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2006 Auto Club 500

{{Short description|Second race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report

| Type = CUST

| Description = Race 2 of 36 in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season

| Race Name = Auto Club 500

| Details ref = {{cite web|url=http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Fontana/2006-02-26|title=2006 Auto Club 500 weather information |work=The Old Farmers' Almanac|access-date=2015-01-31}}

| Fulldate = {{Start date|2006|02|26}}

| Year = 2006

| Race_No = 2

| Season_No = 36

| Image = 2006_Auto_Club_500_program_cover.jpeg

| image-size = 200px

| image-alt =

| Caption = 2006 Auto Club 500 program cover

| Official name = Auto Club 500

| Location = Auto Club Speedway
Fontana, California, U.S.

| Course_mi = 2.0

| Course_km = 3.23

| Distance_laps = 251

| Distance_mi = 502

| Distance_km = 807.89

| Scheduled_laps = 250

| Scheduled_mi = 500

| Scheduled_km = 804.672

| Weather = Temperatures reaching up to {{convert|75.2|F|C}}; wind speeds up to {{convert|8.9|mph|km/h}}

| Avg = {{convert|147.852|mi/h}}

| Pole_Driver = Kurt Busch

| Pole_Team = Penske Racing

| Pole_Time = 38.485

| Most_Driver = Greg Biffle

| Most_Team = Roush Racing

| Most_laps = 168

| Car = 17

| First_Driver = Matt Kenseth

| First_Team = Roush Racing

| Network = Fox

| Announcers = Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds

}}

The 2006 Auto Club 500 was the second race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It was held on February 26, 2006 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Qualifying

class="wikitable"

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Pos{{Cite web|title=Auto Club 500 Qualifying Results and Starting Lineup Auto Club Speedway NASCAR 2006|url=https://fantasyracingcheatsheet.com/nascar/races/lineup/2006/auto-club-speedway/auto-club-500/38|access-date=2021-06-05|website=NASCAR Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet|language=en}}

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Car #

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Driver

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Make

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Primary Sponsor

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Speed

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Time

! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Behind

1

|2

|Kurt Busch

|Dodge

|Miller Lite

|187.086

|38.485

|0.000

2

|16

|Greg Biffle

|Ford

|Jackson Hewitt / National Guard

|186.186

|38.671

| -0.186

3

|48

|Jimmie Johnson

|Chevrolet

|Lowe's

|185.735

|38.765

| -0.280

4

|18

|J. J. Yeley

|Chevrolet

|Interstate Batteries

|185.180

|38.881

| -0.396

5

|11

|Denny Hamlin

|Chevrolet

|FedEx Kinko's

|184.919

|38.936

| -0.451

6

|31

|Jeff Burton

|Chevrolet

|Cingular Wireless

|184.871

|38.946

| -0.461

7

|5

|Kyle Busch

|Chevrolet

|Kellogg's

|184.800

|38.961

| -0.476

8

|1

|Joe Nemechek

|Chevrolet

|U.S. Army

|184.758

|38.970

| -0.485

9

|24

|Jeff Gordon

|Chevrolet

|DuPont Hot Hues

|184.720

|38.978

| -0.493

10

|6

|Mark Martin

|Ford

|AAA

|184.450

|39.035

| -0.550

11

|12

|Ryan Newman

|Dodge

|Mobil 1

|184.318

|39.063

| -0.578

12

|20

|Tony Stewart

|Chevrolet

|The Home Depot

|184.303

|39.066

| -0.581

13

|9

|Kasey Kahne

|Dodge

|Dodge Dealers / UAW

|184.219

|39.084

| -0.599

14

|10

|Scott Riggs

|Dodge

|Valvoline / Stanley Tools

|184.209

|39.086

| -0.601

15

|29

|Kevin Harvick

|Chevrolet

|Icebreakers Ice Cubes

|184.195

|39.089

| -0.604

16

|38

|Elliott Sadler

|Ford

|Pedigree

|183.767

|39.180

| -0.695

17

|14

|Sterling Marlin

|Chevrolet

|CENTRIX Auto Finance

|183.613

|39.213

| -0.728

18

|8

|Dale Earnhardt Jr.

|Chevrolet

|Budweiser

|183.570

|39.222

| -0.737

19

|88

|Dale Jarrett

|Ford

|UPS

|183.566

|39.223

| -0.738

20

|42

|Casey Mears

|Dodge

|Texaco / Havoline

|183.524

|39.232

| -0.747

21

|19

|Jeremy Mayfield

|Dodge

|Dodge Dealers / UAW

|183.397

|39.259

| -0.774

22

|99

|Carl Edwards

|Ford

|Office Depot

|183.360

|39.267

| -0.782

23

|1

|Martin Truex Jr.

|Chevrolet

|Bass Pro Shops / Tracker

|183.173

|39.307

| -0.822

24

|22

|Dave Blaney

|Dodge

|Caterpillar

|183.155

|39.311

| -0.826

25

|26

|Jamie McMurray

|Ford

|Crown Royal

|183.090

|39.325

| -0.840

26

|66

|Jeff Green

|Chevrolet

|Best Buy

|183.020

|39.340

| -0.855

27

|43

|Bobby Labonte

|Dodge

|Cheerios / Betty Crocker

|183.020

|39.340

| -0.855

28

|25

|Brian Vickers

|Chevrolet

|GMAC

|182.913

|39.363

| -0.878

29

|41

|Reed Sorenson

|Dodge

|Energizer e2 Lithium

|182.820

|39.383

| -0.898

30

|95

|Stanton Barrett

|Chevrolet

|hairofdog.com

|182.801

|39.387

| -0.902

31

|17

|Matt Kenseth

|Ford

|DEWALT Power Tools

|182.588

|39.433

| -0.948

32

|7

|Clint Bowyer

|Chevrolet

|Jack Daniel's

|182.486

|39.455

| -0.970

33

|55

|Michael Waltrip

|Dodge

|NAPA Auto Parts

|182.454

|39.462

| -0.977

34

|7

|Robby Gordon

|Chevrolet

|Jim Beam

|182.380

|39.478

| -0.993

35

|51

|Mike Garvey

|Chevrolet

|Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil

|182.320

|39.491

| -1.006

36

|78

|Kenny Wallace

|Chevrolet

|Furniture Row Racing

|182.306

|39.494

| -1.009

37

|61

|Kevin Lepage

|Ford

|RoadLoans.com

|182.242

|39.508

| -1.023

38

|4

|Scott Wimmer

|Chevrolet

|AERO Exhaust

|182.007

|39.559

| -1.074

39

|45

|Kyle Petty

|Dodge

|Wells Fargo

|181.461

|39.678

| -1.193

41

|40

|David Stremme

|Dodge

|Coors Light

|181.005

|39.778

| -1.293

41

|21

|Ken Schrader

|Ford

|Little Debbie

|179.341

|40.147

| -1.662

42

|49

|Brent Sherman

|Dodge

|Serta

|178.169

|40.411

| -1.926

43

|96

|Terry Labonte

|Chevrolet

|DLP HDTV / Tweeter

|181.059

|39.766

| -1.281

colspan="8" |Failed to qualify or withdrew
44

|32

|Travis Kvapil

|Chevrolet

|Tide

|

|

|

45

|00

|Hermie Sadler

|Ford

|Aaron's Dream Machine

|

|

|

46

|74

|Derrike Cope

|Dodge

|MyGuardian911

|

|

|

47

|34

|Randy LaJoie

|Dodge

|Front Row Motorsports

|

|

|

48

|89

|Morgan Shepherd

|Dodge

|Victory In Jesus / Dutch Quality Stone

|

|

|

WD

|50

|Jimmy Spencer

|Dodge

|

|

|

|

Summary

Body styles and engines were the story of the second race of the Nextel Cup season. Kurt Busch won the pole (187.086 mph) using a 2004 Dodge Intrepid-styled body, as opposed to the new Dodge Charger, which his Penske Racing team believed was aerodynamically superior. Bobby Labonte and the #43 team ran the Intrepid as well. Others, including Evernham Motorsports drivers Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne, drove the Charger.

On race day, Greg Biffle dominated, leading 168 of the first 218 laps. Biffle won last year's spring race at California, finished second in the fall, and had won the Busch 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 left Matt Kenseth to take the lead and only a late-race caution kept him from pulling away. Smoke and oil from the #4 car of Scott Wimmer brought out a yellow with three laps to go. Kenseth easily held off Jimmie Johnson in the green-white-checker finish to earn his 11th career win.

Race results

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

! Fin

! St

! Driver

! Car #

! Make

! Points

! Bonus

! Laps

! Winnings

1

| align="right" | 31

| Matt Kenseth

| align="right" | 17

| Ford

| align="right" | 185

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 251

| $324,991

2

| align="right" | 3

| Jimmie Johnson

| align="right" | 48

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 170

|

| align="right" | 251

| $235,936

3

| align="right" | 22

| Carl Edwards

| align="right" | 99

| Ford

| align="right" | 165

|

| align="right" | 251

| $165,550

4

| align="right" | 13

| Kasey Kahne

| align="right" | 9

| Dodge

| align="right" | 165

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 251

| $166,239

5

| align="right" | 6

| Jeff Burton

| align="right" | 31

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 155

|

| align="right" | 251

| $158,970

6

| align="right" | 25

| Jamie McMurray

| align="right" | 26

| Ford

| align="right" | 150

|

| align="right" | 251

| $142,375

7

| align="right" | 20

| Casey Mears

| align="right" | 42

| Dodge

| align="right" | 146

|

| align="right" | 251

| $140,858

8

| align="right" | 4

| J. J. Yeley *

| align="right" | 18

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 147

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 251

| $140,075

9

| align="right" | 10

| Mark Martin

| align="right" | 6

| Ford

| align="right" | 143

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 251

| $104,800

10

| align="right" | 7

| Kyle Busch

| align="right" | 5

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 134

|

| align="right" | 251

| $105,225

11

| align="right" | 18

| Dale Earnhardt Jr.

| align="right" | 8

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 135

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 251

| $132,366

12

| align="right" | 5

| Denny Hamlin *

| align="right" | 11

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 127

|

| align="right" | 251

| $104,575

13

| align="right" | 9

| Jeff Gordon

| align="right" | 24

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 129

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 251

| $127,261

14

| align="right" | 32

| Clint Bowyer *

| align="right" | 7

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 121

|

| align="right" | 251

| $100,425

15

| align="right" | 23

| Martin Truex Jr. *

| align="right" | 1

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 118

|

| align="right" | 251

| $114,383

16

| align="right" | 1

| Kurt Busch

| align="right" | 2

| Dodge

| align="right" | 120

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 251

| $144,558

17

| align="right" | 19

| Dale Jarrett

| align="right" | 88

| Ford

| align="right" | 112

|

| align="right" | 251

| $133,050

18

| align="right" | 28

| Brian Vickers

| align="right" | 25

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 109

|

| align="right" | 250

| $97,625

19

| align="right" | 14

| Scott Riggs

| align="right" | 10

| Dodge

| align="right" | 106

|

| align="right" | 250

| $88,925

20

| align="right" | 11

| Ryan Newman

| align="right" | 12

| Dodge

| align="right" | 103

|

| align="right" | 250

| $132,683

21

| align="right" | 29

| Reed Sorenson *

| align="right" | 41

| Dodge

| align="right" | 100

|

| align="right" | 250

| $97,875

22

| align="right" | 21

| Jeremy Mayfield

| align="right" | 19

| Dodge

| align="right" | 97

|

| align="right" | 250

| $116,916

23

| align="right" | 16

| Elliott Sadler

| align="right" | 38

| Ford

| align="right" | 94

|

| align="right" | 250

| $115,083

24

| align="right" | 26

| Jeff Green

| align="right" | 66

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 91

|

| align="right" | 250

| $121,058

25

| align="right" | 39

| Kyle Petty

| align="right" | 45

| Dodge

| align="right" | 88

|

| align="right" | 250

| $107,333

26

| align="right" | 34

| Robby Gordon

| align="right" | 7

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 85

|

| align="right" | 249

| $95,075

27

| align="right" | 8

| Joe Nemechek

| align="right" | 1

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 82

|

| align="right" | 249

| $109,820

28

| align="right" | 41

| Ken Schrader

| align="right" | 21

| Ford

| align="right" | 79

|

| align="right" | 249

| $109,589

29

| align="right" | 15

| Kevin Harvick

| align="right" | 29

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 76

|

| align="right" | 249

| $116,611

30

| align="right" | 24

| Dave Blaney

| align="right" | 22

| Dodge

| align="right" | 73

|

| align="right" | 249

| $91,583

31

| align="right" | 27

| Bobby Labonte

| align="right" | 43

| Dodge

| align="right" | 70

|

| align="right" | 249

| $116,186

32

| align="right" | 17

| Sterling Marlin

| align="right" | 14

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 67

|

| align="right" | 249

| $88,592

33

| align="right" | 40

| David Stremme *

| align="right" | 40

| Dodge

| align="right" | 64

|

| align="right" | 248

| $87,775

34

| align="right" | 43

| Terry Labonte

| align="right" | 96

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 61

|

| align="right" | 248

| $78,625

35

| align="right" | 37

| Kevin Lepage

| align="right" | 61

| Ford

| align="right" | 58

|

| align="right" | 248

| $78,425

36

| align="right" | 33

| Michael Waltrip

| align="right" | 55

| Dodge

| align="right" | 55

|

| align="right" | 247

| $78,275

37

| align="right" | 42

| Brent Sherman *

| align="right" | 49

| Dodge

| align="right" | 52

|

| align="right" | 247

| $78,050

38

| align="right" | 35

| Mike Garvey

| align="right" | 151

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 49

|

| align="right" | 247

| $77,800

39

| align="right" | 38

| Scott Wimmer

| align="right" | 4

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 46

|

| align="right" | 246

| $77,680

40

| align="right" | 30

| Stanton Barrett

| align="right" | 195

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 43

|

| align="right" | 242

| $77,525

41

| align="right" | 36

| Kenny Wallace

| align="right" | 178

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 40

|

| align="right" | 237

| $77,400

42

| align="right" | 2

| Greg Biffle

| align="right" | 16

| Ford

| align="right" | 47

| align="right" | 10

| align="right" | 229

| $106,005

43

| align="right" | 12

| Tony Stewart

| align="right" | 20

| Chevrolet

| align="right" | 39

| align="right" | 5

| align="right" | 214

| $119,453

Failed to qualify: Travis Kvapil (#32), Hermie Sadler (#00), Derrike Cope (#74), Randy LaJoie (#34), Morgan Shepherd (#89)

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/2/data/results_official.html Official results]

{{NASCAR next race

| Series = Nextel Cup Series

| Season = 2006

| Previous_race =2006 Daytona 500

| Next_race =2006 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400

}}

{{2006 Nextel Cup}}

Auto Club 500

Auto Club 500

Category:NASCAR races at Auto Club Speedway

Category:February 2006 sports events in the United States