Throughout the 2006 season, Hornish Jr. faced stiff competition from teammate Hélio Castroneves and Target Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Wheldon and Scott Dixon. The four drivers' battle persisted into the season finale, the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300, which ended with Hornish Jr. and Wheldon tied for the championship. Hornish Jr. was awarded the championship on account of earning more wins in the season than Wheldon.
Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers took part in the 2006 IndyCar Series. All entries competed with Honda engines, Firestone tires, and chassis supplied by Dallara and Panoz.[1]
As famed actor Patrick Dempsey took on a co-owner role at Vision Racing,[12] the team expanded to two full-time entries which were driven by the returning Ed Carpenter and former Panther Racing driver Tomas Scheckter.[13] Conversely, Panther Racing was forced to scale back to a single full-time entry due to their tightening budget, let go Tomáš Enge in the process, and hired Vítor Meira to replace Scheckter for the season.[14][15] Meira's seat at RLR was filled by Paul Dana,[16] who raced for Hemelgarn Racing prior to his season-ending crash during practice for the 2005 Indianapolis 500.[17] Hemelgarn Racing replaced Dana with P. J. Chesson, a popular driver in the World of Outlaws, and announced their partnership with NBA player Carmelo Anthony.[18]
Hemelgarn Racing ceased operations for the remainder of the season after a second-lap crash in the 90th Indianapolis 500 destroyed both of their cars, driven by Chesson and Jeff Bucknum.[26] While Chesson was unable to secure a ride afterward, Bucknum replaced Giaffone at A .J. Foyt Racing beginning with the Firestone Indy 200.[27] Before that same race, Cheever (whose team completed eight races, four more than initially expected) was forced to shut down his IndyCar operations due to a lack of funding.[28]
Roth Racing shut down their Indy Pro Series program in May and intended to run the final ten races of the season with owner-driverMarty Roth, beginning at the Indianapolis 500.[33] The team's plans were sidelined, however, after Roth crashed in practice and failed to qualify for the race.[34] Roth still managed to run in the last three oval races of the season, beginning with the Firestone Indy 400.[35] For the Peak Antifreeze 300, Dario Franchitti was substituted by Foyt IV, whose venture into the Busch Series prematurely ended due to poor results,[36] after Franchitti suffered a concussion following a crash in qualifying for the Goodwood Revival.[37]
The 2006 schedule was notably compressed with a span of 25 weeks between the first and last races, eight weeks fewer than the previous season's schedule.[39]Indy Racing League (IRL) president Brian Barnhart explained that the schedule was shortened to avoid conflicts with the National Football League and Major League Baseball and attain high television ratings.[40] In response to the criticism of the schedule, Barnhardt ensured that the IRL was working on hosting more races in the 2007 schedule,[41] specifically in Canada and Mexico.[42]
Three tracks—California Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, and Pikes Peak International Raceway—were omitted from the 2006 schedule.[38] Promoters of the former two tracks were unable to find an available weekend that suited their schedule and the condensed IndyCar schedule,[43][44] while the latter track was sold to International Speedway Corporation and shut down in October 2005.[45] With California left off the schedule, Chicagoland Speedway's Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 now played host to the IndyCar season finale.[46] The Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix was also shifted up from its original September date to June, the weekend following the Indianapolis 500.[47]
Background
Mechanical regulations
One company, Honda, supplied engines in 2006, down from three companies the previous season. In November 2004, General Motors announced the withdrawal of Chevrolet from the IndyCar Series after 2005, citing escalating costs and a decline in competitiveness.[48] With mounting rumors of Toyota's impending withdrawal, Honda committed to supplying engines and vowed to remain impartial towards every team in the series.[49][50] Toyota eventually confirmed their departure from the series the day after Honda's announcement.[51]
For 2006, the IndyCar Series began their shift towards ethanol fuel after using methanol fuel since the series' inception in 1996.[52] The shift was gradual, with each car utilizing a blend of 90% methanol and 10% ethanol before switching to a 100% ethanol blend in 2007.[53] To further promote ethanol usage, RLR obtained sponsorship from Team Ethanol, a coalition of several ethanol design–build farms.[16]
In January, fifteen IndyCar teams gathered at Phoenix International Raceway for a private two-day test to familiarize themselves with their Honda engines.[57] With no complaints from any team, Barnhardt considered the test an overall success.[58] Eighteen teams participated in a second testing session in early March at Homestead–Miami Speedway; the first two days of the test were spent on the circuit's road course configuration to prepare for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, while the last day was run on the oval configuration.[59] The testing at Homestead built anticipation for the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead as the top-ten quickest drivers on the final day were separated by less than four tenths of a second.[60]
Championship
Opening rounds
Tragedy struck several hours before the Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead. During a morning warm-up session for the race, Carpenter crashed into the turn-two SAFER barrier and slid down the track.[61] Despite several indications that the caution flag had been issued, Dana failed to slow his pace and slammed into the rear of Carpenter's car at nearly full-speed.[62] While Carpenter suffered a concussion and bruised lungs,[23] Dana succumbed to his injuries shortly before noon (local time).[63] Dana's teammates, Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick, did not participate in the race out of respect for him.[64] Although several drivers suggested to cancel the race, it began as scheduled with 16 cars on the starting grid.[65]Sam Hornish Jr., who won the pole position the day prior, led a race-high 145 laps, but was relegated to fifth place after a poorly timed caution was flown as he made a pit stop on lap 160.[66] Hornish Jr.'s teammate Hélio Castroneves moved into the lead, but on lap 180, Wheldon began challenging him for the first position.[67] The two drivers remained side-by-side in the final twenty laps, and Wheldon eventually nosed ahead of Castroneves for the win by 0.0147 seconds, the ninth-closest finish in IndyCar Series history thus far.[68]
After completing another test on Homestead's road course layout, the IndyCar teams traveled to St. Petersburg for the second round of the season.[69] RLR chose to only field two cars and did not replace Dana for the time being.[70] Franchitti showcased immense speed throughout the weekend, setting the fastest laps of two practice sessions and earning the pole position.[71] However, during the warm-up session, he crashed into the turn-eight tire barriers and damaged his suspension.[72] Franchitti's team attempted to alleviate the damage, but it began affecting him again five laps into the race. After leading the first 14 laps, he drove into pit road and retired.[73] Franchitti's misfortune allowed Scott Dixon to take the first position. He maintained the lead until Castroneves overtook him on lap 45 as he struggled with a broken front wing which hindered his performance.[74] While Castroneves made a pit stop for fuel on lap 87, Dixon—utilizing a conservative fuel strategy—remained on the circuit until lap 95 in order to battle with Castroneves for the win.[75] Dixon's strategy was ultimately ruined when a full-course caution was flown two laps later, giving the win to Castroneves.[76]
In the three weeks leading up to the Indy Japan 300 at Motegi, RLR named Simmons as Dana's replacement for the rest of the season.[22] Simmons and sixteen other drivers partook in an open testing session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which ran without incident.[77] Two practice sessions and qualifying were cancelled due to persistent rainfall at Motegi and the starting grid was determined by entrant points, thus giving Castroneves the pole position.[78] Castroneves held the lead until he was passed by Wheldon on lap 24, though he reclaimed the first position after making a quick pit stop under caution.[79] From there, Castroneves was largely unchallenged and scored his second consecutive victory.[80] Dixon looked to challenge Castroneves for the win before he stalled during his final pit stop on lap 149, dropping him to ninth at the checkered flag.[81] The race's most notable incident occurred on a restart at lap 41 when Simmons collided into Sharp and flipped on the front stretch; no one was injured.[80]
Indianapolis 500
Rainy conditions shortened eight days of on-track activity throughout the month of May, including the first two days of qualifying.[82] Hornish Jr. gradually became the favorite to win the race as he led all but one practice session and earned the pole position with a four-lap average speed of 228.985mph (368.516km/h).[83] He started alongside teammate Castroneves and defending race winner Wheldon on the front row.[84] The 33rd and final starting position was taken by Thiago Medeiros on Bump Day after his main threat for the position, Roth, crashed while making a practice run.[85] Briscoe planned to bump Medeiros from the starting grid in an A. J. Foyt Racing car, but the caution period after Roth's crash denied him a chance to drive on the track.[86]
The rainfall that plagued much of the month's festivities eased off and made way for 89°F (32°C) weather on race day.[87] Hornish Jr. fell to third at the start of the race, behind Castroneves and Wheldon. The latter moved ahead of Castroneves into the lead on lap 10 and dominated the first half of the race, only relinquishing the lead during green-flag pit stops,[88] until Dixon's battle with Wheldon on a lap-123 restart allowed Hornish Jr. to take the lead.[89] However, a disastrous pit stop miscue under a caution period relegated Hornish Jr. to seventh.[90] He and Michael Andretti made their final pit stops on lap 160 as part of their strategy to put themselves in a position to win.[91] Through a tire failure that Wheldon suffered on lap 184 and a caution issued seven laps later, Michael Andretti took the lead with his son Marco in second place.[92] Marco overtook Michael for the lead shortly after a restart on the 198th lap and tried to defend his position from the hard-charging Hornish Jr.[93] On the final lap, Hornish Jr. dove to Marco's left side and executed a slingshot pass to take the win by 0.0635 seconds, the second-closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history (at the time).[94] Castroneves entered the month of May with a 42-point lead in the championship,[95] but left with a 12-point lead after crashing out of the race on lap 111.[96]
Mid-season rounds
Because of the damp track surface, the drivers were required to start the Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix with rain tires for the first time in IndyCar Series history.[97] Kanaan, who started in second after qualifying was rained out,[98] passed pole-sitter Castroneves on the first lap.[99] As the track gradually became dryer, the drivers opted to switch to slick tires, beginning with Scheckter on lap 4.[100] Scheckter's early pit stop allowed him to inherit the lead on lap 10 while the leaders made their stops; he led until he made another stop for fuel on lap 22.[101] Wheldon then held the lead for 13 laps before a broken drive shaft during his final pit stop forced him to retire.[102] With rain beginning to fall on the track again, IndyCar officials announced the curtailment of the race once it reached a duration of two hours. Dixon gambled to stay on track with his slick tires, unlike the other leaders who switched back to rain tires, and nursed around the slickened track to earn the win, followed by Meira and Briscoe.[103]
In the next round of the season, the Bombardier Learjet 500 at Texas, Wheldon passed pole-sitter Hornish Jr. on the second lap and led a race-high 171 laps, only conceding the lead during green-flag pit stops.[104] Wheldon's last stop on lap 185 was elongated, however, after one of his crewmen dropped a lug nut, sending him back to third in the running order.[105] Hornish Jr. had a chance to win the race before he, too, experienced a miscue in his final stop. Castroneves benefitted from Wheldon and Hornish Jr.'s troubles and led the final eight laps to earn the victory.[106] The win widened Castroneves' lead in the championship to 22 points over Dixon.[107]
Hornish Jr. set the fastest time of a testing session conducted at Richmond International Raceway two days prior to the SunTrust Indy Challenge, but crashed and resorted to a back-up car for the race weekend.[108] This did not hinder Hornish Jr.'s speed, as he started third—two spots behind teammate Castroneves—on account of his fastest lap of Friday's practice sessions after rainfall cancelled qualifying.[109] Hornish Jr. went on to pass Castroneves on lap 39 and win the race without serious competition, with Meira in second and Franchitti third.[110] Castroneves, meanwhile, punctured his right-rear tire on lap 246 and fell to tenth at the finish; his gap over Hornish Jr. in the championship resultantly dwindled to five points.[111]
For the first time since 2004, Wheldon qualified on the pole position for an IndyCar race, that being Kansas Speedway's Kansas Lottery Indy 300.[112] Hornish Jr., whose 27th birthday coincided with the race,[113] first took the lead on lap 7 and led a majority of the laps.[114] However, Wheldon constantly ran in close proximity of Hornish Jr. and even pulled ahead of him on a handful of occasions. Following the final restart on lap 183, Hornish Jr. and Wheldon raced alongside each other until the former finally pulled away with two laps remaining to take the win.[115] Castroneves only mustered a sixth-place finish after spinning into the wall on lap 37 and lost the championship lead to Hornish Jr.[116]
Wheldon and Hornish Jr. continued their season rivalry at Nashville Superspeedway, where they took the first two positions in qualifying once again for the Firestone Indy 200.[117] Wheldon held onto the lead for much of the first half of the race, only briefly losing it to Hornish Jr. on a restart.[118] After Hornish Jr. crashed in turn two on lap 130, an ensuing cycle of pit stops shuffled Dixon to the first position. He held off Wheldon and Meira in the remaining laps to win the race and improve to second place in the championship.[119][120]
Closing rounds
The Marlboro Team Penske drivers locked out the front row for the next race, the ABC Supply / A. J. Foyt Indy 225 at the Milwaukee Mile, with Castroneves qualifying ahead of Hornish Jr.[121] Kanaan overtook Castroneves for the first position on lap 32 and maintained his lead throughout much of the race, only dropping back in the running order during pit stop cycles and restarts. He took the lead for good by passing teammate Andretti on lap 180 and earned the win, which placed him fifth in the championship. After running a lap down in the first half of the race, Hornish Jr. utilized the AGR drivers' pit strategy and clawed up to second place.[122][123]
Ahead of Michigan International Speedway's Firestone Indy 400, Castroneves and Hornish Jr. qualified on the front row once again and devised a plan to run nose-to-tail with each other in the race, which was delayed by two-and-a-half hours due to rain. The plan executed well until Hornish Jr. was set back by persistent engine issues and retired from the race on lap 73. At this point, Meira took control of the race and held the lead until a round of green-flag pit stops shuffled Castroneves to the first position and Meira to second on lap 134. Meira made a valiant effort to close the gap, but it was in vain, as Castroneves scored the victory and retook the championship lead.[124][125]
Castroneves and Hornish Jr. started in the first and second positions for the Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway, marking the third consecutive race this occurred.[126] They traded the lead several times before pitting on lap 56; however, a poorly timed caution placed them several positions in arrears, allowing Wheldon and Dixon to take the lead. Castroneves and Hornish Jr. gradually climbed up through the field, and by lap 96, Hornish Jr. passed Meira shortly after a restart to reclaim the first position. Over the next 90 laps, Hornish Jr., Wheldon, and Bryan Herta (who made pit stops out of sequence from the leaders) intensely battled for the lead. Wheldon overshot the entry to his pit stall during his final stop on lap 185, which ultimately cost him a shot at the victory. After a caution was issued with less than ten laps remaining, Hornish Jr. overtook Dixon on lap 196 to earn the victory and the championship lead by seven points over Castroneves.[127][128][129]
The penultimate round and final road course race of the season, the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, saw competitors use various pit stop strategies to converse fuel. Pole-sitter Dixon's strategy worked most efficiently at first, as he led the first 40 of the first 50 laps, but fell to 12th after the air jack of his tire changer malfunctioned during a pit stop. Andretti subsequently took the lead on lap 51, although he tried to save fuel while being pursued by teammate Franchitti. Andretti was greatly assisted by a late caution period and he achieved his first IndyCar victory; in doing so, he became the youngest winner in American open-wheel car racing history, a record which lasted until 2008.[130][131][132][133]
Final round and title decision
Heading into the final round of the season, the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland, four drivers—Castroneves, Hornish Jr., Wheldon, and Dixon—were all mathematically eligible to win the title.[134] Coincidentally, the four title contenders qualified in the top four positions, with Hornish Jr. occupying the pole position.[135] The race was mainly contested between Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dixon and Wheldon, the latter of whom led a race-high 166 laps, while Hornish Jr. comfortably ran in third place. Wheldon's win was solidified after Dixon made slight contact with his right-rear tire, forcing Dixon to back off. With Wheldon finishing first and Hornish Jr. third, the two drivers were tied for the Drivers' Championship. The title was given to Hornish Jr. by virtue of his four wins in the season to Wheldon's two. Castroneves received a penalty early in the race for speeding on pit road and was unable to defend his championship lead; he ultimately finished third, two points behind Hornish Jr. and Wheldon, while Dixon remained fourth.[136][137][138]
Awards
The championship celebration was hosted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 11, 2006. Hornish Jr. and team owner Roger Penske received a Mini IRL Cup for winning the championship. In addition, Hornish Jr. was awarded the Bosch Platinum Award for being the highest-finishing driver to use Bosch spark plugs and Marlboro Pole Award for most pole positions of the season. Andretti collected the Rookie of the Year and Rising Star awards.[139]
Points were awarded to the competitors of each race, using the following structure:[142]
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
30th
31st
32nd
33rd
Points
50
40
35
32
30
28
26
24
22
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
The driver who leads the most laps earns three bonus points. In the event that a driver participates in an event but cannot start the race, the driver and its entry will be classified in the final starting position and receive half-points.[142]
Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.
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Sam Hornish Jr. 
