2006 Hershey's Kissables 300

Race details[1]
Map of Speedway
Date	February 18, 2006 (2006-02-18)
Official name	2006 Hershey's Kissables 300
Location	Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
Course	Tri-oval 2.5 mi (4.023 km)
Distance	120 laps, 300 mi (400 km)
Weather	Sunny
Average speed	125.159 mph (201.424 km/h)
Attendance	75,000
Pole position
Driver	J. J. Yeley	Joe Gibbs Racing
Time	49.155
Most laps led
Driver	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Laps	48
Winner
No. 33	Tony Stewart	Kevin Harvick, Inc.
Television in the United States
Network	TNT
Announcers	Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Benny Parsons

The 2006 Hershey's Kissables 300 was a NASCAR Busch Series race held on February 18, 2006, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. This was the first race of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series and was also the 25th season of the Busch Series. The race was the 25th running of the event. Out of the 49 cars that attempted the race, 18 of those drivers were currently running full time in the Nextel Cup Series. Nextel Cup Series rookie J. J. Yeley won the pole but in the race's end, Tony Stewart would win the Busch Series opener for the second season in a row after a spectacular last lap crash as this race became known as a wreckfest.^[2]

Entry List

• (R) denotes rookie driver

Qualifying

J. J. Yeley won the pole with a time of 49.155 seconds and a speed of 183.094 miles per hour

* – Steve Grissom made the field by owners points.

** – Carl Edwards had to go to the rear of the field for unapproved impound adjustments.

Race

Pole sitter J. J. Yeley lead the first lap of the race. The first caution did not take long as it came out on lap 3 of the race while the moment of silence was happening for Dale Earnhardt when Ken Schrader crashed in turn 2 after he blew a left rear tire. The race would restart on lap 7. On lap 14, Clint Bowyer took the lead. On lap 15, Jeff Burton took the lead from his teammate. Bowyer and Burton swapped the lead on lap 16 and 17 before Kasey Kahne took it on lap 18. On lap 19, Greg Biffle took the lead. Jeff Burton took the lead on lap 26. On lap 29, Elliott Sadler's tire went flat but that did not bring out the caution. The second caution flew for the three car crash on the same lap in turn 4 involving Johnny Sauter, Reed Sorenson, and Aaron Fike. During the wreck, Joe Nemechek flew by Sorenson who was stopped at over 100 miles an hour and almost hit Sorenson and a lot of other cars who were slowing down. NASCAR black flagged Nemechek and held him for one lap for aggressive driving. Kasey Kahne won the race off of pit road and he was the new race leader on the restart on lap 35. On lap 37, Brian Vickers attempted to take the lead from Kahne and lead that lap but could not make the pass. On lap 39, the third caution flew for another 3 car crash on the front stretch involving Paul Menard and Carl Edwards when Edwards spun down and collected A. J. Foyt IV. The wreck would produce a short red flag. The race would restart on lap 45. On lap 47, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead. On lap 50, another 3 car crash occurred in turn 4 when Paul Tracy got turned by John Andretti while Joe Nemechek and Steadman Marlin crashed behind Tracy. The race would restart on lap 54. On lap 62, Greg Biffle took the lead. On lap 70, Jamie McMurray took the lead. On lap 74, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead.

Race results