASCAR's three national series including 15 seasons in the Cup Series, SCORE International, and the Stadium Super ...
of Chip Ganassi Racing finished second and Ryan Newman took third for Penske Racing South.
Jeff Burton Jeffrey Tyler Burton (born June 29, 1967), nicknamed The Mayor, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and current racing commentator. He scored 21 career victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, including two Coca-Cola 600s in ...
won the third pole position of his career by posting the fastest lap in qualifying. He led the first 18 laps until the first round of
pit stop In motorsports, a pit stop is a pause for refuelling, new tyres, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, as a penalty, or any combination of the above. These stops occur in an area called the pits, most commonly accessed via a pit lan ...
s. On the 28th lap,
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is ...
became the leader for the following 20 laps. From laps 58 to 80,
Matt Kenseth Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 8 car in the Superstar Racing Experience. (SRX) Kenseth started racing on several short tracks in Wisconsin and won track cha ...
led, before
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, team owner, author, and an analyst for '' NASCAR on NBC''. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving ...
took the lead on the 86th lap. Earnhardt led seven times for a total of 32 laps, more than any other driver. Before the final round of pit stops, Johnson became the new leader by passing his teammate
Brian Vickers Brian Lee Vickers (born October 24, 1983) is an American professional stock car and sports car racing driver. He last drove the No. 14 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing as an interim driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the injured ...
on lap 187. He maintained the lead over Newman and Mears to win under caution after Greg Biffle lost control of his car on the final lap. There were 11 cautions by a record-breaking 32 lead changes by 18 different drivers during the race. It was Johnson's maiden Daytona 500 win, his first at a
restrictor plate A restrictor plate or air restrictor is a device installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power. This kind of system is occasionally used in road vehicles (e.g., motorcycles) for insurance purposes, but mainly in automobile racing, to li ...
track at either
Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “'Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) from 1969 to 1989, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base ...
or Daytona International Speedway, and the 19th of his career. The victory came after Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended for unapproved alterations to his car, for which he received a fine of $25,000, and was suspended until March 22. It was the first of five races of the 2006 season that Johnson won en route to claiming his first of seven NASCAR Cup Series championships at the end of the season. As this was the first race of the season, Johnson led the Drivers' Championship with 190 points, followed by Mears and Newman on 170 points each.
Elliott Sadler Elliott William Barnes Sadler (born April 30, 1975) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing. Sadler is one of 36 dr ...
and Stewart were fourth and fifth with 165 and 160 points, respectively. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet led with nine points, ahead of Dodge in second with six points, and the third-placed
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
with four points. The race attracted 20 million television viewers.


Background

The Daytona 500 was the first of 36 scheduled
stock car races In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
of the
2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series The 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 58th season of professional Stock car racing in the United States and the 35th modern-era NASCAR Cup series season. It was started at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 12 with the Bud ...
, and the 48th running of the
event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of e ...
. It was held on February 19, 2006, in Daytona Beach, Florida, at
Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NASC ...
, a superspeedway that holds
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
races. Its standard track is a four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.0 km) superspeedway. Daytona's turns are banked at 31 degrees, and the front stretch—the location of the finish line—is banked at 18 degrees. The Daytona 500 was conceived by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., who built the Daytona International Speedway. The race was first held in
1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
; it is the successor to shorter races held on beaches around Daytona Beach. It has been the opening round of the NASCAR season since 1982, and from 1988, it has been one of four events that require cars to run
restrictor plate A restrictor plate or air restrictor is a device installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power. This kind of system is occasionally used in road vehicles (e.g., motorcycles) for insurance purposes, but mainly in automobile racing, to li ...
s. The Daytona 500 is often regarded as NASCAR's most prestigious race because it offers the most prize money in American auto racing. Victory is considered equal to winning either the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
, the Super Bowl or
The Masters The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first ma ...
. The race is often called the "Great American Race" or the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing". In preparation for the race, NASCAR held several test sessions on January 9–11 (for teams who finished in an odd-number position in the 2005 car owner points standings) and January 16–18, 2006 (for teams who finished in an even-number position in the 2005 car owner points standings). Every test session began at 9 a.m. EST, stopped for one hour from 12:00 – 1:00 pm. EST, and concluded at 5:00 pm. EST.
Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...
was fastest in the first session with a speed of . Bill Elliott paced the second session with a speed of .
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
led the third session at and Gordon the fourth at .
Matt Kenseth Matthew Roy Kenseth (born March 10, 1972) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He drives the No. 8 car in the Superstar Racing Experience. (SRX) Kenseth started racing on several short tracks in Wisconsin and won track cha ...
and Gordon led sessions five and six with respective speeds of and .
Kyle Busch Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time ...
and
Sterling Marlin Sterling Burton Marlin (born June 30, 1957) is an American semi-retired, professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, driving the No. 114 for Sterling Marlin Racing. He formerly competed in the N ...
paced sessions seven and eight with speeds of and , while
Scott Riggs Russell Scott Riggs (born January 1, 1971) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the 92 for RBR Enterprises in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Racing career Early career Riggs was born in Bahama, Nort ...
and Kyle Busch led the ninth and tenth sessions from speeds of and . The final two sessions were paced by
Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is a former American race car driver and current commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series champi ...
and Kyle Busch with respective speeds of and . After a large amount of bump drafting was observed during the Budweiser Shootout, NASCAR instituted two "no zones" at the exit of corners, which series officials and multiple digital cameras would check for drivers attempting to ram their cars into the rear of other vehicles in order to gain an aerodynamic or overtaking advantage. Drivers would be penalized with either a drive-through penalty or disqualification from the race depending on the severity of the bump. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice-president of competition, stated that bump drafting in the turns would no longer be tolerated. He commented, "It crosses over the line when the drivers are in the corner. That is not a good place to bump-draft. A straight line, it's not the best either, but a straight line is far safer than in the corners. There's guys that haven't totally honed the craft of bump drafting."


Practice and qualifier

A total of six practice sessions were held before the Sunday race. The first two were held on February 11 and lasted 120 and 90 minutes each. The next two took place on February 15 after the first qualifier and were shortened to 60 minutes each. Two days later, one more practice session was scheduled, which lasted for 75 minutes. The final practice session was held on February 18 and ran for 60 minutes. In the first practice session,
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is the 2014 Cup Series champion, ...
was fastest with a lap of 47.771 seconds, ahead of Gordon,
Kyle Petty Kyle Eugene Petty (born June 2, 1960) is an American former stock car racing driver, and current racing commentator. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of racer Adam Petty, who was killed in a crash d ...
,
Elliott Sadler Elliott William Barnes Sadler (born April 30, 1975) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing. Sadler is one of 36 dr ...
, Johnson, Jarrett, Elliott,
Jeremy Mayfield Jeremy Allen Mayfield (born May 27, 1969) is an American stock car racing driver. He drove cars for the Sadler brothers, T.W. Taylor, Cale Yarborough, Michael Kranefuss, Roger Penske, Ray Evernham, Bill Davis, and Gene Haas. In 2009, he drove for ...
,
Bobby Labonte Robert Allen Labonte (born May 8, 1964) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and current analyst for ''NASCAR on Fox''. He also currently competes full-time in the Superstar Racing Experience, driving the No. 18 car. L ...
, and
Joe Nemechek Joseph Frank Nemechek III (born September 26, 1963) is an American professional stock car racing driver who last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 24 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. Nemechek has made the second mos ...
. With a time of 47.757 seconds, Sadler led the rain-curtailed second practice session; Gordon was 0.219 seconds slower as he duplicated his first-practice result in second. Elliott improved to third. Jarrett, Johnson, Marlin, Mayfield,
Clint Bowyer Clinton Edward Bowyer (born May 30, 1979) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and commentator for ''NASCAR on Fox''. He competed in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2005 to 2020, driving for Richard Childress Racing for eight yea ...
,
Denny Hamlin James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and ope ...
, and Kurt Busch followed in positions four to ten. Kurt Busch hit a large section of cardboard on the back stretch, stopping the session after an hour. There were 58 cars entered the qualifier on February 12 for 43 spots in the race; due to NASCAR's qualifying procedure only 43 could race. Each driver ran two laps, and unlike most races during the season, the qualifying session determined the first two positions. The remainder of the field needed to qualify by the 2006 Gatorade Duels, through which 37 drivers were allocated largely in order of their finishing positions. Three remaining drivers were chosen through their qualifying speed, while one prior series champion qualified via a champions' provisional. The weather was cold with a
tailwind A tailwind is a wind that blows in the direction of travel of an object, while a headwind blows against the direction of travel. A tailwind increases the object's speed and reduces the time required to reach its destination, while a headwind has ...
.
Jeff Burton Jeffrey Tyler Burton (born June 29, 1967), nicknamed The Mayor, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and current racing commentator. He scored 21 career victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, including two Coca-Cola 600s in ...
was the 34th driver to set a lap time; he took his first pole position at Daytona International Speedway, his first since the 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400, and the third of his career with a time of 47.581 seconds. He was joined on the
grid Grid, The Grid, or GRID may refer to: Common usage * Cattle grid or stock grid, a type of obstacle is used to prevent livestock from crossing the road * Grid reference, used to define a location on a map Arts, entertainment, and media * News ...
's front row by Gordon who was 0.169 seconds slower. Kenseth was the only driver not to set a time because of a flat left-rear tire to start his lap. After qualifying, Burton said, "We just got lucky. That's the best wind we've had down here in all of testing and everything else. It just played into our hands, and we had a car that could take advantage of it.", and, "Today had nothing to do with me. The only impact that I had on today at all was to be a warm-blooded person that could mash the gas and turn the thing on. I think Michael Waltrip once said a drunk monkey could do it, and I was a drunk monkey, I guess." After post-qualifying inspection, Johnson's lap times were deleted as a result of an illegal rear window template lowered by a track bar adjuster to the right rear of his vehicle, providing Johnson with an aerodynamic advantage.
Terry Labonte Terrance Lee Labonte (born November 16, 1956), nicknamed Texas Terry or The Iceman, is an American former stock car driver who raced from 1978 to 2014 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup and Sprint Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series). A tw ...
also had his lap times disallowed after it was discovered that his car's carburetor had non-sanctioned modifications. Both Johnson and Labonte were ordered to start from the rear of the field in the Gatorade Duels. NASCAR did not confiscate Johnson's primary car, and his crew corrected the infraction to enable its return to competition. NASCAR ejected Johnson's crew chief
Chad Knaus Chad Anthony Knaus (; born August 5, 1971) is an American former NASCAR crew chief. He is currently employed at Hendrick Motorsports as the Vice President of Competition. Knaus has 81 victories as Jimmie Johnson's crew chief and is the only NA ...
from the Daytona 500, which was unappealable. Knaus' role was assumed by Hendrick Motorsports lead engineer Darian Grubb. In the third practice session,
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (born October 10, 1974) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, team owner, author, and an analyst for '' NASCAR on NBC''. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving ...
led with a 47.024 seconds lap, ahead of Kenseth, Ryan Newman,
Kevin Lepage Kevin Paul Lepage (born June 26, 1962) is a retired American professional stock car racing driver, who last drove in NASCAR in 2014. Racing career Early career Lepage spent the 1980s driving in both the Busch North series and the Vermont-based ...
,
Scott Wimmer Scott Allan Wimmer (born January 26, 1976) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has a total of six wins in the Xfinity Series. His brother Chris Wimmer competed in the Busch Series. Wimmer co-owns State Park Speedway in Wausau ...
, Jeff Green. Kurt Busch,
David Stremme David Andrew Stremme (born June 19, 1977) is an American professional stock car racing driver. Early career Stremme was born in South Bend, Indiana. His racing roots can be traced back to Midwestern short track racing, where he followed in the f ...
, Burton, and
Jamie McMurray James Christopher McMurray (born June 3, 1976), nicknamed Jamie Mac, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and currently an analyst for '' Fox NASCAR''. He raced in the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis from 2003 to 2018 ...
. Petty and
Kenny Wallace Kenneth Lee Wallace (born August 23, 1963) is an American race car driver and former reporter for Fox NASCAR. He retired from NASCAR in 2015 after driving in the national series since 1988. In a career spanning twenty-five years in NASCAR, Wallace ...
had anxious moments while drafting other cars; both drivers were able to control their vehicles. Both Hamlin and
Derrike Cope Derrike Wayne Cope (born November 3, 1958) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He is known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 f ...
made contact with a wall beside the track; they continued with no major damage to their cars.
Brian Vickers Brian Lee Vickers (born October 24, 1983) is an American professional stock car and sports car racing driver. He last drove the No. 14 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing as an interim driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the injured ...
led the fourth practice session with a 46.946 seconds time, with
Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspo ...
, Greg Biffle, Jarrett, Kenseth, Bowyer,
Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, IMSA, IROC and the Dakar Rally. He is active in top-tier off road motorsports such as BITD, N ...
, Burton,
Chad Chaffin Chad Chaffin (born July 20, 1968) is an American former stock car racing driver. Chaffin has raced in all three of NASCAR's major series. He was a two-time track champion at the historic Nashville Speedway USA, where he met his friend, Andy Ki ...
and
Dave Blaney David Louis Blaney (born October 24, 1962) is a semi-retired American professional stock car racing driver. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR, competing in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Ser ...
in positions two to ten. Mike Wallace had a tire detach and his oil line failed 15 minutes into the session. Sadler and Jeff Gordon were the winners of the Gatorade Duels. The qualifying grid was finalized with Sadler, Kyle Busch,
Carl Edwards Carl Michael Edwards II (born August 15, 1979) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. Prior to that, he drove the No. ...
, McMurray, Earnhardt, Bobby Labonte, Johnson and
Mark Martin Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series s ...
completing the top ten starters. The last three drivers who qualified on the basis of their qualifying speed were
Travis Kvapil Travis Wade Kvapil ( ; born March 1, 1976) is an American professional stock car driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Silverado for Beaver Motorsports. He was the 2003 NASCAR C ...
, Hermie Sadler, and
Kirk Shelmerdine Edward Kirk Shelmerdine V (born March 8, 1958) is an American stock car racing driver and former championship-winning crew chief for Dale Earnhardt. Crew chief After spending his early NASCAR career as an engineer for Hylton Engineering, in 1984 ...
. Terry Labonte used a champions' provisional to start the race. The fifteen drivers who failed to qualify were
Scott Riggs Russell Scott Riggs (born January 1, 1971) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the 92 for RBR Enterprises in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Racing career Early career Riggs was born in Bahama, Nort ...
, Kenny Wallace, Wimmer, Mike Skinner, Cope,
Larry Gunselman Larry Gunselman (born December 1, 1960) is an American former stock car racing driver and team owner. He was the owner of Max Q Motorsports, which fielded the No. 37 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 2009–12. Career Gunselman beg ...
, Chad Blount,
Larry Foyt Lawrence Joseph Roberds Foyt (born February 22, 1977) is an American former NASCAR and IndyCar driver. He is the biological grandson and adopted son of A. J. Foyt, and a biological cousin (and uncle by adoption) of A. J. Foyt IV. His biological m ...
,
Andy Belmont Andy Belmont (born November 20, 1957) is a retired stock car driver and team owner. Belmont began racing at an early age before moving south. In 1987, he was named the NASCAR Dash Series Rookie of the Year, then he won the championship the next y ...
,
Randy LaJoie Randall Joesph LaJoie (born August 28, 1961) is a former NASCAR Busch Series race car driver (now the Xfinity Series), where he won the championship in 1996 and 1997. He is the father of racers Casey and Corey LaJoie. Early racing career LaJo ...
,
Morgan Shepherd Clay Morgan Shepherd (born October 12, 1941) is an American retired professional stock car racing driver and current team owner. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 89 Chevrolet Camaro for Shepherd Racing Ven ...
, Chaffin,
Carl Long James Carlyle "Carl" Long (born September 20, 1967) is an American professional stock car racing driver, mechanic, and team owner. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 66 Toyota Supra for MBM Motorsports. In t ...
, Paul Menard, and
Stanton Barrett Stanton Thomas Barrett (born December 1, 1972) is an American professional stock car racing driver and Hollywood stuntman who last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro for Mike Harmon Racing, and pa ...
. Marlin switched to a back-up car after he was collected in an accident in the first qualifying race. Nemechek's team changed his engine after it failed in the second qualifying event. Stremme paced the fifth practice session with a 47.038 seconds, 0.001 seconds faster than Robby Gordon in second. Harvick, Green, Elliott,
Ken Schrader Kenneth Schrader (born May 29, 1955) is an American professional racing driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while also competing part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 11 Ford for Fast Tra ...
, McMurray,
Kasey Kahne Kasey Kenneth Kahne (; born April 10, 1980) is an American dirt track racing driver and former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, driving the No. 95 Dumont Jets/ Procore Technolo ...
, Earnhardt and Kurt Busch followed in the top ten. In the final practice session, which took place in warm weather conditions that prompted drivers to limit their running to preserve their cars, Schrader recorded the event's fastest overall lap of 46.708 seconds; Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt, Green, Lepage, Jarrett, Marlin, Petty, Burton, and Brent Sherman completed the top ten ahead of the race. The session passed without major incident. Bobby Labonte's engine failed late in practice, and his team changed engines. Vickers glanced the turn three wall and resumed without any substantial car damage.


Qualifying results


Race

As Nemechek's crew prepared for the event at 9:00 am, his car had a small engine compartment fire after oil-covered tire rubber in his exhaust header ignited, prompting his team to change the wiring harness and the aluminium heat shield beside the engine's header. Live television coverage began at 1:30 pm EDT in the United States on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. Around the start of the race, weather conditions were overcast and cool; forecasts predicted an air temperature of and cloudy conditions. Ronald Durham, pastor of Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Florida, began pre-race ceremonies with an
invocation An invocation (from the Latin verb ''invocare'' "to call on, invoke, to give") may take the form of: *Supplication, prayer or spell. *A form of possession. *Command or conjuration. * Self-identification with certain spirits. These forms ...
. Hip-hop singer Fergie of
The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hi ...
performed the
national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
, and actor
James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Suppo ...
commanded the drivers to start their engines. During the pace laps, Bobby Labonte and Nemechek moved to the rear of the field because they changed their engines. Marlin did the same after he switched to a back-up car. The race began at 2:45 pm. Burton maintained his pole position advantage to lead the field into the first turn. In turn three, Green's left-rear tire went flat; no caution was prompted because the carcass rolled into the infield grass. By lap three, two distinct packs of cars had been established; 27 vehicles were in the lead pack, and the rest were five seconds behind Earnhardt made it three abreast through the tri-oval on the fifth lap; it returned to being two abreast entering the back straightaway. After starting 26th, Harvick advanced to tenth by lap nine, and Petty dropped 17 positions over the same distance. The top three cars established a single file on lap 15, with the next six rows two abreast. Two laps later, the first caution was given; Vickers lost control of his car leaving turn two, and Truex served to avoid him; Vickers made heavy contact with a right-hand side wall, causing his car's right side
sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes. Thicknesses can vary significantly; ex ...
to rub against the right rear tire. During the caution, the field (including Burton), made pit stops for fuel and tires. Sadler led Earnhardt at the lap 21 restart. One lap later, Earnhardt steered right to attempt a pass on Sadler without drafting assistance. He was unsuccessful and dropped back. Jeff Gordon became the new leader on the 24th lap and Sadler fell to fourth. On lap 25, Kenseth assumed the first position by overtaking Gordon, with Earnhardt second and Stewart third. Earnhardt took the lead from Kenseth two laps later, as Stewart got loose in turn two, and slid up towards Kenseth; he regained control of his car. On the 28th lap, McMurray provided Stewart with drafting assistance to pass Earnhardt for first. Six laps later, Mike Wallace came over into Mayfield, who in turn, went into Biffle; no caution was needed. Mayfield went down pit road for repairs on the lap. He made a second pit stop on lap 38 because his right-front tire was cut from a fender. On lap 40, Stewart remained first, with McMurray second. Mayfield made a third pit stop for sheet metal repairs on the next lap. On the 48th lap, just after Stewart lost the lead to McMurray, Gordon lost control of his vehicle and made contact with Stewart's front. Both drivers were sent into the right-hand wall exiting the second turn, and sustained right-hand side damage. The field (including McMurray) made pit stops under caution. McMurray sustained metal sheet damage from being dropped off his team's jack, and Edwards had front-end repairs made. As fog descended on the track between turns one and three, reducing visibility, Newman led the field at the lap 52 restart, followed by Kenseth. Six laps later, Kenseth received assistance from Kyle Busch to take the lead from Newman. Kyle Busch lost positions from the 61st lap, while Kurt Busch moved to third. By the 75th lap, Stewart returned to 13th place. Four laps later, a multi-car collision caused a third caution. Green lost control of his car from contact with Jarrett, and slid upward into J. J. Yeley's path in turn three. Nemechek was collected, and the front of Edwards' car momentarily mounted Petty's left-side fender; both slid into the infield grass at turn three. The leaders (including Kenseth) made pit stops under caution. Kurt Busch and Travis Kvapil both staggered their pit stops, leading one lap each before making their stops. Racing resumed on lap 85 with Kenseth leading and Harvick in second. That lap, as the field spread out in turns one and two, Harvick passed Kenseth to claim the lead. Earnhardt went left and used Nemechek's slower car to get ahead of Harvick for first place on lap 86. Four laps later, Kenseth received drafting assistance from Kurt Busch to reclaim the first position from Harvick on the right. A fourth caution was prompted when a spring rubber was located on track during lap 91. The leaders (including Kenseth) chose to make pit stops during the caution. Earnhardt led at the lap 96 restart. Entering turn three on the lap, Kenseth overtook Johnson for second. Martin received drafting assistance from Stewart to pass Earnhardt on the right for the lead on the 104th lap. The fifth caution was waved on lap 107. Stewart turned left, making contact with the front of Kenseth's car entering the third turn. This sent Kenseth into the infield grass and went backward onto the track in turn three and hit no other vehicle en route to glancing the wall. The field (including Martin) chose to enter pit road during the caution. Earnhardt took the lead after all cars made their pit stops. In the meantime, Stewart was sent to the end of the longest line for "aggressive driving". As Stewart and Kenseth exited pit road, Kenseth turned to the outside into turn one, and hit the right-hand quarter of Stewart's car. NASCAR issued an order to Kenseth to serve a drive-through penalty. The race resumed on lap 112, with Earnhardt leading a lap before Biffle overtook him. Kenseth disputed his penalty and he remained on track until the 114th lap. Earnhardt retook the lead for two laps, before Kyle Busch assumed it from laps 116 and 120 until Johnson passed him on lap 121. On lap 124, Robby Gordon's right-front tire failed in turn three, and he hit the wall, triggering the sixth caution. During the caution, the field (including Johnson) went down pit road. Elliott led the field on lap 126 before making his pit stop. Stewart drove over his pit stall jack, and was ordered to drop to the end of the nearest longest line. Martin led at the lap 129 restart, followed by Johnson. That lap, Johnson attempted an unsuccessful pass Martin on the outside. Martin then pulled away with drafting aid from Earnhardt as the top six formed a single line by lap 132. Earnhardt took the lead back ten laps later, and Vickers passed his teammate Johnson on the outside on lap 143. On the following lap, Vickers took the lead. Lap 155 saw the seventh caution; debris was located in the
groove Groove or Grooves may refer to: Music * Groove (music) * Groove (drumming) * The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s * The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station * Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station ...
on the frontstretch. All of the leaders including Vickers made pit stops under caution. Johnson went onto the grass to avoid hitting Newman. Earnhardt led Vickers and Newman at the lap 160 restart. Newman passed Earnhardt on the outside for the lead four laps later, which Earnhardt retook momentarily. On lap 167, Kurt Busch moved to second. Kahne helped Earnhardt move to second on lap 171. Five laps later, Kvapil's right front tire burst, causing him to crash into the turn three right-hand wall, and prompting the eighth caution. During the caution, all cars including Newman entered pit road. Vickers led at the lap 181 restart after having no tires fitted to his car. Every driver, except for Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch, turned onto the inside. Just as Johnson overtook his teammate Vickers on the outside in turn two for the lead with Newman's help, the ninth caution was waved on the 187th lap, when McMurray hit the left-rear of Kurt Busch's car on the backstretch, sending Busch into a barrier. Marlin and Jeff Gordon were collected and debris hit Stewart's car. Johnson maintained the lead at the restart on lap 190. Newman bump drafted Vickers for two laps, before passing him for second, and attempted to challenge Johnson.
Casey Mears Casey James Mears (born March 12, 1978) is an American professional off-road and stock car racing driver. He has raced in IndyCar, NASCAR's three national series including 15 seasons in the Cup Series, SCORE International, and the Stadium Super ...
then overtook Vickers for third. Johnson led the next seven laps before a tenth caution flag was necessitated for an accident. Burton drifted up on the backstretch, and hit McMurray, causing Burton to collide with the wall. Burton went down into Bobby Labonte's right-hand side, causing both drivers to hit the wall, and Labonte collected Hamlin. During the caution, one of Newman's mechanics went to speak to representatives from Mears' and Sadler's teams, imploring them to get their drivers to draft Newman on the outside at the restart. Both declined because of the opportunity to win the race. The race restarted on the 202nd lap for a green–white–checker finish extending it to 203 laps, with Johnson leading Newman and Mears, and the trio drew clear from the field. Sadler and Earnhardt achieved a good run to get back to the first three cars. On the final lap, Earnhardt attempted to advance his position by turning right but he fell back. Then, Newman attempted to pass Johnson on the right; Mears remained with Johnson instead of drafting Newman. In turn four, Biffle spun and hit the turn four wall, causing the eleventh (and final) caution. The field was frozen in place, with the order of finish determined by where the drivers were when the caution began. This gave Johnson his maiden Daytona 500 victory, his first at a restrictor plate track (at either Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway), and the 19th of his career. Mears finished second, ahead of Newman in third, Sadler in fourth, and Stewart in fifth. Bowyer, Vickers, Earnhardt, Schrader, and Jarrett completed the top ten finishers. There were 11 cautions and 32 lead changes among a record-breaking 18 different drivers during the race. Earnhardt's 32 laps led was the most of any competitor. Johnson led four times for a total of 24 laps.


Post-race

Johnson appeared in
Victory Lane The following is a glossary of terminology used in motorsport, along with explanations of their meanings. 0–9 ;1–2 finish: When two vehicles from the same team finish first and second in a race. Can be extended to 1–2–3 or 1–2–3– ...
to celebrate his first Daytona 500 victory in front of a crowd of 200,000 spectators; the win earned him $1,505,124. He believed his team would win without Knaus and dedicated it to his detractors, saying, "I just have so much pride in my team with the circumstances that we've faced this week. Chad made a mistake and we're dealing with the consequences that come with that. But I think this shows how hard we work to be successful, and nobody can deny the fact that we worked out butts off and won the sport's biggest race." Mears said he was happy to take second, the fifth top-five finish of his career, "These races are so hard to get good finishes in ecauseso many people can affect the outcome. Obviously we would have liked to have won ecauseit would have forced
Chip Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a type of immunoprecipitation experimental technique used to investigate the interaction between proteins and DNA in the cell. It aims to determine whether specific proteins are associated with specific genom ...
and Felix abates, team co-ownerto put me in the
Indy 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianap ...
, which would have been a lot of fun. At the end of the day, it was a good finish for us, we had an excellent day and I couldn't be happier – unless we won." Third-placed Newman told Mears after the race, "You cost me a million dollars". He said he was proud to attempt a pass for the win, "I told the guys over the radio afterward, if I had that run and didn't take it, I would have had a hard time sleeping tonight – probably for the next 10 or 15 years, maybe – you never know." With regards to the uncertainty over whether Johnson would be allowed to retain the victory, Johnson was confirmed as the winner several hours later since his car passed post-race inspection. Newman noted three of Johnson's previous wins came under scrutiny from NASCAR, adding, "This could still be the first opportunity for NASCAR to pull away a victory if the thing is illegal, I think a lot of Jimmie Johnson and his talent ... but I'm pretty sure that three of his past four wins have had conflict with the cars being illegal. It's not necessarily good for the sport." Johnson responded by targeting Newman's crew chief Matt Borland, and said that he would defend against personal criticism and that to Hendrick Motorsports. Mears spoke his belief Johnson earned the victory, "In my mind, the fact that they got caught earlier in the week took away every doubt in my mind that they'd actually do anything to cheat in this race." Hendrick Motorsports founder and owner
Rick Hendrick Joseph Riddick "Rick" Hendrick III (born July 12, 1949), nicknamed "Mr. H", is an American businessman. He is best known as the owner of the NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports. He is also a co-owner of JR Motorsports and founder of the Hendrick Au ...
declared Knaus' ejection from the race as unimportant and said of the issue, "We've been through inspection I don't know how many times. NASCAR did what they did, and we came back and ran two races. That was history." Two days after the race, NASCAR announced penalties for Hendrick Motorsports and Hall of Fame Racing. Hendrick Motorsport's penalties for "actions detrimental to stock car racing", and for making an unapproved template modification to Johnson's rear window, included a $25,000 fine for Knaus, who was suspended from NASCAR until March 22, 2006. Knaus was also placed on probation until December 31, 2006; Johnson did not incur a points penalty. The team did not appeal the penalties and Grubb continued in Knaus' role until the Golden Corral 500. Hall of Fame Racing's penalties were for "actions detrimental to stock car racing", and for having a non-compliant carburetor in accordance to the 2006 NASCAR Rule Book. Crew chief Philippe Lopez was fined $25,000, and Terry Labonte and team owner Bill Saunders were penalized 25 points in the Drivers' and Owners' Championships. Hall of Fame Racing and its partner
Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization owned and operated by former Washington Redskins (today the Washington Commanders) coach Joe Gibbs, which first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991. His ...
announced they would appeal their penalties. The appeal was heard before a three-member National Stock Car Racing Commission on March 7 at NASCAR's Research & Development Center in
Concord, North Carolina Concord is the county seat and largest city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 105,186, with an estimated population in 2021 of 107,697. In terms of population, the cit ...
. The penalties were upheld. Hall of Fame Racing decided not to appeal further to Charles D. Strang, the NASCAR National Commissioner. Kenseth said Stewart purposefully eliminated him from contention on lap 107. He was disenchanted with him, and urged NASCAR to address bump drafting, "There's no two ways about it. He was mad because earlier in the race when I passed him he got loose, which I didn't think I did anything wrong." Stewart argued Kenseth caused the crash, "I guess Matt didn't think anything when he got me sideways over in (Turn) 2, either. He should have thought about that first. He got back what he started in the first place. I got penalized for that." McMurray commented on his accident with Kurt Busch on lap 187, "I need to apologize to Kurt. I got into him, that was 100 percent my fault and I feel really bad because he had a car capable of winning and I kind of screwed that up for him." Earnhardt, who led the most laps of any driver with 32, said he was pleased after finishing ninth, "We had a great race car, built by all the technology and resources at DEI. … We came down here and ran great. That's what we wanted to do. I'm real proud of everybody back at the shop and all my guys down here that have been working on this car all week. It's been a long week." As this was the first race of the season, Johnson led the Drivers' Championship with 185 points, followed by Mears and Newman in joint second with 170 points. Sadler and Stewart were fourth and fifth with 165 and 160 points, respectively. Earnhardt, Vickers, Bowyer, Schrader, and Jarrett rounded out the top ten. It was the first of five races of the 2006 season that Johnson won on the way to claiming his first of seven NASCAR Cup Series championships at the end of the season. Chevrolet led the Manufacturers' Championship with nine points, Dodge was in second with six points, and
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
followed in third with four points. The race attracted a television audience of 37 million viewers; it took 3 hours, 33 minutes, and 26 seconds to complete; because it ended under caution, no margin of victory was recorded.


Race results


Standings after the race

;Drivers' Championship standings ;Manufacturers' Championship standings *Note: Only the top five positions are included for the driver standings.


Notes and references


Notes


References

{{Portal bar, Florida, Sports, United States Daytona 500 Daytona 500 NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway February 2006 sports events in the United States