Official name AMD at The Glen | ||
Date August 13, 2006 (2006-August-13) Location Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York Course Permanent racing facility
2.45 mi (3.942 km) Distance 90 laps, 220.5 mi (354.86 km) Weather Temperatures reaching up to 71.8 °F (22.1 °C); wind speeds up to 10.2 miles per hour (16.4 km/h) | ||
The 2006 AMD at The Glen was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race that was held on August 13, 2006 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Contested over 90 laps on the 2.45 mile (3.942 km) road course, it was the 22nd race of the 2006 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing won the race.
Contents
Marc Goossens would make his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in this race. There were only five drivers eliminated from the race; all due to racing accidents.
Background
Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen") is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980), but the site has been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the IndyCar Series.
Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956 a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968 the race was extended to six hours, becoming the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The circuit's current layout has more or less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill Esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after a fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event.
The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers. The facility is currently owned by International Speedway Corporation.