| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 21 of 36 in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series | |||
 2006 Brickyard 400 program cover | |||
| Date | August 6, 2006 | ||
| Official name | Allstate 400 at the Brickyard | ||
| Location | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Indiana | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 160 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Weather | Hot with temperatures approaching 89.6 °F (32.0 °C); wind speeds up to 10.2 miles per hour (16.4 km/h)[3] | ||
| Average speed | 137.182 miles per hour (220.773 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 280,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| Time | 49.240 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Laps | 87 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Benny Parsons | ||
| Nielsen Ratings |
| ||
The 2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard was the 21st stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The 13th running of the event, it was held on August 6, 2006 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana before a crowd of 280,000 spectators. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won the 160-lap race starting from the fourth position. Roush Racing driver Matt Kenseth finished second and Richard Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick was third.
Jeff Burton won the pole position by posting the fastest lap in qualifying, and held his start line advantage for the next seven laps until Kasey Kahne passed him. Burton retook the lead from Kahne on the next lap, and led the most laps out of any one else (87) as the lead of the race changed eighteen times by nine different drivers. After falling to 39th because of a flat left-front tire on the 39th lap, Johnson recovered lost ground by maneuvering his way through traffic. He became the new leader on lap 117 after overtaking Harvick. Johnson led for a total of 38 laps en route to his fourth victory of the season, his first at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the 22nd of his career.
After the race Johnson's lead in the Drivers' Championship over Kenseth grew to 107 points. Although Burton finished down the order after slowing midway through the race, he kept the third position. Kyle Busch and Harvick were still in fourth and fifth, and Mark Martin likewise retained sixth the position. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, 38 points ahead of Dodge, and 40 in front of Ford with fifteen races remaining in the season.
- ^ "The Race: The Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "2006 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard weather information". Old Farmer's Almanac. Yankee Publishing. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
- ^ "2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup TV Ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on November 30, 2006. Retrieved February 15, 2016.