page_title: 2006 Ford 400
section_title: Race
hierarchical_section_title: 2006 Ford 400 / Race
caption_attribution_description: NASCAR driver Greg Biffle
context_page_description: The 2006 Ford 400 was the thirty-sixth stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and the final round of the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. It was held on November 19, 2006, in Homestead, Florida, at Homestead–Miami Speedway, before a crowd of 80,000 people. The circuit is an intermediate track that holds NASCAR races. The 267-lap race was won by Greg Biffle of Roush Fenway Racing, who started from the 22nd position. Martin Truex Jr. finished second for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin was third.
  Kasey Kahne won the 12th pole position of his career by posting the fastest lap in qualifying and he led the first 18 laps until Kyle Busch passed him. He retook the first position on the 47th lap, and led for a total of 90 laps, more than any other driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead after not making a pit stop under a caution period, and held it until Martin Truex Jr. assumed the first position after Earnhardt had a slow pit stop due to a lug nut problem. Biffle passed Riggs for the lead, only ceding it to J. J.
context_section_description: Live television coverage of the race began at 14:01 Eastern Standard Time (UTC+04:00) in the United States on NBC. Around the start of the race, weather conditions were clear with the air temperature at 70 °F (21 °C). Jenna Edwards, Miss Florida USA 2007, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. American Idol season five winner and blues rock singer Taylor Hicks performed the national anthem, and Ford board of directors member Edsel Ford II commanded the drivers to start their engines. During the pace laps, Bowyer and Robby Gordon moved to the back of the grid because of engine changes.
  The race commenced at 15:11 local time but one lap was deduced from its scheduled distance because NASCAR located debris on the track between the first and second corners. Kahne maintained the lead going into turn one. Riggs was passed by Kyle Busch for third but the latter fell to fourth on lap two. After starting 15th, Johson moved to eleventh by the start of the fifth lap. Three laps later, Kurt Busch made contact with the wall on the backstretch leaving turn two, ricocheted off it, and Bobby Labonte ran into the rear of his car, causing the first caution to be displayed. During the caution, 23 drivers elected to make pit stops for adjustments to their cars. Kahne held the lead at the lap-12 restart, followed by his teammate Riggs, Burton, and Kyle Busch. On the next lap, Kyle Busch passed Riggs for second. Two laps later, the second caution was shown: a flat tire caused Kurt Busch to lose control of his car, and clout the wall leaving turn four, littering the track with debris. Under caution, more drivers chose to make pit stops. Johnson had a hole at the front of his car punctured by debris from Kurt Busch's car repaired.
  Racing resumed on lap 19 with Kahne being overtaken by Kyle Busch for the lead, and he then fell behind his teammate Riggs for third. Montoya made minor contact with Mears and Earnhardt, and picked up a flat left-front tire on lap 22. By the 30th lap, the lead of Kyle Busch over Riggs was 0.170 seconds, as Johnson advanced to 26th after restarting 40th. Johnson moved further through the pack to 20th place by lap 40. Five laps later, a spring rubber was located on the backstretch groove, prompting the third caution. During the caution, the leaders (including Kyle Busch), made pit stops for car adjustments. At the lap 50-restart, Kahne led the field back up to speed. He extended his lead over Kyle Busch to 0.994 seconds by the 65th lap. Johnson got into tenth on lap 79, and he overtook Harvick for ninth on the lap after a short battle. On lap 94, Earnhardt moved into sixth place, and he then got ahead of Gilliland and Kenseth to advance into fourth. Green flag pit stops began on lap 104, and concluded on lap 109, with Kahne retaining the lead.
  Kyle Busch got loose, and made contact with a wall, losing some places, and then made heavy contact with the turn two wall with the right-hand side of his car on lap 116, causing the fourth caution. Several drivers, including Kahne, made pit stops for fuel and tires under caution. Earnhardt did not make a pit stop, and led at the lap-120 restart. Eleven laps later, Martin Truex Jr. was passed by Biffle for second, as Earnhardt pulled away from the remainder of the field after holding off multiple challenges for the lead. The fifth caution came out on lap 160 when Blaney's left-rear tire burst, and scattered debris across the track. During the caution, multiple drivers (including Earnhardt) elected to enter pit road for tire changes and car adjustments. Earnhardt had a slow stop because of a rear lug nut problem, and Truex led at the restart on lap 166. A sixth caution came out as Gilliland clouted the turn one wall. He then lost control of his car, and hit the wall two corners later. Some cars made pit stops but not those in the top 13 positions.
  Racing continued on lap 179 as Truex led from Kahne, and Biffle. Two laps later, Johnson drew alongside Kenseth but he could not make the pass for fifth. He did succeed on the next lap until Kenseth retook the position on lap 183. 
caption: Greg Biffle (pictured in 2004) took his eleventh career win and his third straight at Homestead–Miami Speedway.
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