Pepsi 400

Daytona International Speedway — July 1, 2006

Tony Stewart
Winner
160
Laps
43
Entries
15
Leaders

Tony Stewart won the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 1, 2006, leading 86 of 160 laps. Kyle Busch finished second; Kurt Busch rounded out the podium. The race featured 15 different leaders.

Race Details
Date
Saturday, July 1, 2006
Season
2006
Winner
Leaders
15 drivers
Pos Start +/- Driver
1 2 +1 Tony Stewart
2 14 +12 Kyle Busch
3 16 +13 Kurt Busch
4 1 -3 Boris Said
5 10 +5 Matt Kenseth
6 13 +7 Elliott Sadler
7 40 +33 Casey Mears
8 26 +18 Jamie McMurray
9 32 +23 Kevin Harvick
10 30 +20 Clint Bowyer
11 23 +12 Ryan Newman
12 31 +19 Ken Schrader
13 35 +22 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
14 25 +11 Robby Gordon
15 39 +24 Jeff Burton
16 3 -13 David Stremme
17 6 -11 Denny Hamlin
18 17 -1 Brian Vickers
19 5 -14 Joe Nemechek
20 28 +8 Scott Riggs
21 21 Tony Raines
22 7 -15 Dale Jarrett
23 18 -5 Mike Wallace
24 20 -4 Sterling Marlin
25 38 +13 Kasey Kahne
26 36 +10 Jeff Green
27 41 +14 Dave Blaney
28 33 +5 Kyle Petty
29 8 -21 Martin Truex, Jr.
30 15 -15 Travis Kvapil
31 12 -19 Greg Biffle
32 9 -23 Jimmie Johnson
33 24 -9 Mark Martin
34 37 +3 Reed Sorenson
35 43 +8 Chad Chaffin
36 42 +6 Jeremy Mayfield
37 11 -26 J.J. Yeley
38 19 -19 Michael Waltrip
39 29 -10 Carl Edwards
40 4 -36 Jeff Gordon
41 22 -19 Hermie Sadler
42 34 -8 Bobby Labonte
43 27 -16 Kirk Shelmerdine
Model Performance

How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 6 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.9 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average

Pos Driver Predicted Actual Delta
2 Kyle Busch 15.1 2 +13.1
7 Casey Mears 18.5 7 +11.5
17 Denny Hamlin 16.0 17 -1.0
29 Martin Truex, Jr. 20.1 29 -8.9
32 Jimmie Johnson 18.9 32 -13.1
37 J.J. Yeley 25.2 37 -11.8

Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.

Historical Context

  • Tony Stewart: has 47 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.5 avg finish (9 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
  • Kyle Busch: was the model’s top pick based on 69 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 17.3 avg finish (3 wins), finishing P2 on the day.
  • Kyle Busch: was the biggest surprise, finishing P2 vs predicted P15. Track history: 69 starts, 17.3 avg finish.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the 2006 Pepsi 400?
Tony Stewart won the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Where was the 2006 Pepsi 400 held?
The 2006 Pepsi 400 was held at Daytona International Speedway on July 1, 2006.