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| 2006 NASCAR RCA Cup Series (Johnsonverse) | |||
| Previous: | 2005 | Next: | 2007 |
The 2006 NASCAR RCA 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 Infineon Raceway on Sunday, January 29 with the Dodge/Save Mart 350 and ended on Sunday, December 10, with the Los Angeles Times 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway. Kelley Earnhardt of Dale Earnhardt Inc. was the series champion. By the end of the season Chevrolet had captured 23 victories, and 270 points to win the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship over Ford.
The 2006 season was the first for Ford's all-new Fusion, which replaced the Taurus both in NASCAR and in showrooms. Also, a new version of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, called the Monte Carlo Super Sport (SS for short) debuted on the circuit. It was also the final season for 1992 champion Alan Kulwicki. Additionally, 2006 was the first Cup Series season since 1978 without Kyle Petty, 1979 without Rusty Wallace and 1974 without Ricky Rudd, although Rudd made one appearance in relief before retiring. It was also the last season before Toyota joined the NASCAR RCA Cup Series as a manufacturer.
Teams, drivers, and manufacturers[]
Manufacturers[]
| Company | Marquee | Model | Status | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Motors | Chevrolet | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS | NEW TRIM, full factory support | |
| Impala SS | NEW GENERATION AND TRIM, full factory support | |||
| Ford Motor Company | Ford-Cosworth | Fusion | NEW, full factory support | |
| Mustang | Full factory support | |||
| Roush Mustang | In-house variant | |||
| Taurus | Factory support ended after 2005 | |||
| Chrysler Corporation | Dodge | Charger | Full factory support | |
| Stratus | FINAL YEAR, full factory support |
Complete schedule[]
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Race driver | Crew chief | Model | Primary Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | 98 | Jeremy Mayfield | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | General Electric | |
| Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Tony Eury | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | ACDelco | |
| 38 | Kelley Earnhardt | Pennzoil | ||||
| 81 | Martin Truex Jr. (R) | Bass Pro Shops | ||||
| Furniture Row Racing | 78 | Kenny Wallace | Joe Garone | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | Furniture Row | |
| Jimmy Spencer | ||||||
| Travis Kvapil | ||||||
| Max Papis | ||||||
| Haas CNC Racing | 66 | Ward Burton | Harold Holly | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | Best Buy | |
| Hall of Fame Racing | 96 | Jason Leffler | Phillipe Lopez | 2006 Impala SS | DLP | |
| Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Ricky Hendrick | Alan Gustafson | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | Kellogg's | |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Tommy Baldwin Jr. | DuPont | |||
| 25 | Kyle Busch | Lance McGrew | Lowe's | |||
| 52 | Casey Atwood | Chad Knaus | M&M's | |||
| Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Dale Jarrett | Steve Addington | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | Interstate Batteries | |
| 19 | Kelly Watson | Circuit City | ||||
| 20 | Denny Hamlin | FedEx | ||||
| 80 | J. J. Yeley (R) | Yahoo | ||||
| MB2 Motorsports | 01 | Joe Nemechek | Ryan Pemberton | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | US Army | |
| MBV Motorsports | 10 | Scott Riggs | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | Valvoline | ||
| Richard Childress Racing | 07 | Clint Bowyer (R) | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | Jack Daniel's | ||
| 3 | Renee Walters (R) | Kevin Hamlin | GM Goodwrench | |||
| 31 | Jeff Burton | Royce McGee | Sylvania | |||
| Robby Gordon Motorsports | 70 | Robby Gordon | Greg Erwin | 2006 Impala SS | Jim Beam | |
| SFS Racing | 4 | Kevin Harvick | 2006 Impala SS | Budweiser | ||
| 14 | Tony Stewart | Greg Zipadelli | Home Depot | |||
| Dodge | AK Racing | 7 | Alan Kulwicki | Chris Andrews | 2006 Charger | Walmart |
| 11 | Jamie McMurray | Microsoft | ||||
| BAM Racing | 49 | Brent Sherman (R) | Ron Otto | 2005 Charger | Serta | |
| Jimmy Spencer | ||||||
| Mike Wallace | ||||||
| Kevin Lepage | ||||||
| Chris Cook | ||||||
| Mike Bliss | ||||||
| Bill Davis Racing | 22 | Dave Blaney | 2006 Charger | Caterpillar | ||
| 23 | Scott Wimmer (R) | Kevin Hamlin | Bad Boy Mowers | |||
| Chip Ganassi Racing | 1 | Jimmie Johnson | Lee McCall | 2006 Charger | UAW-Delphi | |
| 41 | Emily Senn | Jimmy Elledge | Target | |||
| Elliott-Evernham Motorsports | 9 | Kasey Kahne | 2006 Charger | Coors Light | ||
| 13 | Jerry Nadeau | Nickelodeon | ||||
| 94 | Casey Elliott | Dodge Dealers | ||||
| Michael Waltrip Racing | 17 | Michael Waltrip | 2006 Charger | NAPA Auto Parts | ||
| Moroso-Rudd Racing | 82 | Rob Moroso | 2006 Charger | Mountain Dew | ||
| 83 | Michelle Basone (R) | Tide | ||||
| 84 | Kenny Irwin Jr. | RCA | ||||
| Penske Racing South | 02 | Ryan Newman | Matt Borland | 2006 Charger | Alltel | |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Bill Wilburn | Miller Lite | |||
| 12 | Tim Richmond | Peter Sospenzo | Mobil 1 | |||
| 77 | Travis Kvapil | Shane Wilson | 5-Hour Energy | |||
| Petty Enterprises | 43 | Adam Petty | Gary Putnam | 2006 Charger | STP | |
| 44 | Bobby Labonte | Georgia-Pacific | ||||
| Team SABCO | 40 | Shawna Robinson | 2006 Charger | Kmart | ||
| 42 | Blaise Alexander | Mello Yello | ||||
| 45 | Patty Moise | Barbie | ||||
| Ford-Cosworth | Orr Motorsports | 37 | Rodney Orr | 2006 Mustang | Craftsman | |
| Robert Yates Racing | 28 | Davey Allison | 2006 Mustang | Texaco/Havoline | ||
| 88 | Sterling Marlin | Shawn Parker | UPS | |||
| Roush Racing | 6 | Mark Martin | Pat Tryson | 2006 Roush Taurus | Pfizer/Viagra | |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Doug Richert | National Guard | |||
| 60 | Matt Kenseth | Robbie Reiser | DeWalt Tools | |||
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Paul Andrews | Office Depot | |||
| Steele-Favre Racing | 15 | Tim Steele | 2006 Fusion | Nike/Sony | ||
| 90 | Katrina Goode | Folgers | ||||
| Wood Brothers/JTG Racing | 21 | Elliott Sadler | David Hyder | 2006 Fusion | Little Debbie |
Limited schedule[]
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Race driver | Crew chief | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Braun Racing | 71 | Jason Leffler | Todd Lohse | 2005 Monte Carlo |
| CJM Racing | 72 | Kertus Davis | Doug George | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Brent Sherman | |||||
| David Gilliland | |||||
| David Quarterley | |||||
| Mike Skinner | |||||
| Brandon Whitt | |||||
| Competitive Edge Motorsports | 51 | Mike Garvey | Barry Haefele | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Cupp Motorsports | 46 | Carl Long | Stan Hover | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Front Row Motorsports | 92 | Chad Chaffin (R) | Teddy Brown | 2005 Impala | |
| Randy LaJoie | |||||
| Chad Blount | |||||
| Johnny Miller | |||||
| Haas CNC Racing | 170 | Johnny Sauter | Bootie Barker | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Hendrick Motorsports | 144 | Terry Labonte | Peter Sospenzo | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | 27 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Phil Harris | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Tom Hubert | |||||
| Ted Christopher | |||||
| Mike Skinner | |||||
| MB2 Motorsports | 36 | Bill Elliott | Frank Stoddard | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| MBA Motorsports | 00 | Hermie Sadler | Micah Horton
Larry Carter |
2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Michael Waltrip Racing | Bill Elliott | ||||
| Morgan-McClure Motorsports | 04 | Eric McClure | Danny Gill | 2006 Impala SS | |
| Richard Childress Racing | 33 | Scott Wimmer | Pat Smith | 2006 Monte Carlo SS | |
| Stanton Barrett Racing | 95 | Stanton Barrett | Shawn Parker | 2005 Monte Carlo | |
| Dodge | Arnold Motorsports | 150 | Larry Foyt | Buddy Sisco | 2005 Stratus |
| Bill Davis Racing | 123 | Mike Skinner | Ricky Viers | 2006 Charger | |
| Bill Lester | |||||
| Bobby Hamilton Racing | 04 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | 2004 Intrepid | ||
| Brandon Ash Racing | 102 | Brandon Ash | Ed Ash | 2005 Charger | |
| Chip Ganassi Racing | 130 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Dan Kolanda 3
Steve Boyer 1 |
2006 Charger | |
| Rick Ware Racing | Stanton Barrett | 2004 Intrepid | |||
| 52 | Dan Kolanda | ||||
| Larry Gunselman | |||||
| Steve Portenga | |||||
| Donnie Neuenberger | |||||
| McGlynn Racing | 74 | Derrike Cope | Dom Turse | 2004 Stratus | |
| R&J Racing | 137 | Chad Blount | Mark Tutor | 2005 Charger | |
| Mike Skinner | |||||
| Carl Long | |||||
| David Murry | |||||
| Bill Elliott | |||||
| Shepherd Racing Ventures | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Doug George | 2005 Stratus | |
| Kertus David | |||||
| Red Bull Racing | 183 | Bill Elliott | Ricky Viers | 2006 Charger | |
| 184 | A.J. Allmendinger | ||||
| Ford-Cosworth | Andy Belmont Racing | 59 | Andy Belmont | Billy Owen | 2006 Fusion |
| Brent Sherman Racing | 04 | Brent Sherman | 2006 Fusion | ||
| Hover Motorsports | 180 | Carl Long | Stan Hover | 2005 Taurus | |
| MBA Racing | 00 | Hermie Sadler | Micah Horton | 2006 Mustang | |
| No Fear Racing | 160 | Boris Said | Frank Stoddard | 2004 Mustang | |
| David Ragan | |||||
| Robert Yates Racing | 90 | Stephen Leicht | Raymond Fox Jr. | 2006 Fusion | |
| Marc Goossens | |||||
| Roush Racing | 06 | Todd Kluever | Frank Stoddard | 2006 Roush Mustang | |
| David Ragan | |||||
| Sacks Motorsports | 13 | Greg Sacks | 2005 Taurus | ||
| Chevrolet
Ford-Cosworth |
Phoenix Racing | 09 | Mike Wallace | Marc Reno | 2006 Monte Carlo SS
2006 Charger 2006 Fusion |
| Jeremy Mayfield |
Schedule[]
| No. | Race title | Track | Date | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge/Save Mart 350 | Infineon Raceway, Sonoma | January 29 | WBC |
| Budweiser Shootout | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach | February 12 | WBC | |
| Gatorade Duel | February 16 | WBC | ||
| 2 | Daytona 500 | February 19 | WBC | |
| 3 | Subway 400 | North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham | February 26 | WBC |
| 4 | San Jose 500 | San Jose Motorplex, Gilroy | March 5 | WBC |
| 5 | UAW-Dodge 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas | March 12 | ESPN |
| 6 | Golden Corral 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton | March 20 | ESPN |
| 7 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol | March 26 | TNN |
| 8 | DirecTV 500 | Martinsville Speedway, Hampton | April 2 | TNN |
| 9 | Texas 400 | Texas World Speedway, College Station | April 9 | WBC |
| 10 | Diet Coke 500 | Denver International Speedway, Denver | April 16 | WBC |
| 11 | TranSouth Financial 400 | Darlington Raceway, Darlington | April 22 | ESPN |
| 12 | Aaron's 499 | Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln | May 1 | WBC |
| 13 | Crown Royal 400 | Richmond International Raceway, Richmond | May 6 | TNN |
| 14 | Auto Club 500 | California Speedway, Fontana | May 13 | WBC |
| RCA Open | Gateway International Raceway, Madison | May 20 | TNN | |
| RCA All-Star Challenge XXII | TNN | |||
| 15 | Coca-Cola 600 | Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord | May 28 | WBC |
| 16 | Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America | Dover International Speedway, Dover | June 4 | TNN |
| 17 | Pabst Blue Ribbon 400 | The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis | June 11 | ESPN |
| 18 | Dodge Charger 400 | Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth | June 18 | WBC |
| 19 | Budweiser 400 | Riverside International Raceway, Riverside | June 25 | WBC |
| 20 | Pepsi 400 | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach | July 1 | WBC |
| 21 | USG Sheetrock 400 | Chicago Motor Speedway, Cicero | July 9 | ESPN |
| 22 | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon | July 16 | WBC |
| 23 | Pennsylvania 500 | Pocono Raceway, Long Pond | July 23 | ESPN |
| 24 | Music City USA 420 | Music City Motorplex, Nashville | July 30 | TNN |
| 25 | Allstate 400 at the Brickyard | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway | August 3 | WBC |
| 26 | AMD at The Glen | Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen | August 13 | ESPN |
| 27 | GFS Marketplace 400 | Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn | August 20 | TNN |
| 28 | Sharpie 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol | August 26 | TNN |
| 29 | Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway, Darlington | September 3 | WBC |
| 30 | Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Richmond International Raceway, Richmond | September 9 | TNN |
| 31 | Tyson Holly Farms 400 | North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro | September 17 | WBC |
| 32 | Dover 400 | Dover International Speedway, Dover | September 24 | TNN |
| 33 | Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods | Kansas Speedway, Kansas City | October 1 | ESPN |
| 34 | UAW-Ford 500 | Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln | October 8 | WBC |
| 35 | Bank of America 500 | Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord | October 14 | WBC |
| 36 | Subway 500 | Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway | October 22 | TNN |
| 37 | Bass Pro Shops 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton | October 29 | ESPN |
| 38 | ACDelco 400 | North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham | November 5 | TNN |
| 39 | Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil | Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale | November 12 | TNN |
| 40 | Ford 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hampton | November 19 | WBC |
| 41 | iPod 500 | San Jose Motorplex, Gilroy | November 26 | WBC |
| 42 | Sprite 500 | Denver International Speedway, Denver | December 3 | WBC |
| 43 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario | December 10 | WBC |
Season summary[]
Results[]
| No. | Race | Pole Position | Most Laps Led | Winner | Make/Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge/Save Mart 350 | Kurt Busch | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| Budweiser Shootout | Ken Schrader | Ken Schrader | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS | |
| Gatorade Duel 1 | Jeff Burton | Elliott Sadler | Elliott Sadler | Ford Fusion | |
| Gatorade Duel 2 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS | |
| 2 | Daytona 500 | Jeff Burton | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 3 | Subway 400 | Kurt Busch | Greg Biffle | Matt Kenseth | Roush Mustang |
| 4 | San Jose 500 | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | Alan Kulwicki | Dodge Charger |
| 5 | UAW-Dodge 400 | Greg Biffle | Matt Kenseth | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 6 | Golden Corral 500 | Kasey Kahne | Greg Biffle | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Charger |
| 7 | Food City 500 | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Kurt Busch | Dodge Charger |
| 8 | DirecTV 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 9 | Texas 400 | Kasey Kahne | Tony Stewart | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Charger |
| 10 | Diet Coke 500 | Mark Martin | Adam Petty | Adam Petty | Dodge Charger |
| 11 | TranSouth Financial 400 | Kyle Busch | Greg Biffle | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 12 | Aaron's 499 | Elliott Sadler | Jeff Gordon | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 13 | Crown Royal 400 | Greg Biffle | Kevin Harvick | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 14 | Auto Club 500 | Kasey Kahne | Greg Biffle | Greg Biffle | Roush Mustang |
| RCA Open | Scott Riggs | Scott Riggs | Scott Riggs | Dodge Charger | |
| RCA All-Star Challenge XXII | Kasey Kahne | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS | |
| 15 | Coca-Cola 600 | Scott Riggs | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Charger |
| 16 | Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America | Ryan Newman | Jamie McMurray | Matt Kenseth | Roush Mustang |
| 17 | Pabst Blue Ribbon 400 | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 18 | Dodge Charger 400 | Kasey Kahne | Jeff Gordon | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Charger |
| 19 | Budweiser 400 | Kurt Busch | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 20 | Pepsi 400 | Boris Sadi | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 21 | USG Sheetrock 400 | Jeff Burton | Matt Kenseth | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 22 | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | Ryan Newman | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 23 | Pennsylvania 500 | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 24 | Music City USA 420 | Tony Stewart | Jeff Burton | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 25 | Allstate 400 at the Brickyard | Jeff Burton | Jeff Burton | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 26 | AMD at The Glen | Kurt Busch | Kurt Busch | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 27 | GFS Marketplace 400 | Jeff Burton | Matt Kenseth | Matt Kenseth | Roush Mustang |
| 28 | Sharpie 500 | Kurt Busch | Jeff Burton | Matt Kenseth | Roush Mustang |
| 29 | Southern 500 | Kurt Busch | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Charger |
| 30 | Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Denny Hamlin | Kyle Busch | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 31 | Tyson Holly Farms 400 | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 32 | Dover 400 | Jeff Gordon | Matt Kenseth | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 33 | Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods | Kasey Kahne | Jimmie Johnson | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 34 | UAW-Ford 500 | David Gilliland | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 35 | Bank of America 500 | Scott Riggs | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Charger |
| 36 | Subway 500 | Kurt Busch | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 37 | Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 | Matt Kenseth | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 38 | ACDeclo 400 | Brian Vickers | Tony Stewart | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 39 | Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil | Jeff Gordon | Kevin Harvick | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS |
| 40 | Ford 400 | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | Adam Petty | Dodge Charger |
| 41 | iPod 500 | Adam Petty | Kevin Harvick | Rob Moroso | Dodge Stratus |
| 42 | Sprite 500 | Elliott Sadler | Casey Elliott | Casey Elliott | Dodge Charger |
| 43 | Los Angeles Times 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Mark Martin | Davey Allison | Ford Fusion |
Cars Used in 2006 (incomplete)[]
Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (NEW)
Ford Fusion (NEW)
Ford Taurus (no factory support)
Dodge Charger
Dodge Stratus (FINAL YEAR)