| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 2 exhibition races of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series | |||
| Date | February 12, 2006 | ||
| Official name | 28th Annual Budweiser Shootout | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.0 km) | ||
| Distance | 72 laps, 180 mi (289.681 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 70 laps, 175 mi (281.635 km) | ||
| Average speed | 153.627 miles per hour (247.239 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 60,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Wood Brothers/JTG Racing | ||
| Grid positions set by ballot | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Ken Schrader | Wood Brothers/JTG Racing | |
| Laps | 18 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNT | ||
| Announcers | Bill Weber, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 2006 Budweiser Shootout was the first exhibition stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, and the 28th iteration of the event. The race was postponed to Sunday, February 12, 2006 from the originally scheduled date of February 11 due to rain.[1] The race was held in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway, before a crowd of 60,000. The race was extended from 70 laps to 72 due to a green–white–checker finish. At race's end, rookie Denny Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing would pass teammate Tony Stewart on the final restart and hold off the field to pull off a stunning victory in the shootout, the first Budweiser Shootout win of his career.[2] To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.