2006 Coca-Cola 600
Roush Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin each finished in the top ten, and moved to second and third, respectively.Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing fell from second to fourth after crashing heavily on lap 34.The Coca-Cola 600 was the 12th of 36 scheduled stock car races of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and the event's 47th iteration.[13] It is NASCAR's most physically demanding event; teams adapt to changeable track conditions because it occurs between late afternoon and evening.Several cars sustained blown tires, and multiple crashes occurred on the worn bumpy surface due to levigation, a process where a circuit's hard bumps were smoothed out.[16] When that did not work, the entire track (including the aprons and pit road) was completely repaved, with more than a 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) of asphalt used.Jeff Green set the seventh-quickest time, Scott Riggs eighth, Kyle Busch ninth, and Travis Kvapil completed the top ten ahead of qualifying.Green was sixth-fastest, and Johnny Sauter, Kurt Busch, Casey Mears and Carl Edwards followed in positions seven through ten.Kurt Busch was eighth, Burton ninth and Yeley completed the top ten ahead of Sunday's race.[24] Live television coverage of the race began at 5:02 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (UTC–04:00) in the United States on Fox.[28] Country music singer Carrie Underwood performed the national anthem introduced by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, and Edward Angus Powell Jr., president and chief executive officer of the United Service Organizations, commanded the drivers to start their engines.[1] During the pace laps, Robby Gordon fell to the rear of the grid because he changed engines, and Waltrip did the same for relieving Cope in the No.[27] That lap, the first caution was waved, as Dale Jarrett was told by his spotter Rick Cordell over the radio to maintain his line entering turn three.[27] On lap 33, Stewart's right-front tire disintegrated because the hot track surface melted its bead and he lost control of his car.[1][30] Stewart required assistance from medical personnel to exit his car, and the internal pain meant he clutched his right shoulder while walking to an ambulance.Newman's front tires went flat eight laps later, and spun at turn four, but avoided damaging his car, necessitating the third caution.Under caution, most of the drivers on the lead lap (including Jeff Gordon) entered pit road for fuel, tires and car adjustments.On lap 112, Paul Menard spun leaving turn four, but avoided hitting a wall, causing the sixth caution.[27] Ten laps later, an eighth caution was required, as one of Edwards' tires blew, and he hit the turn two wall lightly, before spinning on the backstretch.Green was ordered to drop to the end of the longest line for his team leaving equipment outside his pit box.[27] Debris from Kvapil's shredded right-rear tire was located in the second turn 26 laps later,[1] triggering the eleventh caution.[27] Four laps later, the twelfth caution was necessitated: Sauter's right-rear tire disintegrated exiting turn one, and he spun on the apron.[1][27] Four laps later, Mears lost control of his car in turn four, and bent his vehicle's rear bodywork and spoiler in a collision with a barrier.Kyle Busch put his window net down, and vacated his vehicle to venture towards the track while NASCAR officials restrained him.As one official grabbed his right arm, he threw his HANS device at Mears' circulating car on the next lap, which ricocheted off it.[1][35] On lap 363,[2] Jeff Gordon's right-rear suspension failed,[33] and he collided with the turn four wall, causing the fifteenth (and final) caution."[33] The combination of a repaved track and the harder compound Goodyear tire received a mixed response from drivers."[29] Stewart was transported to Carolinas Medical Center and an X-ray found the tip of his right scapula was fractured.[39] Kyle Busch and his crew chief Alan Gustafson was ordered by NASCAR to meet president Mike Helton and other series officials about his collision with Mears after the race.
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