The 2006 Daytona 500 was a Nextel Cup (now Sprint Cup) event held at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2006. It was the season opener. It was a bittersweet week for Jimmie Johnson. His crew chief, Chad Knaus was suspended for qualifying infractions. Instead, Darian Grubb inherited the crew chief position and Johnson held off Casey Mears on a misty night for victory in NASCAR's biggest race. Stats
| 2006 Daytona 500 | |
| General info | |
|---|---|
| Series | Nextel Cup Series |
| Location | Daytona International Speedway |
| Date | February 19, 2006 |
| Qualifying | |
| Pole Sitter | Jeff Burton |
| Pole Speed | 189.151 mph |
| Race Data | |
| Winner | Jimmie Johnson |
| Margin of Victory | under caution |
| Average Speed | 142.667 mph |
| Cautions | 11 for 39 laps |
| Points Leader | Jimmie Johnson (+15) |