1. Jimmie Johnson Wins 2006 NEXTEL Cup Championship
The NEXTEL Cup Championship is the biggest prize in American motorsports and as the 2006 Champ Jimmie Johnson gets the number one spot on this list. He lead all drivers with an incredible 24 top ten finishes and was tied for second in wins with five. Jimmie Johnson had his team clicking in 2006 and was rewarded with a well-deserved Championship.2. Tony Stewart Fails To Make The Chase
One downside of the current Chase format is that NASCAR can't guarantee that any of its stars will have a chance at The Chase. Tony Stewart felt the pain of that in 2006 as the 2005 NEXTEL Cup Champion was eleventh after the cutoff in Richmond. Stewart then had to watch The Chase unfold from the outside looking in.Tony Stewart was still a factor, winning three of the final ten races, but he was not eligible to finish any higher than eleventh in points. Should NASCAR change The Chase to guarantee that their stars will make the show?
3. Brian Vickers Wrecks His Way To Unpopular Talladega Victory
Wow, right in the heart of The Chase we had some serious fireworks. On the backstretch of the final lap Jimmie Johnson got a run and pulled down to pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the win. Johnson's teammate Brian Vickers was running third and pulled down to go with Johnson but misjudged it. Vickers clipped Johnson and both Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked.The yellow flag flew and froze the field while Brian Vickers was still leading. Brian Vickers was credited with the victory. This was the first win of his career and caused many fans to completely lose their minds.
4. Buschwhackers Run Over NASCAR Busch Series Regulars
NEXTEL Cup regulars completely dominated Busch Series events in 2006 causing many fans to sound off. NEXTEL Cup series regulars won 33 of the 35 events on the Busch Series calendar and finished the season in eight of the top ten points positions.This overwhelming showing by NEXTEL Cup Series stars in the Busch Series has many fans wondering how much is too much. Buschwhacking was a year-long discussion around the sport.
5. Rookie Denny Hamlin Bursts On The Scene
Denny Hamlin was my preseason pick for 2006 Raybestos Rookie Of The Year, but I was in the minority as most media outlets were picking Martin Truex Jr. Hamlin burst out of the gate with a win in the non-points Budweiser Shootout in Daytona. Hamlin then stormed through the regular season with two wins (sweeping both Pocono events) and 20 top-ten finishes.Hamlin ended the season third in points and had a real chance to win the NEXTEL Cup title in his rookie year. Denny Hamlin was then honored at the banquet in New York with the 2006 Raybestos Rookie Of The Year honors.
6. Tony Stewart's Aggression In Daytona
Tony Stewart did not win the 2006 Daytona 500 yet he still found himself the center of attention after the race. Tony Stewart complained about aggressive driving during the week leading up to the race and NASCAR listened. Then during the actual Daytona 500 Tony Stewart was the driver that showed the most aggression. Tony had run-ins with Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch during the 2006 Daytona 500. Tony's display in Daytona had folks talking for weeks.7. Ford Fusion Fizzles
One of the big changes in NASCAR for the 2006 season was the introduction of the Ford Fusion into NASCAR racing. Taurus has been in NASCAR since 1998 when it replaced the Thunderbird.How did it work out? Matt Kenseth finished second in points in his new Fusion however Kenseth was the only Ford driver to finish in the top five and one of only two Ford drivers in the top ten (Mark Martin in ninth was the other). In addition, Ford finished third out of three in the manufacturers point battle behind both Chevy and Dodge.
8. Bill Lester Makes Historic Start In Atlanta
Craftsman Truck Series regular Bill Lester qualified for the spring NEXTEL Cup race in Atlanta for Bill Davis Racing. In doing so Bill Lester became the first African-American to start a Cup series event since Willy T. Ribbs ran three races in 1986. Lester had an uneventful day and finished 38th.Lester started his second NEXTEL Cup race later in 2006 as he finished 32nd, on the lead lap, in June at Michigan International Speedway.
Diversity is an important goal for NASCAR and Bill Lester's ability to drive the car well and handle the media attention speaks well of him and NASCAR's progress in this area.
9. The Resurgence Of Jeff Burton
Jeff Burton had not seen victory lane or a top ten points finish since 2001. Some had written him off as another one of those guys that used to be good but was no longer a threat. Jeff Burton and his Richard Childress team were clicking in 2006. Jeff Burton lead the points for four weeks during The Chase and was the odds-on favorite for much of the 2006 Championship battle.10. Jimmie Johnson Sweeps The Big Ones
This list, much like the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season really begins and ends with Jimmie Johnson. Not only did Jimmie Johnson win the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Championship, he also won all of the big races during the year. Daytona 500? Check. Brickyard 400? Check. All-Star Race? Check. Johnson also won in Talladega in the spring and nearly swept the track as he was a lock to win the second Talladega race until his teammate made a critical error.Jimmie Johnson dominated 2006. He wrote his name into the record books in every major event. In the meantime he also set a new record for single-season earnings at $15,770,125.
