page_title: 2006 Bank of America 500
section_title: Opening laps
hierarchical_section_title: 2006 Bank of America 500 / Race / Opening laps
caption_attribution_description: Photo of Dale Jr. getting ready to qualify for the Pocono 400
context_page_description: The 2006 Bank of America 500 was the 31st stock car race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the fifth in the ten-race season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. It was held on October 14, 2006, before a crowd of 175,000 in Concord, North Carolina, at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The circuit is an intermediate that holds NASCAR races. The 334-lap race was won by Kasey Kahne of the Evernham Motorsports team, who started from second position. Jimmie Johnson finished second and Jeff Burton was third.
  Although Scott Riggs won the pole position, he was immediately passed by teammate Kahne at the start of the race. Riggs regained first place twelve laps later, only to lose it to Tony Raines on the 19th lap. Riggs retook the lead on lap 31 and maintained it for the following 16 laps until he was passed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. who led for the next 31 laps. Kahne moved back into the first position on lap 96, with Raines reclaiming the lead on the 123rd lap. Kahne passed Raines to move back into the lead 15 laps later. Johnson moved into the lead on lap 168 and held the position for a total of 72 laps.
context_section_description: Live television coverage of the race on NBC began at 7:04 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Around the start of the race, weather conditions were sunny with an air temperature of 64 °F (18 °C) which was forecast to drop as the event progressed. Dr. William K. Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. American Idol contestant and country music singer Kellie Pickler performed the national anthem, and Mickey Jackson, the winner of a sponsored Grand Marshal contest, along with his five-year-old son Kalob, commanded the drivers to start their engines. During the pace laps, Ryan Newman moved to the rear of the field because he switched to a back-up car.
  The race started at 7:21 p.m. Kahne accelerated faster than teammate Riggs off the line and was ahead of him by the second turn. The first caution of the race was given one lap later when Todd Bodine collided with Robby Gordon in the tri-oval. Gordon slid but regained control of his car with Bodine slowing. This triggered a multi-car accident: Mike Bliss hit the rear of Hamlin's car, sending him spinning down the front stretch, which then involved Mike Skinner, Truex, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Petty, J. J. Yeley, Travis Kvapil, David Gilliland, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Newman, and Nemechek. The incident blocked the track temporarily. Hamlin drove back to his garage where his team repaired his car. Kahne led the field at the lap-nine restart, followed by Riggs and Mears. As the field drove through the first turn, a caution was issued immediately, because three safety vehicles were on the track as crew members did not hear there would be another lap added before racing resumed. All laps were counted towards the first caution.
  Several cars elected to make pit stops under caution. Stewart made repairs to his car's body which had been damaged in the lap two crash. Kahne maintained the top position at the lap twelve restart, with teammate Riggs in second. Riggs reclaimed the first position from Kahne on the 13th lap; after starting from 41st, Jeff Gordon moved up to 22nd position by lap 15. Two laps later, Dave Blaney spun after leaving turn four and hit the outside barrier with his car's left-rear quarter, triggering the second caution. Most of the field, including Riggs, chose to make pit stops for fuel and tires. Tony Raines decided not to make a pit stop and led the field back up to speed at the lap-22 restart, ahead of Newman, McMurray, Terry Labonte, and Riggs. On the 23rd lap, Riggs and Kahne got ahead of Labonte for fourth and fifth positions. Riggs passed McMurray for third one lap later, and Kahne got ahead of McMurray for fourth on lap 25. Newman fell to fourth place when Riggs and Kahne passed him two laps later. Riggs passed Raines for the lead on the 30th lap, while Kahne moved into second place. Truex hit the wall on the same lap but no caution was shown.
  On lap 33, Sorenson ran into the rear of Dale Jarrett's car, which spun backwards into the turn four wall, prompting the third caution. Jarrett retired from the race when he drove into his garage. All drivers elected to make pit stops for fuel under caution. Riggs maintained his lead at the lap-39 restart, followed by Kahne and Bowyer. Johnson got ahead of Sadler to move into eighth on lap 44. On lap 46, a fourth caution was given; after leaving turn two, Todd Kluever was hit by teammate Greg Biffle and spun on the backstretch, causing Ken Schrader and Petty to collide with Kluever. Michael Waltrip hit the wall in avoidance. Most drivers (including Riggs) chose to make pit stops for fuel. Earnhardt led at the lap-53 restart with the non-stopping cars of Edwards, Newman, Biffle and Sorenson following him. Riggs moved back into third place on lap 59 after passing Biffle and Newman. By lap 66, Earnhardt held a 1.78-second advantage over Edwards. Two laps later, Riggs passed Edwards to take over second place. Riggs closed the gap to Earnhardt and was 1.5 seconds behind by lap 75. Green-flag pit stops began three laps later, with Earnhardt s
caption: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (pictured in 2012) led a total of 37 laps.
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