Jimmie Johnson won the 48th running of The Great American Race – the 2006 Daytona 500 – scoring his 19th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory in his 148th career start.
Johnsons last victory came at Lowes Motor Speedway in October 2005, six races earlier.
Johnsons first victory in nine Daytona races is also his first in a restrictor-plate race.
Johnson moved to 31st on NASCARs all-time winners list, tying Davey Allison, Buddy Baker and Fonty Flock.
Johnson, who finished fifth in the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, begins the 2006 season atop the point standings.
Johnson has ranked among the top-10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for 70 straight races, a streak that began after race No. 4 at Atlanta in March 2004.
Johnson led four times for 24 laps including the final 17.
It was his Johnsons fifth straight top-10 finish at Daytona extending a streak that began here in 2004.
Johnson has won at least one race each season 2002 2006, five consecutive years.
Johnson scored the 10th victory for team owner Rick Hendrick at Daytona. It is Hendricks 141st victory as a car owner and sixth Daytona 500 victory with four different drivers [GBodine, DWaltrip, JGordon and now Johnson].
Team owner Rick Hendrick has won at least won race each season 1986 2006, 21 consecutive years.
Notebook Items
Dale Earnhardt Jr., led the most laps (32) in the 2006 Daytona 500. The last time he led the most laps in a race was at Atlanta last October, the only time in 2005 that he lad the most laps.
The 18 different leaders in the 2006 Daytona 500 set an all-time record for the most leaders at Daytona. The previous record was 15 set in 1974, 1989 and 1996 all in the Daytona 500.
Three of the top-10 finishers in the 2006 Daytona 500 finished in the final top 10 in the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings.
Casey Mears (second) scored his career-best finish. It marked his first top-10 finish in seven races here.
Ryan Newman (third) scored his best finish at Daytona. It marked his second top-10 finish in nine races here.
Elliott Sadler (fourth) scored his fourth top-10 finish in 15 races at Daytona. It marked his best Daytona finish since he finished second in this race in 2002.
Tony Stewart (fifth) scored his fifth straight top10 finish at Daytona. Stewart has scored eight top-10 finishes in 15 races at Daytona.
Clint Bowyer (sixth) was the highest finishing Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contender in the 2006 Daytona 500. All seven of the 2006 Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contenders competed in the Daytona 500.
Joe Nemechek (33rd) has been running at the finish in the last 33 races, a streak that began at Bristol last April, the longest current streak.
Only once since 1979 has the winner of the Daytona 500 gone on to win the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship in the same year: Jeff Gordon (1997). Three other drivers won the Daytona 500 also became the NASCAR champion in the same year: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974 and 1979) and Cale Yarborough (1977).
The race leader at the halfway point in the Daytona 500 has failed to win in the last 14 years. Dale Earnhardt Jr., was the leader at lap 100 in the 2006. The last driver to lead at halfway and win was Davey Allison in 1992.(NASCAR PR)(2-19-2006)
