NASCAR-Best & Worst of 2006
The best and worst from the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season.
Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick were the best drivers in NASCAR in 2006.
Best Driver- (tie) Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick
Jimmie Johnson is the NASCAR Nextel Cup champion, as he won five races, including the Daytona 500, and Brickyard 400. Johnson’s season was clearly one of the most impressive in a long while. He recorded 13 top fives along with 24 top tens. Overall, Johnson had the championship season that he has marginally missed over the previous four seasons.
Like Johnson, Kevin Harvick won five races in 2006, and finished fourth in the final NASCAR Nextel Cup standings. He recorded 15 top fives and 20 top tens. If it were not for an engine miscue at Dover, Harvick may have given Johnson a run for his money at Homestead. It was unarguably Harvick’s best season in Nextel Cup competition. Also, Harvick’s Busch Series campaign can not go unobserved. He won nine races, two shy of the series record, and recorded 23 top fives, and an astonishing 32 top tens in just 35 races.
Worst Driver- Jamie McMurray
Okay, this may seem a little unfair. It was McMurray’s first season with Roush Racing, but then again, it’s Roush Racing, one of NASCAR’s powerhouse teams. Even in an off-year, teammates Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle were competitive. McMurray was far from that. He finished second at Dover in the spring, but that was due to pit strategy. He spent a majority of the race fighting for the Lucky Dog. Also, at Watkins Glen, McMurray and crew used pit strategy to pull out a top five. Anyway, McMurray struggled in every aspect, including qualifying. He qualified 40th or worse eight times. Good thing he was in the top 35 in the Nextel Cup owner’s standings. McMurray finished 25th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings with three top fives and seven top tens.
Best race- UAW Ford 500 at Talladega
Okay, this is the trendy pick, but you cannot disregard the finish of this race. On the last lap, Dale Earnhardt Jr led with the two Hendrick Motorsports teammates of Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers meticulously following him. On the backstretch, Johnson pulled to the inside of Earnhardt Jr with a steam full of momentum, however, Vickers, trying to be the good little teammate, attempted to push Johnson to the forefront, instead, he misjudged and sent Johnson and Earnhardt spinning. Vickers won the race, while Johnson and the myriad of Earnhardt Jr fans were fuming. Earnhardt Jr appeared to be calm regarding the incident.
“I got into Jimmie and I hate it," Vickers said. "The last thing I wanted to do was wreck either one of those guys, but what happened, happened. It wasn't intentional."
Worst race- 3M Performance 400 at Michigan
Not only are races held at the 2-mile oval humdrum, but this one was rain shortened. Only 129 laps were completed. Since rain was on the horizon, odd pit strategies were being played out. At least we could have seen an exciting finish, maybe, if the rain was not a factor. Anyway, there isn’t much to say regarding this race except for the fact that is was very forgettable, unless you are a Kasey Kahne fan.
Best crew chief- Mike Ford (Denny Hamlin)
Chad Knaus is the conventional pick.
Worst crew chief- Chris Andrews (Jeremy Mayfield)
Mayfield and Ray Evernham, and Erin Crocker are not fully to blame for the appalling season.
Best rookie- Denny Hamlin
Obviously, though Clint Bowyer was impressive as well.
Worst rookie- David Stremme
Brent Sherman does not count.
Best attitude- Jeff Burton
He’s honest yet respectable.
Worst attitude- Tony Stewart
I really like Stewart, but I just cannot get the Daytona 500 and the Pennsylvania 500 out of my mind.
