The Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS) is the longest race on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule, but it turned out to be the shortest race of the season for Dale Jarrett and the #88 UPS Racing Team. Jarrett was taken out of the race during the first lap of the 400-lap event, finishing the night a disappointing 43rd. It is the first DNF (did not finish) of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season for Jarrett and Team UPS.
The team was officially scored with zero laps in the Coca-Cola 600 after Jarrett was turned by Robby Gordon in turn 4 on the first lap of the race. A miscommunication with the spotter proved to be the culprit. It was the first weekend the spotter worked with the team, a result of Eddie D'Hondt's release earlier in the week. D'Hondt was the general manager for Robert Yates Racing and served as the #88 UPS Team's spotter.
"The spotter never said anything about a car coming to my inside," Jarrett said. "It was the first lap so I'm not sure why guys felt the need to go three wide at that time but I didn't even know he was below me."
The #88 UPS Ford Fusion careened into the outside wall, damaging the chassis beyond repair.
Elliott Sadler and the #38 M&M'S® Chocolate Candies team started the event from the 26th position but was never a threat for much more than a top 30 finish. Sadler battled a handling problem on the M&M'S Ford all night, which featured a loose handling condition getting into the corner and at the exit of the corner while the car was tight through the middle of the turns. Sadler finished the night in 30th place, four laps down to the leaders.
Kasey Kahne rained on the Jimmie Johnson parade, ending Johnson's bid to make it four straight wins in the annual Memorial Day weekend event. Kahne's win in the Coca-Cola 600 is his third of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season.
Johnson increased his lead in the point standings to 109 over current second-place driver Matt Kenseth. Jarrett dropped four positions in the point standings and is now 16th, while Sadler dropped two spots and is now in 17th place.
The Nextel Cup Series turns its attention to the one-mile Dover International Speedway which hosts the series next weekend for the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America. The 400-mile event is scheduled to start at 2:10 p.m. EDT. FOX will broadcast the event live beginning with a pre-race show that starts at 1:30 p.m.
