The Dover 400 was held on September 24, 2006 at the Dover International Speedway. The 2005 winner was Jimmie Johnson who started the chase second in points. Matt Kenseth won the spring event. At this year's race, Jeff Gordon won the pole and Matt Kenseth led the most laps. But it was Jeff Burton, who hadn't won in over 175 races, that prevailed and took the lead in the standings.
Finishing order of Chase drivers
Jeff Burton
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Matt Kenseth
Jimmie Johnson
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Kevin Harvick
Kasey Kahne
Kyle Busch
Points changes after race
Jeff Burton
Jeff Gordon
Matt Kenseth §
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Jimmie Johnson
Kasey Kahne
Kyle Busch
§ - Holds tiebreaker with more wins
Banquet 400
The Banquet 400 was held on October 1, 2006 at the Kansas Speedway. The 2005 winner was Mark Martin who started the chase seventh in points. Additionally, this race was held a week earlier than in 2005. Kasey Kahne won the pole. A fuel mileage gamble would have put Jimmie Johnson in great position for Talladega by winning, but he ran out of gas with four laps to go. Tony Stewart took the lead and won a wild one by running out of gas in Turn 2 but still making it all the way around the track to the finish line.
The UAW-Ford 500 was held on October 8 at the newly repaved Talladega Superspeedway. Considered the wild card track in the Chase, all drivers fear that they will be caught in "The Big One". The 2005 winner was Dale Jarrett who missed the chase this year. The defending track champion was Jimmie Johnson. The race was held one week later than in 2005. At this year's event, David Gilliland won his first career Bud Pole Award, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. led the most laps. In a wild finish, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. led going into turn 3 on the final lap, with Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers trailing. Johnson moved down low to pass Earnhardt, and his teammate Vickers followed, but accidentally caught the right rear quarter panel of Johnson's Chevrolet. Johnson spun up into Earnhardt's car, sending both of them down into the infield grass. Vickers moved past and took his first career victory, amid boos from Earnhardt's and Johnson's fans.
The Bank of America 500 was held on October 14 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. The 2005 winner was Jimmie Johnson who won two of the three races in Charlotte that year. The defending track champion was Kasey Kahne, however Johnson was the defending champion for 500-mile races at the track. At this year's event, Scott Riggs won the pole and Kasey Kahne led the most laps. Championship contender Mark Martin was involved in a hard crash after being tagged by J. J. Yeley.
Finishing order of Chase drivers
Kasey Kahne
Jimmie Johnson
Jeff Burton
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Kyle Busch
Matt Kenseth
Kevin Harvick
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Mark Martin
Points changes after race
Jeff Burton
Matt Kenseth
Kevin Harvick
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Denny Hamlin
Jimmie Johnson
Kasey Kahne
Kyle Busch
Jeff Gordon
Subway 500
The Subway 500 was held on October 22 at the Martinsville Speedway. The 2005 winner was Jeff Gordon who started the chase ninth in points this year and also won both races at the track in 2003. The defending track champion was Tony Stewart. On lap 188, the entire complexity of the Chase was changed. The consistent Jeff Burton, who had been involved in a previous accident, had engine troubles which relegated him to a 42nd-place finish. Jimmie Johnson led the most laps and won the race.
The Bass Pro Shops 500 was held on October 29 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 2005 winner was Carl Edwards who missed the chase this year. The defending track champion was Kasey Kahne. Matt Kenseth was awarded the pole after qualifying was washed out, but Tony Stewart spoiled the party winning the race.
The Dickies 500 was held on November 5 at the Texas Motor Speedway. The 2005 winner was Carl Edwards. The defending track champion was Kasey Kahne. The race was extended five laps due to the green-white-checkers rule, and for the second week in a row, Tony Stewart played spoiler and won the event.
The Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil Platinum was held on November 12 at the Phoenix International Raceway. Kevin Harvick swept the season's races with the win here, while Jeff Gordon won the pole for this race. At one point in this race, all ten drivers were in the top dozen, but Kyle Busch, who came in as the defending champion of this race and began the Chase in fifth place, was involved in a late race crash, becoming one of five drivers to be mathematically eliminated from the Chase before Homestead.
Finishing order of Chase drivers
Kevin Harvick
Jimmie Johnson
Denny Hamlin
Jeff Gordon
Mark Martin
Kasey Kahne
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Burton
Matt Kenseth
Kyle Busch
Points changes after race
Jimmie Johnson
Matt Kenseth
Kevin Harvick §
Denny Hamlin
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Jeff Burton ~
Mark Martin ~
Kasey Kahne ~
Kyle Busch ~
~ - Mathematically eliminated from Chase as of this race. § - Holds tiebreaker with more wins.
Ford 400
The Ford 400 was held on November 19 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Greg Biffle, who missed the chase this year, defended his championship for the third time. The race was also the swan song for NBC's telecasts. Kasey Kahne won the pole for this race, while Jimmie Johnson took ninth place, enough to clinch his first Nextel Championship, and the first for Jeff Gordon as a car owner, winning four titles under the Winston Cup banner as a driver for Rick Hendrick.
Tony Stewart did not make the Chase for the Cup this year. This marked the first time since the chase format was implemented in 2004 that the defending champion did not clinch a spot. However, he won three of the Chase races en route to a $1 million bonus as the best finisher not among the drivers participating in the Chase. In both years, the winner of the regular season did not make the next year's Chase.
Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Mark Martin returned for their third consecutive chase, while Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. entered their second chase and Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, and Jeff Burton all qualified for their first chase.
Jeremy Mayfield, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart made the first two chases but failed to make this year's playoff, with Mayfield without a team after being released by Evernham Motorsports in August.
The top three finishers of the 2005 Chase did not qualify for the 2006 chase.
