2006 AMD at the Glen

The 2006 AMD at The Glen was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race that was held on August 13, 2006 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Contested over 90 laps on the 2.45 mile (3.942 km) road course, it was the 22nd race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing won the race.

2006 AMD at The Glen
Race details
Race 22 of 36 in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season
Date August 13, 2006 (2006-August-13)
Official name AMD at The Glen
Location Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York
Course Permanent racing facility
2.45 mi (3.942 km)
Distance 90 laps, 220.5 mi (354.86 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching up to 71.8 °F (22.1 °C); wind speeds up to 10.2 miles per hour (16.4 km/h)[1]
Average speed 76.718 miles per hour (123.466 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
Penske Racing South
Most laps led
Driver Kurt Busch Penske Racing South
Laps 38
Winner
No. 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing
Television in the United States
Network NBC
Announcers Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Benny Parsons

There were only five drivers eliminated from the race; all due to racing accidents.[2]

Background

Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.

Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after a fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.

The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.

Race

Kurt Busch had the pole position for this race, in Penske Racing's #2 Miller Lite-sponsored Dodge. Busch was seeking his first road course win of his Cup career, following numerous near-misses and his Busch win the previous day. Busch controlled the race early before being penalized for coming onto pit road when it closed due to an untimely caution. Busch was sent to the rear of the field and the race then got controlled by Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick who passed Tony during the final 3 laps to win the race. It was Harvick's first road course win of his career and the top-ten also ended with some road course aces finishing in the top ten; Robby Gordon finished fourth in his own car and Scott Pruett, a non-regular, finished in the top-ten substituting for David Stremme in Chip Ganassi's #40 Coors Light-sponsored Dodge.

Top 10 results
Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet
2 20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet
3 26Jamie McMurrayRoush RacingFord
4 7Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsChevrolet
5 99Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFord
6 40Scott PruettChip Ganassi RacingDodge
7 38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord
8 12Ryan NewmanPenske RacingDodge
9 5Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
10 11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet

Race Statistics
  • Time of race: 2:52:27
  • Average Speed: 76.718 miles per hour (123.466 km/h)
  • Pole Speed: 122.966 miles per hour (197.895 km/h)
  • Cautions: 10 for 22 laps
  • Margin of Victory: 0.892 sec
  • Lead changes: 14
  • Percent of race run under caution: 24.4%
  • Average green flag run: 6.2 laps

[2]

References
  1. Weather information at The Old Farmers' Almanac
  2. Race statistics at Racing Reference
Previous race:
2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard		 Nextel Cup Series
2006 season		 Next race:
2006 GFS Marketplace 400
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