The2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 58th season of professionalstock car racing in theUnited States and the 35th modern-era NASCAR Cup series season. It was started atDaytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 12 with theBudweiser Shootout and ended on Monday, November 20, with theFord 400 atHomestead-Miami Speedway. TheChase for the Nextel Cup began with theSylvania 300 on Sunday, September 17, atNew Hampshire International Speedway. This was the last full-time season with the Gen 4 car.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20Chevrolet forJoe Gibbs Racing, was the defending series champion, but lost out in defending his championship this year, having finished outside of the top 10 in the points standings after theChevy Rock and Roll 400. He did, however, claim a $1 million (US) bonus as the best finisher outside theChase for the Nextel Cup drivers, winning three of the ten Chase races. By the end of the seasonChevrolet had captured 23 victories, and 270 points to win theNASCAR Manufacturers' Championship overFord.^[1]

The 2006 season was the first forFord's all-newFusion, which replaced theTaurus both in NASCAR and in showrooms. Also, a new version of theChevrolet Monte Carlo, called the Monte Carlo Super Sport (SS for short) debuted on the circuit.

Several new drivers were in their first stint as regulars on the Nextel Cup circuit in 2006. After winning back-to-backBusch Series championships in 2004 and 2005,Martin Truex Jr. drove the No. 1Chevrolet forDale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI). Vacated byMichael Waltrip, their No. 15 car was driven by rookiePaul Menard and ran a part-time schedule of only seven races.

Waltrip left DEI to driveBill Davis Racing's new No. 55 car, but ownership was transferred to the newly merged (with the old No. 77 team)Waltrip-Jasper Racing to ensure that Waltrip would compete in the first five races. Despite the change, the No. 55 still received most of its equipment and crew from BDR. On January 23 inCharlotte, North Carolina, as part of the annual Media Tour, NASCAR announced that theToyota Camry would be added to the series in 2007, meaning thatToyota would become the first non-American car manufacturer to run in the premier series sinceJaguar in the mid-1950s. Waltrip-Jasper Racing and BDR became two of the first Toyota teams, although they raced Dodges. They did so without Dodge's support because BDR had raced Toyotas in theCraftsman Truck Series. The team hiredDave Blaney to take the wheel of the No. 22 Dodge. A third Toyota team, carrying the No. 83, was owned byRed Bull Energy Drink, withBrian Vickers as the driver. It was believed that they would also buy the No. 7 Jim Smith-owned team driven byRobby Gordon. 1988 series championBill Elliott attempted three races for Red Bull in a Dodge, as the 2006 Camry was not approved for racing. He didn't make any starts in the ride, nor did formerChamp Car driverA. J. Allmendinger. With Blaney's departure, the No. 07 Chevy forRichard Childress Racing was driven byClint Bowyer.

2004 Nextel Cup championKurt Busch replaced a retiredRusty Wallace in the No. 2Dodge forPenske Racing. 2003 Rookie of the YearJamie McMurray replaced Busch to driveRoush Racing's No. 26 (formerly 97)Ford. In addition,Mark Martin continued his "Salute to You" tour for their No. 6 car.

With the egressing of both McMurray andSterling Marlin fromChip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates,Casey Mears became the senior driver and moved to No. 42 Dodge andReed Sorenson took over his ride in the No. 41.David Stremme replaced Marlin in the No. 40 car. Sold to resort magnate Bob Ginn during the season and formerly numbered 10, Marlin drove the No. 14 car forMB2 Motorsports andScott Riggs took the No. 10 car toEvernham Motorsports just as they switched from Chevy to Dodge.Jeremy Mayfield andElliott Sadler were released from Evernham Motorsports andRobert Yates Racing. Sadler drove Evernham's No. 19, andDavid Gilliland replaced him in RYR No. 38 car; that change took effect for theGFS Marketplace 400.

Jeff Green replacedMike Bliss in the No. 66 (formerly No. 0) car, which leftPetty Enterprises' No. 43 Dodge open for formerJoe Gibbs Racing driverBobby Labonte to step in. His new teammate/team ownerKyle Petty brought sponsorships fromWells Fargo, NTB, andSchwan's to the No. 45 car, with Schwan's moving from the No. 49.Competitive Edge Motorsports ceased operations, andMarathon Petroleum Company sponsoredKyle Petty.J. J. Yeley took over for Labonte in JGR's No. 18 Chevrolet.Denny Hamlin, after scoring three Top 10 finishes at the end of the previous season, raced full-time in their newly entered No. 11 car, and he claimedrookie of the year honors, two checkered flags (both atPocono Raceway, the first rookie to sweep both races in a single season) and third in the Championship standings.

Hall of Fame Racing started operations in 2006. Two-time Cup series championTerry Labonte drove their No. 96 car for the first five races utilizing the past champions provisional rule, andTony Raines took over at Martinsville. Labonte wound down his career "Texas Style" in the No. 44Hendrick Motorsports second car following theDickies 500 race in November in his home state atTexas Motor Speedway, where he finished 34th.

Brent Sherman took over forKen Schrader in the No. 49 Dodge forBAM Racing, only to be replaced byKevin Lepage, who started the season in the No. 61 (formerly No. 66) car forPeak Fitness Racing. Bliss replaced Sherman in the No. 49 as well.Front Row Motorsports hiredChad Chaffin to run for Rookie of the Year andRandy LaJoie (who was replaced byChad Blount) to run full-time in their No. 34/92 car as well as buying Peak Fitness Racing's No. 61, suspending the 92's operations. Schrader replacedRicky Rudd in theWood Brothers No. 21 Ford. Starting this season, Wood Brothers made a partnership withJTG Racing (a Busch Series and Truck Series at the time) to field the No. 21 entry and the team was renamed toWood Brothers/JTG Racing.^[2]

Scott Wimmer tookMike Wallace's place inMorgan-McClure Motorsports's No. 4 Chevrolet but departed when2002 Daytona 500 championWard Burton took over for him late in the season after sitting on the sidelines.Travis Kvapil moved from the Jasper team to Chevrolet forPPI Motorsports.Furniture Row Racing announced it would run full-time, withKenny Wallace driving their No. 78 Chevrolet.

NOTE: An asterisk (*) in each Top Ten finish denotes a rookie driver.

This non-points race, which involved the previous season's pole winners and past Shootout winners, was held February 12, 2006, atDaytona International Speedway after a postponement of one day due to rain, and in a major upset, rookieDenny Hamlin won the event. Even though he was classified as a rookie, Hamlin had qualified by winning the pole position for theChecker Auto Parts 500 held November 13, 2005 in Phoenix. Hamlin drove in only 7 Nextel Cup races in 2005.

• Complete Results

Jeff Burton won the pole for the race with a speed of over 189 mph, and would start alongsideJeff Gordon in an all-Chevy front row. Gordon would win the second Gatorade Duel (his third career victory in a Daytona qualifying race) afterElliott Sadler won in race 1, which was delayed by showers.

The weather dawned cloudy and cold for the 48th running of the "Great American Race", whenJeff Burton led the field to the green at 2:45 pm, which at the time was the latest scheduled start in the history of the race (the reason for this was thatNBC chose it as its lead-in program to the primetime portion of its day's coverage of theWinter Olympic Games fromTurin). There were several lead changes in the early part of the race going, with a race record of 32. The first caution flew on lap 18 whenMartin Truex Jr. hit the wall. During this caution, Burton was passed byElliott Sadler for the lead a lap later. The race restarted on lap 20 and 4 laps later,Jeff Gordon took the led away from Sadler.Carl Edwards, a popular "dark horse candidate" for theNextel Cup championship, had his day end early, as he was involved in a five-car pileup on lap 80 that collectedDale Jarrett,Kyle Petty,Jeff Green,J. J. Yeley andJoe Nemechek. This was the biggest crash of the day, since the "Big One" never occurred. This would also bring out the third caution flag. Because of this, Edwards finished 43rd.Tony Stewart was a "magnet for controversy", tangling withJeff Gordon on lap 48 andMatt Kenseth on lap 106. The first incident (which left debris on the track) brought out the second caution, which ended when the race restarted four laps later, and the second one would bring out the fifth caution. Stewart was penalized for aggressive driving after the incident with Kenseth, in which he blocked the No.17 car into the grass, causing it to spin and hit the wall in turn 3. Kenseth took matters into his own hands and wasblack-flagged for hitting Stewart's car in retaliation on pit road. The three drivers involved in these two incidents would repair their cars and get back into contention. Kenseth at first failed to answer the black flag, which resulted in NASCAR no longer continuing to score the 17 car for 1 lap. Kenseth would make up the lost lap and catch up to lead lap traffic.

Jimmie Johnson had one of the strongest cars all day. He took the lead with 10 laps to go just as the ninth caution flag came out for a crash involving Gordon,Kurt Busch,Jamie McMurray, andSterling Marlin. This set up a 10-lap battle for the win. The race was extended into "overtime" when McMurray and Burton collided on lap 197, bringing out yet the 10th caution. Thegreen-white-checkered finish ended whenCasey Mears andRyan Newman battled for second, leaving Johnson to take the victory. The race ended under caution whenGreg Biffle crashed in turn 4, just before Johnson crossed the line. The 48th running of the Daytona 500 was the first win for the No. 48 car on arestrictor plate track. This was also Johnson's 19th career win and his first during his streak of five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships from 2006 to2010.

One surprise of this race wasKirk Shelmerdine, who finished 20th. He had barely qualified for the Daytona 500 and his independently owned No. 27 was fielded with a car that had a borrowed engine and donated tires, as well as a team with a volunteer pit crew.

Top Ten Results: (Race distance extended to 203 laps/507.5 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)

1. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
2. No. 42Casey Mears
3. No. 12Ryan Newman
4. No. 38Elliott Sadler
5. No. 20Tony Stewart
6. No. 07Clint Bowyer *
7. No. 25Brian Vickers
8. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9. No. 21Ken Schrader
10. No. 88Dale Jarrett

Failed to qualify:Scott Riggs (No. 10),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Scott Wimmer (No. 4),Mike Skinner (No. 23),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Larry Gunselman (No. 52),Chad Blount (No. 37),Larry Foyt (No. 50),Andy Belmont (No. 59),Randy LaJoie (No. 64),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Chad Chaffin (No. 92),Carl Long (No. 80),Paul Menard (No. 15),Stanton Barrett (No. 95)

• Clint Bowyer scored a top-10 finish in his first full-time Nextel Cup race.
• As of 2024, this was the final Daytona 500 televised by NBC. The NASCAR TV deal for 2001 through 2006 allowed for FOX and NBC to rotate the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400 every year. FOX would broadcast the Daytona 500 on odd-numbered years, and NBC would broadcast the race on even-numbered years. FOX would televise every Daytona 500 after the new broadcast rights deal went into effect in 2007.
• As of 2024, 2017 NASCAR Cup Series ChampionMartin Truex Jr. has made every start at this point.

• Complete Results

Body styles and engines were the story for the second race of theNextel Cup season, the Auto Club 500 atCalifornia Speedway on February 26.Kurt Busch won the pole (187.086 mph) using a 2004Dodge Intrepid-styled body, as opposed to the newDodge Charger, which hisPenske Racing team believed was aerodynamically superior.Bobby Labonte and the No. 43 team drove the Intrepid as well. Others, includingEvernham Motorsports driversJeremy Mayfield andKasey Kahne, drove the Charger.

On race day,Greg Biffle dominated, leading 168 of the first 218 laps. Biffle won the previous year's spring race at California, finished second in the fall, and had won theBusch race the day before.Tony Stewart was the fastest Chevy in the early going. He overcame the car falling off the jack on a pit stop and an unscheduled stop for a flat tire to claw his way back among the leaders only to have an engine failure at lap 215, ending a string of 30 straight races without a DNF. Biffle continued up front until lap 226. He reported to the crew that his engine had lost a cylinder and a few laps later, he retired to the garage. This leftMatt Kenseth to take the lead and only a late-race caution kept him from pulling away. Smoke and oil from the No. 4 car ofScott Wimmer brought out a yellow with three laps to go. Kenseth easily held offJimmie Johnson in thegreen-white-checkered finish to earn his 11th career win.

Top ten results: (Race distance extended to 502 miles/251 laps due to green-white checkered rule.)

1. No. 17Matt Kenseth
2. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
3. No. 99Carl Edwards
4. No. 9Kasey Kahne
5. No. 31Jeff Burton
6. No. 26Jamie McMurray
7. No. 42Casey Mears
8. No. 18J. J. Yeley *
9. No. 6Mark Martin
10. No. 5Kyle Busch

Failed to qualify:Travis Kvapil (No. 32),Hermie Sadler (No. 00),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Randy LaJoie (No. 34),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89)

• Complete Results

After a week off, the Nextel Cup series returned to action atLas Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12, 2006, for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400.Greg Biffle clocked the fastest lap in qualifying at 172.403 mph.

In the third consecutive race to require agreen-white-checkered finish,Jimmie Johnson blew pastMatt Kenseth on the last corner of the day to get his 20th career victory and second of the season. Kenseth looked like a good bet to cruise to victory beforeDenny Hamlin andKenny Wallace wrecked three laps from the end, bunching the field and leading to the overtime finish. Before the lap 268 restart, Kenseth told his crew that his engine felt weak, but he was able to protect the lead until the last corner, where Johnson, who had not led all day, overtook the 17 car on the high side to take the win by a half a car length. This was the first time that a green-white-checkered finish occurred in the first three races of the season.

Top Ten Results: (Race distance extended to 270 laps/405 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)

1. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
2. No. 17Matt Kenseth
3. No. 5Kyle Busch
4. No. 9Kasey Kahne
5. No. 24Jeff Gordon
6. No. 6Mark Martin
7. No. 31Jeff Burton
8. No. 16Greg Biffle
9. No. 42Casey Mears
10. No. 11Denny Hamlin *

Failed to qualify:Stanton Barrett (No. 95),Hermie Sadler (No. 00),Brandon Ash (No. 02),Mike Skinner (No. 37),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Randy LaJoie (No. 92)

• This was last time The Overtime Rule was used in this event until 2022 where Alex Bowman won, also in the 48 for Hendrick Motorsports.

• Complete Results

There were no extra laps in race four of the Nextel Cup season, the Golden Corral 500 atAtlanta Motor Speedway, but there was an extra day, as rain showers forced the green flag to be moved to Monday, March 20 at 11 am Television coverage moved to cable'sFX channel for the race (with some exceptions).

Kasey Kahne sat on the pole with a speed of 192.553 mph, edgingRyan Newman by .002 seconds.Bill Lester qualified 19th in the No. 23 Dodge Charger, becoming the firstAfrican-American to start a NASCAR Nextel Cup race since 1986. He finished 38th, six laps down. Last year's Atlanta winner,Carl Edwards eliminated himself from contention early. He damaged the front end of the 99 car after hittingDave Blaney on pit road on lap 45 during a caution to address the stopped car ofKyle Busch.Bobby Labonte ran in the top 10 for the first 50 laps before his engine failed on lap 55. Another scary incident took place on pit road during the sixth caution of the day (laps 189–197), whenReed Sorenson hit John Slusher,catch can man forRobby Gordon's crew, as he pulled out of his pit stall. Slusher was attached to abackboard but was treated at the infield care center.

Several rookies had good days at Atlanta.Paul Menard andReed Sorenson finished in the top ten, andDenny Hamlin led 16 laps. He was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop because of a loose condition, and finished 31st.

On the track, the 9 car was near the front all day. Kahne took the lead fromGreg Biffle with 79 laps to go. Despite a charge fromMark Martin, Kahne was not seriously challenged down the stretch and visited victory lane for the second time in his career. Kahne was the first driver to win from the pole sinceMatt Kenseth in the 2005Sharpie 500.

Top ten results:

1. No. 9Kasey Kahne
2. No. 6Mark Martin
3. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. No. 24Jeff Gordon
5. No. 20Tony Stewart
6. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
7. No. 15Paul Menard *
8. No. 45Kyle Petty
9. No. 88Dale Jarrett
10. No. 41Reed Sorenson *

Failed to qualify:Mike Garvey (No. 51),Stanton Barrett (No. 95),Chad Chaffin (No. 34),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Travis Kvapil (No. 32),Mike Skinner (No. 37),Greg Sacks (No. 13),Chad Blount (No. 92)

• Complete Results

The fifth race of the season, the Food City 500, was held atBristol Motor Speedway on March 26, 2006. Qualifying was cancelled on March 24 due to snow, sleet and rain, and the field was set with top 35 owners points from 2005, the Champion's Provisional (forTerry Labonte) and seven others, based on qualifying attempts in 2006. As a result, 2005 championTony Stewart sat on pole.

The race featured 18 cautions, and over 100 of the 500 laps were run under theyellow flag. Points leaderJimmie Johnson made contact with the car ofReed Sorenson which caused a flat tire and put the 48 car multiple laps down. He finished 30th. Lap 188 saw the most notable wreck of the first half of the race, asClint Bowyer spunDave Blaney, causing a chain reaction that collectedDavid Stremme,Brian Vickers andMichael Waltrip and brought out ared flag to clean up.

Jeff Gordon spunMartin Truex Jr. out on lap 415 in an incident that collectedJeff Burton,Robby Gordon andJ. J. Yeley.Kurt Busch, who had made up two laps lost earlier in the day due to tire problems, used the "bump-and-run" to nudgeMatt Kenseth out of the lead with four laps to go. Jeff Gordon used the same tactic to take third, but on the final lap, Kenseth used the bump and run to spin Gordon out as Busch raced to victory. Gordon finished 21st and was involved in a shoving match with Kenseth.

The win was Busch's fifth in 11 career races at the Tennessee track and the fifteenth in his career. It was Dodge's first win at Bristol sinceRichard Petty in 1975.

Top ten results:

1. No. 2Kurt Busch
2. No. 29Kevin Harvick
3. No. 17Matt Kenseth
4. No. 99Carl Edwards
5. No. 43Bobby Labonte
6. No. 6Mark Martin
7. No. 16Greg Biffle
8. No. 5Kyle Busch
9. No. 12Ryan Newman
10. No. 9Kasey Kahne

Failed to qualify:Chad Chaffin (No. 34),Mike Skinner (No. 37),Mike Garvey (No. 51),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Chad Blount (No. 92).

• Complete Results

The sixth race of the season, the DirecTV 500, was held atMartinsville Speedway on April 2, 2006.Jimmie Johnson won the pole.

Top ten results:

1. No. 20Tony Stewart
2. No. 24Jeff Gordon
3. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
4. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. No. 5Kyle Busch
6. No. 38Elliott Sadler
7. No. 29Kevin Harvick
8. No. 25Brian Vickers
9. No. 26Jamie McMurray
10. No. 10Scott Riggs

Failed to qualify:Derrike Cope (No. 74),Kevin Lepage (No. 61),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Jimmy Spencer (No. 49),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Hermie Sadler (No. 00).

• Complete Results

The Samsung/Radio Shack 500, the seventh race of the season was held atTexas Motor Speedway on April 9, 2006.Kasey Kahne won the pole.

Top ten results:

1. No. 9Kasey Kahne
2. No. 17Matt Kenseth
3. No. 20Tony Stewart
4. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
5. No. 29Kevin Harvick
6. No. 31Jeff Burton
7. No. 10Scott Riggs
8. No. 1Martin Truex Jr. *
9. No. 6Mark Martin
10. No. 43Bobby Labonte

Failed to qualify:Brent Sherman (No. 49),Chad Blount (No. 92),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Chad Chaffin (No. 34),Stanton Barrett (No. 95).

• Complete Results

The Subway Fresh 500, the eighth race of the season was held atPhoenix International Raceway on April 22, 2006.Kyle Busch won the pole.

Top ten results:

1. No. 29Kevin Harvick
2. No. 20Tony Stewart
3. No. 17Matt Kenseth
4. No. 99Carl Edwards
5. No. 07Clint Bowyer *
6. No. 9Kasey Kahne
7. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
8. No. 43Bobby Labonte
9. No. 31Jeff Burton
10. No. 24Jeff Gordon

Failed to qualify:Chad Chaffin (No. 34),Mike Garvey (No. 51),Chad Blount (No. 92),Kevin Lepage (No. 61),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Steve Portenga (No. 52)

• Complete Results

The ninth race of the season, the Aaron's 499, was scheduled to be held atTalladega Superspeedway on April 30, 2006. However, due to rain starting one lap prior to the green flag, the event was postponed until the following day. Television coverage was moved from Fox to FX except for several Fox stations which elected to carry the race.Elliott Sadler won the pole. TheAaron's 499 was one of five impound races this year in the Nextel Cup Series.

Top ten results:

1. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
2. No. 20Tony Stewart
3. No. 25Brian Vickers
4. No. 31Jeff Burton
5. No. 26Jamie McMurray
6. No. 17Matt Kenseth
7. No. 2Kurt Busch
8. No. 99Carl Edwards
9. No. 10Scott Riggs
10. No. 7Robby Gordon

Failed to qualify:Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Stanton Barrett (No. 95),Mike Wallace (No. 09),Chad Blount (No. 92),Brent Sherman (No. 49),Kenny Wallace (No. 78)

• With the win, Jimmie Johnson completed the Career Grand Slam. (Daytona 500, spring Talladega race, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500)

• Complete Results

The Crown Royal 400, NASCAR's tenth race of the season was held atRichmond International Raceway on May 6, 2006.Greg Biffle won the pole. This was the second impound race of the 2006 season.

Top ten results:

1. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
3. No. 29Kevin Harvick
4. No. 16Greg Biffle
5. No. 5Kyle Busch
6. No. 20Tony Stewart
7. No. 99Carl Edwards
8. No. 12Ryan Newman
9. No. 14Sterling Marlin
10. No. 07Clint Bowyer *

Failed to qualify:Kertus Davis (No. 89),Chad Chaffin (No. 34),Stanton Barrett (No. 95),Hermie Sadler (No. 00)

• This wasDale Earnhardt Jr.'s final win driving forDale Earnhardt, Inc. Earnhardt Jr. went winless in 2007 before joiningHendrick Motorsports in 2008.
• Final career Top 10 finish forSterling Marlin.

• Complete Results

The Dodge Charger 500, the eleventh race of the season was held atDarlington Raceway on May 13, 2006.Kasey Kahne won the pole.

Top ten results:

1. No. 16Greg Biffle
2. No. 24Jeff Gordon
3. No. 17Matt Kenseth
4. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
5. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
6. No. 12Ryan Newman
7. No. 5Kyle Busch
8. No. 6Mark Martin
9. No. 31Jeff Burton
10. No. 11Denny Hamlin *

Failed to qualify:Chad Chaffin (No. 61),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Carl Long (No. 37),Chad Blount (No. 34)

The first of two non-points doubleheader races was held May 20, 2006, atLowe's Motor Speedway.Scott Riggs won the pole, and would go on to win after having led every single lap.

Top Ten Results

1. 10-Scott Riggs
2. 66-Jeff Green
3. 25-Brian Vickers
4. 11-Denny Hamlin*
5. 18-J. J. Yeley*
6. 40-David Stremme*
7. 31-Jeff Burton
8. 14-Sterling Marlin
9. 7-Robby Gordon
10. 21-Ken Schrader

The second non-points race was held May 20, 2006, atLowe's Motor Speedway. Kasey Kahne won the pole in the unique three-lap qualifier that included a required four-tire pit stop.

Top Ten Results

1. 48-Jimmie Johnson
2. 29-Kevin Harvick
3. 24-Jeff Gordon
4. 99-Carl Edwards
5. 12-Ryan Newman
6. 43-Bobby Labonte
7. 88-Dale Jarrett
8. 45-Kyle Petty +
9. 8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10. 10-Scott Riggs §

+ – Was selected by fans in a poll to participate following Nextel Open.

§ – Winner of Nextel Open.

• Complete Results

The twelfth points-paying race, the Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR's longest race in terms of distance, was run on May 28, 2006, at Lowe's Motor Speedway.Scott Riggs won the pole.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 9Kasey Kahne
2. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
3. No. 99Carl Edwards
4. No. 6Mark Martin
5. No. 17Matt Kenseth
6. No. 31Jeff Burton
7. No. 16Greg Biffle
8. No. 26Jamie McMurray
9. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
10. No. 41Reed Sorenson *

Failed to qualify:Kevin Lepage (No. 49),Hermie Sadler (No. 00),Chad Chaffin (No. 61),Michael Waltrip (No. 55)+,Stanton Barrett (No. 95),Mike Garvey (No. 51),Chad Blount (No. 34),Carl Long (No. 37),Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 27), andKertus Davis (No. 72).

• Jimmie Johnson would come up one spot short on his quest to win 5 straight races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He would also fail to break out of a 3-way tie withBill Elliott andDale Earnhardt Jr. by trying to win 5 straight superspeedway races at one track.

+Michael Waltrip failed to qualify, but he boughtDerrike Cope's 43rd starting spot (No. 74).

• Kyle Busch was fined $50,000 (US) and had 25 championship points deducted for throwing hisHANS device atCasey Mears after an accident.

• Complete Results

The thirteenth race of the season, the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented byBank of America, was held atDover International Speedway on June 4, 2006.Ryan Newman won the pole for this race.

Top ten results:

1. No. 17Matt Kenseth
2. No. 26Jamie McMurray
3. No. 29Kevin Harvick
4. No. 31Jeff Burton
5. No. 5Kyle Busch
6. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
7. No. 9Kasey Kahne
8. No. 16Greg Biffle
9. No. 6Mark Martin
10. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Failed to qualify:Carl Long (No. 34),Donnie Neuenberger (No. 52),Chad Chaffin (No. 61), andStanton Barrett (No. 95).

• Tony Stewart was injured at Charlotte and needed relief fromRicky Rudd, who was taking a year off from racing.
• This was the final NASCAR Cup Series race aired onFX.

• Complete Results

The Pocono 500, the fourteenth race of the season was held atPocono Raceway on June 11, 2006.Denny Hamlin sat on pole and led 49 of the first 50 laps before crashing and coming back from 40th place to become the first rookie to win in 2006.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
2. No. 2Kurt Busch
3. No. 20Tony Stewart
4. No. 25Brian Vickers
5. No. 17Matt Kenseth
6. No. 16Greg Biffle
7. No. 9Kasey Kahne
8. No. 10Scott Riggs
9. No. 31Jeff Burton
10. No. 48Jimmie Johnson

Failed to qualify:Scott Wimmer (No. 4),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Stanton Barrett (No. 95),Greg Sacks (No. 34),Brent Sherman (No. 72)

• This wasDenny Hamlin's first career Cup victory.

• Complete Results

The fifteenth race of the season, the 3M Performance 400, was held atMichigan International Speedway on June 18, 2006.Kasey Kahne won the pole.

Top Ten Results: (Race called after 129 laps/258 miles because of rain.)

1. No. 9Kasey Kahne
2. No. 99Carl Edwards
3. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. No. 16Greg Biffle
5. No. 41Reed Sorenson *
6. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
7. No. 42Casey Mears
8. No. 24Jeff Gordon
9. No. 2Kurt Busch
10. No. 29Kevin Harvick

Failed to qualify:Carl Long (No. 37),Mike Garvey (No. 51),Chad Chaffin (No. 61),Jimmy Spencer (No. 78)

• Complete Results

Race number sixteen on the 2006 schedule was the Dodge/Save Mart 350, the 100th road race in Cup history. The race was held atInfineon Raceway on June 25, 2006.Kurt Busch won the pole.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 24Jeff Gordon
2. No. 12Ryan Newman
3. No. 96Terry Labonte *
4. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. No. 2Kurt Busch
6. No. 99Carl Edwards
7. No. 31Jeff Burton
8. No. 38Elliott Sadler
9. No. 60Boris Said *
10. No. 48Jimmie Johnson

Failed to qualify:Johnny Miller (No. 34),Chris Cook (No. 49),Travis Kvapil (No. 78),Stanton Barrett (No. 95),Brian Simo (No. 61)

• Tom Hubert in this race, had his third-consecutive 43rd-place finish at Sonoma going back to 2003.
• Terry Labonte running a part-time schedule forHendrick Motorsports andHall of Fame Racing, finished an amazing third-place finish in the #96 DLP HD TV Chevrolet, after leading the race with less than 20 laps to go.
• Boris Said made his debut as a NASCAR team owner with theSoBe - No Fear Energy #60 Ford Fusion, in which he led 1 lap and finished in 9th place.
• Final career Top 5 for Terry Labonte.

• Complete Results

The Pepsi 400, the traditional "halfway point" of the season, and the seventeenth race of the season, was held atDaytona International Speedway on July 1, 2006. Veteran driverBoris Said won the pole, his first on an oval. He had a great run as he ran in the top ten nearly the entire race. Because of a strategy call by his crew chief with three laps to go Said led the race but Tony Stewart got by Said for the win just before the white flag waved. Said ended up fourth and emotionally said after the race that his performance was the highlight of his career. This race was the third impound race of the season.

Top ten results:

1. No. 20Tony Stewart
2. No. 5Kyle Busch
3. No. 2Kurt Busch
4. No. 60Boris Said
5. No. 17Matt Kenseth
6. No. 38Elliott Sadler
7. No. 42Casey Mears
8. No. 26Jamie McMurray
9. No. 29Kevin Harvick
10. No. 07Clint Bowyer *

Failed to qualify:Scott Wimmer (No. 4),Kevin Lepage (No. 49),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Chad Blount (No. 34),Kertus Davis (No. 72)

• Complete Results

The USG Sheetrock 400, the Nextel Cup Series' eighteenth race of the season, was held atChicagoland Speedway on July 9, 2006.Jeff Burton won the pole.Jeff Gordon won his second race of the year after the race was extended to 270 laps due to agreen-white-checkered finish after spinning out leaderMatt Kenseth with three laps remaining.

Top Ten Results: (Race distance extended to 270 laps/405 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)

1. No. 24Jeff Gordon
2. No. 31Jeff Burton
3. No. 5Kyle Busch
4. No. 29Kevin Harvick
5. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
6. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
7. No. 41Reed Sorenson *
8. No. 2Kurt Busch
9. No. 07Clint Bowyer *
10. No. 18J. J. Yeley *

Failed to qualify:Paul Menard (No. 15),Kevin Lepage (No. 61),Chad Blount (No. 61),Brent Sherman (No. 04),Mike Garvey (No. 51),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Carl Long (No. 34)

• Complete Results

The nineteenth race of the season, the Lenox Industrial Tools 300, was held atNew Hampshire International Speedway on July 16, 2006.Ryan Newman won his second pole of the season.Kyle Busch got his first win of 2006 in a race extended by thegreen-white-checkered finish rule in which a caution setting up the green-white-checkered finish was extended due to another crash under caution involvingMichael Waltrip andRobby Gordon just before the green flag was to have flown on lap 304.

Top Ten Results: (Race distance extended to 308 laps/308 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)

1. No. 5Kyle Busch
2. No. 99Carl Edwards
3. No. 16Greg Biffle
4. No. 6Mark Martin
5. No. 29Kevin Harvick
6. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
7. No. 31Jeff Burton
8. No. 9Kasey Kahne
9. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
10. No. 10Scott Riggs

Failed to qualify:Ted Christopher (No. 61),Joey McCarthy (No. 34),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89)

• Complete Results

The twentieth race of the season, the Pennsylvania 500, was held at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2006.Denny Hamlin took the pole in qualifying and went on to win the race, earning his second career win and sweeping both races at Pocono. Hamlin led 151 of the race's 200 laps.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
2. No. 2Kurt Busch
3. No. 24Jeff Gordon
4. No. 25Brian Vickers
5. No. 29Kevin Harvick
6. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
7. No. 20Tony Stewart
8. No. 43Bobby Labonte
9. No. 31Jeff Burton
10. No. 1Martin Truex Jr. *

Failed to qualify:Greg Sacks (No. 34),Stanton Barrett (No. 52),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Jimmy Spencer (No. 78)‡

• ‡ –Chad Chaffin originally qualified in the No. 61 car, but his time was disqualified due to failing a post-qualifying inspection. Spencer took his place in the grid as he was the fastest of the four who failed to qualify on time.
• Last career start forJimmy Spencer.
• Brian Vickers finished fourth in both races at Pocono In 2006.

• Complete Results

TheAllstate 400 at the Brickyard, the twenty-first race of the season and the second richest race on the Nextel Cup circuit, was held atIndianapolis Motor Speedway on August 6, 2006.Jeff Burton won the pole.Jimmie Johnson came back from 38th place to become the second driver to win both the Daytona 500 and the Allstate 400 in the same season, first accomplished byDale Jarrett in 1996.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 48Jimmie Johnson
2. No. 17Matt Kenseth
3. No. 29Kevin Harvick
4. No. 07Clint Bowyer *
5. No. 6Mark Martin
6. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. No. 5Kyle Busch
8. No. 99Carl Edwards
9. No. 20Tony Stewart
10. No. 2Kurt Busch

Failed to qualify:Paul Menard (No. 15),Michael Waltrip (No. 55),Johnny Sauter (No. 70),Kevin Lepage (No. 49),Stephen Leicht (No. 90),Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 04),Derrike Cope (No. 61)

• The caution flag came out afterJimmie Johnson took the white flag, officially ending this race under caution.
• This was the final race for Jeremy Mayfield in the No. 19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge. He had fallen out of the top 35 in owner's points, thereby no longer guaranteeing him a spot in each race.

• Complete Results

The AMD at The Glen, NASCAR's second and final road course race of the season and the twenty-second race on the season, was held atWatkins Glen International on August 13, 2006.Kurt Busch won the pole.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 29Kevin Harvick
2. No. 20Tony Stewart
3. No. 26Jamie McMurray
4. No. 7Robby Gordon
5. No. 99Carl Edwards
6. No. 40Scott Pruett
7. No. 38Elliott Sadler
8. No. 12Ryan Newman
9. No. 5Kyle Busch
10. No. 11Denny Hamlin *

Failed to qualify:Chris Cook (No. 49),Max Papis (No. 78),Tom Hubert (No. 27),David Murry (No. 37),Dale Quarterley (No. 72),Johnny Miller (No. 92),Brandon Ash (No. 02)

• This would be the last race for Sadler in the No. 38 car. As of August 20, he became the driver ofEvernham Motorsports' No. 19Dodge.

• Complete Results

The GFS Marketplace 400, the twenty-third race of the season was held at Michigan International Speedway August 20, 2006.Jeff Burton won his fourth pole of the year.Matt Kenseth held offJeff Gordon in the closing laps to earn his third victory of the season.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 17Matt Kenseth
2. No. 24Jeff Gordon
3. No. 20Tony Stewart
4. No. 9Kasey Kahne
5. No. 6Mark Martin
6. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. No. 16Greg Biffle
8. No. 41Reed Sorenson
9. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
10. No. 19Elliott Sadler

Failed to qualify:Scott Wimmer (No. 4),Mike Skinner (No. 34),Chad Chaffin (No. 61),Kenny Wallace (No. 78)

• Complete Results

One of the most popular races on the circuit, the Sharpie 500, NASCAR's twenty-fourth race of the season was held on August 26, 2006, under the lights on the 0.533-mile Bristol International Speedway.Kurt Busch won the pole for this event.Matt Kenseth won his second straightNextel Cup race and, along with points leaderJimmie Johnson, clinched a berth in theChase for the Nextel Cup.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 17Matt Kenseth +
2. No. 5Kyle Busch
3. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. No. 10Scott Riggs
5. No. 24Jeff Gordon
6. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
7. No. 99Carl Edwards
8. No. 12Ryan Newman
9. No. 31Jeff Burton
10. No. 48Jimmie Johnson +

Failed to qualify: Chad Chaffin (No. 61), Hermie Sadler (No. 00), Mike Wallace (No. 09),Mike Skinner (No. 37).NOTE: Morgan Shepard (No. 89) and Stanton Barrett (No. 30) withdrew from qualifying.

+ – Clinched a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

• Complete Results

The twenty-fifth race, and the penultimate race prior to theChase for the Nextel Cup was the Sony HD 500, held at California Speedway on September 3, 2006.Kurt Busch won the pole.

Top ten results:

1. No. 9Kasey Kahne
2. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. No. 07Clint Bowyer *
4. No. 99Carl Edwards
5. No. 24Jeff Gordon
6. No. 11Denny Hamlin *
7. No. 17Matt Kenseth
8. No. 5Kyle Busch
9. No. 20Tony Stewart
10. No. 88Dale Jarrett

Failed to qualify:Todd Kluever (No. 06),Kertus Davis (No. 34),Chad Chaffin (No. 61),Bill Lester (No. 23)

• Complete Results

The twenty-sixth and final race prior to the Chase, theChevy Rock and Roll 400 was held at Richmond International Raceway on September 9, 2006. Following this race, the top ten drivers in point qualified for the ten-race Chase. Richmond-area nativeDenny Hamlin won the pole in front of his hometown fans, and clinched a spot in theChase for the Nextel Cup. This was the season's fourth impound race.

Top ten results:

1. No. 29Kevin Harvick +
2. No. 5Kyle Busch +
3. No. 9Kasey Kahne +
4. No. 22Dave Blaney
5. No. 6Mark Martin +
6. No. 16Greg Biffle
7. No. 21Ken Schrader
8. No. 17Matt Kenseth
9. No. 31Jeff Burton +
10. No. 10Scott Riggs

Failed to qualify:Derrike Cope (No. 74),Mike Wallace (No. 09),Michael Waltrip (No. 55),Hermie Sadler (No. 00),Ted Christopher (No. 27)

+ – Clinched spots in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Making The Chase - The following 10 drivers made the Chase for the Cup field in 2006:

1. 17 -Matt Kenseth
2. 48 -Jimmie Johnson
3. 29 -Kevin Harvick
4. 5 -Kyle Busch
5. 11 -Denny Hamlin
6. 8 -Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. 6 -Mark Martin
8. 31 -Jeff Burton
9. 24 -Jeff Gordon
10. 9 -Kasey Kahne

With the top ten positions all locked in, the playoff began.

In the top ten results, a • indicates one of the 10 drivers who made the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

• Complete Results

The Sylvania 300, the first race in the 2006 Chase for the Nextel Cup, was held September 17 atNew Hampshire International Speedway.Kevin Harvick won the pole and the race, becoming the overall points leader for the first time in his career.

Top ten results:

1. No. 29Kevin Harvick •
2. No. 20Tony Stewart
3. No. 24Jeff Gordon •
4. No. 11Denny Hamlin * •
5. No. 25Brian Vickers
6. No. 19Elliott Sadler
7. No. 31Jeff Burton •
8. No. 18J. J. Yeley *
9. No. 22Dave Blaney
10. No. 17Matt Kenseth •

Failed to qualify:Stanton Barrett (No. 30),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Carl Long (No. 46),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Chad Blount (No. 34)

• Complete Results

The Dover 400, the second race of the 2006 Chase, was held September 24 atDover International Speedway.Jeff Gordon won the pole. Jeff Burton broke a 175-race winless streak after getting alongside Matt Kenseth several times between Laps 385–395. Kenseth ran out of fuel at the white flag.

Top Ten results:

1. No. 31Jeff Burton •
2. No. 99Carl Edwards
3. No. 24Jeff Gordon •
4. No. 2Kurt Busch
5. No. 16Greg Biffle
6. No. 1Martin Truex Jr.
7. No. 43Bobby Labonte
8. No. 07Clint Bowyer
9. No. 11Denny Hamlin *•
10. No. 17Matt Kenseth •

Failed to qualify:Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Chad Blount (No. 34),Donnie Neuenberger (No. 52)

• Complete Results

The third race of the 2006 Chase, the Banquet 400, was held October 1 atKansas Speedway inKansas City, Kansas.Kasey Kahne won the pole.Tony Stewart captured his third win of the year despite running the last half of the final lap with no fuel.

Top ten results:

1. No. 20Tony Stewart
2. No. 42Casey Mears
3. No. 6Mark Martin •
4. No. 88Dale Jarrett
5. No. 31Jeff Burton •
6. No. 99Carl Edwards
7. No. 5Kyle Busch •
8. No. 25Brian Vickers
9. No. 07Clint Bowyer *
10. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr. •

Failed to qualify:Scott Wimmer (No. 4),Kevin Lepage (No. 49),Chad Blount (No. 92),Carl Long (No. 46)

• This marked the first time that NBC broadcast a race in 1080i (HDTV).
• Dale Jarrett would score his last career top-5, and top-10, in this race.

• Complete Results

Considered the wild card track of the Chase, the fourth race on the 2006 Chase, the UAW-Ford 500 was held on the newly repavedTalladega Superspeedway Sunday, October 8, 2006. The repaving was the first on the 2.66-mile trioval since 1979.David Gilliland won his first career pole. This race was the fifth and final impound race of the season.Brian Vickers won his first Nextel Cup race when he was declared the winner after he,Jimmie Johnson, andDale Earnhardt Jr. made contact on the final lap.

Top ten results:

1. No. 25Brian Vickers
2. No. 9Kasey Kahne •
3. No. 2Kurt Busch
4. No. 17Matt Kenseth •
5. No. 1Martin Truex Jr. *
6. No. 29Kevin Harvick •
7. No. 66Jeff Green
8. No. 43Bobby Labonte
9. No. 6Mark Martin •
10. No. 99Carl Edwards

Failed to qualify:Hermie Sadler (No. 00),Todd Bodine (No. 4),Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 27),Travis Kvapil (No. 32),Kevin Lepage (No. 34),Chad Chaffin (No. 61)

• First career top 5 forMartin Truex Jr.

• Complete Results

Race number five on the 2006 Chase, and the halfway point of the playoff, the Bank of America 500, was held on Saturday, October 14, 2006, atLowe's Motor Speedway inConcord, North Carolina. The event was the only Saturday night race in the Chase.Scott Riggs won the pole, andKurt Busch had his 3rd-place run disqualified due to an unapproved right rear shock absorber. It cost him 50 points (along with a similar deduction for Penske Racing) and $25,000 (US) in fines as well as a four race suspension for his crew chief.

Top ten results:

1. No. 9Kasey Kahne •
2. No. 48Jimmie Johnson •
3. No. 31Jeff Burton •
4. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr. •
5. No. 43Bobby Labonte
6. No. 5Kyle Busch •
7. No. 96Tony Raines
8. No. 99Carl Edwards
9. No. 01Joe Nemechek
10. No. 25Brian Vickers

Failed to qualify:Bill Elliott (No. 83),Kevin Lepage (No. 34),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Chad Chaffin (No. 61),Hermie Sadler (No. 00),Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 27),Carl Long (No. 46),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89)

• Mark Martin's championship hopes came to an end after being wrecked by J.J. Yeley on lap 243.

• Complete Results

The sixth event on the Chase, the Subway 500, was held on October 22, 2006, atMartinsville Speedway outsideMartinsville, Virginia. The .526-mile track is the shortest in the Nextel Cup series and the Chase as well.Kurt Busch won his sixth pole of the season.Ward Burton, the 2002Daytona 500 champion, returned to the circuit to drive the Morgan-McClure No. 4 Chevy after a two-year absence.

Top ten results:

1. No. 48Jimmie Johnson •
2. No. 11Denny Hamlin *•
3. No. 43Bobby Labonte
4. No. 20Tony Stewart
5. No. 24Jeff Gordon •
6. No. 42Casey Mears
7. No. 9Kasey Kahne •
8. No. 66Jeff Green
9. No. 29Kevin Harvick •
10. No. 45Kyle Petty

Failed to qualify:Mike Bliss (No. 49),Hermie Sadler (No. 00),Chad Chaffin (No. 61),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Ted Christopher (No. 27),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Stanton Barrett (No. 30)

• Complete Results

The seventh Chase event, the Bass Pro Shops 500 was held atAtlanta Motor Speedway, located inHampton, Georgia, on October 29. Qualifying was rained out, and the starting order was set by owner points, withMatt Kenseth sitting on the pole.Tony Stewart captured his second race win in a 2006 Chase race.

Top ten results:

1. No. 20Tony Stewart
2. No. 48Jimmie Johnson •
3. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr. •
4. No. 17Matt Kenseth •
5. No. 16Greg Biffle
6. No. 24Jeff Gordon •
7. No. 99Carl Edwards
8. No. 11Denny Hamlin *•
9. No. 01Joe Nemechek
10. No. 7Robby Gordon

Failed to qualify:Derrike Cope (No. 74),Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 27),Mike Skinner (No. 72),A. J. Allmendinger (No. 84)

• In a video replay shown by NBC after the race, it was determined that Robby Gordon deliberately and willfully caused a late-race caution by throwing out his rollbar padding (for which he got the free pass to the lead lap). For that, he was docked 50 owner and driver points, fined $15,000 and placed on probation until December 31.

• Complete Results

The eighth Chase race, the Dickies 500, was run on November 5, 2006, atTexas Motor Speedway inFort Worth, Texas.Brian Vickers won the pole for this race.Tony Stewart won his third race of the chase.

Top Ten Results: (Race distance extended to 339 laps/508.5 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)

1. No. 20Tony Stewart
2. No. 48Jimmie Johnson •
3. No. 29Kevin Harvick •
4. No. 5Kyle Busch •
5. No. 07Clint Bowyer
6. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr. •
7. No. 42Casey Mears
8. No. 2Kurt Busch
9. No. 24Jeff Gordon •
10. No. 11Denny Hamlin *•

Failed to qualify:Chad Chaffin (No. 34),Bill Elliott (No. 37),David Ragan (No. 60),Kevin Lepage (No. 61),Mike Skinner (No. 72),Derrike Cope (No. 74),A. J. Allmendinger (No. 84)

• Following this race, Craig Curione, the front tire carrier for the No. 10Evernham Dodge driven byScott Riggs, shoved Kevin Harvick, his wife Delana and NASCAR official John Sacco to the pavement after Harvick was blamed for a late-race incident that led to the green-white-checkered finish. Curione was suspended indefinitely and fined $10,000 by NASCAR and fired from Evernham, while Sacco suffered a sprained ankle.

• Complete Results

The ninth race on the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the Checker Auto Parts 500, was held atPhoenix International Raceway inAvondale, Arizona on November 12, 2006.Kevin Harvick won the race.

Top Ten Results:

1. No. 29Kevin Harvick •
2. No. 48Jimmie Johnson•
3. No. 11Denny Hamlin *•
4. No. 24Jeff Gordon •
5. No. 99Carl Edwards
6. No. 6Mark Martin •
7. No. 9Kasey Kahne •
8. No. 2Kurt Busch
9. No. 8Dale Earnhardt Jr. •
10. No. 31Jeff Burton •

Failed to qualify:Jason Leffler (No. 71),Todd Kluever (No. 06),Morgan Shepherd (No. 89),Brandon Ash (No. 02),Kevin Lepage (No. 34),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Jeremy Mayfield (No. 09)

• Complete Results

The final race of the season, and the last race in the2006 Chase for the Nextel Cup, the Ford 400, was run on November 19, 2006, atHomestead-Miami Speedway inHomestead, Florida.Kasey Kahne won the pole, and won the Bud Pole Award overall championship for 2006, while for the second straight week,Bill Elliott used the Championship Provisional.Juan Pablo Montoya, making his Nextel Cup debut, qualified 29th, but finished 34th after his car hit the wall after being clipped byRyan Newman and caught fire on lap 251. This would be the final year thatKyle Petty ran every race in a season.Jimmie Johnson clinched his first Nextel Cup Championship, winning the title by 56 points overMatt Kenseth. This was the final race to be broadcast by NBC until the2015 Coke Zero 400, as well as the final race to be commentated byBenny Parsons, who died less than 2 months after this event in early 2007.

Top ten results:(Race extended to 268 laps/402 miles due to green-white-checkered rule.)

1. No. 16Greg Biffle
2. No. 1Martin Truex Jr. *
3. No. 11Denny Hamlin *•
4. No. 9Kasey Kahne •
5. No. 29Kevin Harvick •
6. No. 17Matt Kenseth •
7. No. 10Scott Riggs
8. No. 99Carl Edwards
9. No. 48Jimmie Johnson •°
10. No. 07Clint Bowyer

° – Clinched 2006 Nextel Cup Championship

Failed to qualify:Michael Waltrip (No. 55),Todd Kluever (No. 06),Ward Burton (No. 4),Brandon Whitt (No. 72),Kenny Wallace (No. 78),Mike Skinner (No. 27),Derrike Cope (No. 74),Kevin Lepage (No. 61),Carl Long (No. 46),Chad Chaffin (No. 34),Casey Atwood (No. 95),David Ragan (No. 60)Note:Morgan Shepherd (No. 89) withdrew after his only car crashed during practice.

(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time.Italics - Pole position set by owner's points standings. * – Most laps led.