Pennsylvania 500
Pocono Raceway — July 23, 2006
Denny Hamlin
Winner
200
Laps
43
Entries
9
Leaders
Denny Hamlin won the 2006 Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2006, leading 151 of 200 laps. Kurt Busch finished second; Jeff Gordon rounded out the podium. The race featured 9 different leaders.
Race Details
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | — | Denny Hamlin |
| 2 | 7 | +5 | Kurt Busch |
| 3 | 5 | +2 | Jeff Gordon |
| 4 | 4 | — | Brian Vickers |
| 5 | 12 | +7 | Kevin Harvick |
| 6 | 15 | +9 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 7 | 13 | +6 | Tony Stewart |
| 8 | 27 | +19 | Bobby Labonte |
| 9 | 6 | -3 | Jeff Burton |
| 10 | 17 | +7 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 11 | 21 | +10 | J.J. Yeley |
| 12 | 8 | -4 | Kyle Busch |
| 13 | 29 | +16 | Robby Gordon |
| 14 | 11 | -3 | Matt Kenseth |
| 15 | 18 | +3 | Ken Schrader |
| 16 | 24 | +8 | Dave Blaney |
| 17 | 10 | -7 | Joe Nemechek |
| 18 | 2 | -16 | Ryan Newman |
| 19 | 30 | +11 | Mark Martin |
| 20 | 28 | +8 | Jamie McMurray |
| 21 | 19 | -2 | Tony Raines |
| 22 | 9 | -13 | Scott Riggs |
| 23 | 31 | +8 | Casey Mears |
| 24 | 20 | -4 | Greg Biffle |
| 25 | 37 | +12 | Terry Labonte |
| 26 | 23 | -3 | Reed Sorenson |
| 27 | 40 | +13 | Travis Kvapil |
| 28 | 38 | +10 | Dale Jarrett |
| 29 | 42 | +13 | David Stremme |
| 30 | 35 | +5 | Sterling Marlin |
| 31 | 3 | -28 | Kasey Kahne |
| 32 | 25 | -7 | Elliott Sadler |
| 33 | 36 | +3 | Stephen Leicht |
| 34 | 34 | — | Kevin Lepage |
| 35 | 32 | -3 | Jeff Green |
| 36 | 43 | +7 | Jimmy Spencer |
| 37 | 22 | -15 | Jeremy Mayfield |
| 38 | 41 | +3 | Scott Wimmer |
| 39 | 16 | -23 | Carl Edwards |
| 40 | 39 | -1 | Michael Waltrip |
| 41 | 14 | -27 | Clint Bowyer |
| 42 | 33 | -9 | Kyle Petty |
| 43 | 26 | -17 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 6 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.2 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 8.2 | 1 | +7.2 |
| 6 | Jimmie Johnson | 19.9 | 6 | +13.9 |
| 10 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 15.4 | 10 | +5.4 |
| 11 | J.J. Yeley | 28.8 | 11 | +17.8 |
| 12 | Kyle Busch | 17.0 | 12 | +5.0 |
| 23 | Casey Mears | 16.9 | 23 | -6.1 |
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
- Denny Hamlin: has 38 career starts at Pocono Raceway with a 10.5 avg finish (7 wins) — the model correctly identified this strength.
- J.J. Yeley: was the biggest surprise, finishing P11 vs predicted P29. Track history: 24 starts, 30.7 avg finish.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2006 Pennsylvania 500?
Denny Hamlin won the 2006 Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway.
Where was the 2006 Pennsylvania 500 held?
The 2006 Pennsylvania 500 was held at Pocono Raceway on July 23, 2006.