Three means more to Martin Truex Jr. than the number of consecutive victories he has at Talladega. Credit: Autostock

'06 Busch: Top Moments

Of the 6,759 laps logged during the 2006 Busch Series season, there were plenty of moments that would qualify as memorable. That Kevin Harvick had a season like no other the series has seen could easily be the moment of the year.

But along the way, three days trump the rest and are sure to withstand Father Time. Or at least until the racecars hit Daytona in February.

David slays Goliaths at Kentucky

	David Gilliland was one of two non-Cup drivers to win a Busch race in 2006. Credit: Padraic Major/NASCAR
	Meijer 300 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. David Gilliland Chevy 2. J.J. Yeley Chevy 3. Denny Hamlin Chevy 4. Mike Wallace Dodge 5. Ashton Lewis Ford • Complete results, click here Victory LaneDavid Gilliland celebrates after winning at Kentucky Final lapsDavid Gilliland tries to hold on down the stretch Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

He had made just six Busch Series starts prior to firing his engine at Kentucky Speedway, but when David Gilliland took his upstart team to the 1.5-mile track in Sparta, little did he know he'd be the talk of stock-car racing 300 miles later.

Gilliland, whose best finish in any NASCAR event up to that point was 22nd in a Truck Series race, started fourth in the Meijer 300. He kept his No. 84 black Chevrolet hovering around the top five until he dropped back to 13th on Lap 60.

It didn't last long though as he climbed his way back inside the top 10 by Lap 90. He was ninth on Lap 140, eighth on Lap 150 and fifth on Lap 160.

He caught and passed J.J. Yeley for the lead with 11 laps to go and held on for the improbable victory.

What's more, the part-time Gilliland became the first Busch Series regular to win in 30 races. Only one other race in 2006 was won by a non-Cup driver, ironically the following weekend by Paul Menard.

The victory was the topper for an already impressive resume for the hopeful Gilliland. He had won five races during the 2003 Southwest Tour Series and then earned 2004 rookie of the year in the Grand National Division, West Series. But moving to the big leagues was a struggle: He made two Busch starts in 2005 (both last-place finishes) and a Truck Series start (22nd).

Gilliland made four Busch Series starts in 2006 prior to Kentucky, with his best showing being 29th at Texas. Then came the most successful night in his racing career, a victory that some called the biggest upset in Busch Series history.

The win immediately propelled Gilliland into the spotlight for a Nextel Cup ride since many consider the driver pipeline to be drying up. Owners called and offers came, and two weeks later the California native was put in the No. 72 Dodge qualified for the Cup race at Infineon on speed.

A month after that, Robert Yates offered him the job to replace Elliott Sadler in his No. 38 Ford, and Gilliland was in the car for the Michigan race. He finished the Cup season for RYR and, after the departure of both Sadler and Dale Jarrett, Gilliland is the team's only driver for 2007 as of Dec. 4.

Blaney, Harvick withstand Charlotte chaos

	A crash between Casey Mears and Carl Edwards cleared the way for Dave Blaney to win and ultimately Kevin Harvick to clinch at LMS. Credit: Autostock
	Dollar General 300 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Dave Blaney Chevy 2. Michael Waltrip Dodge 3. Stacy Compton Ford 4. Matt Kenseth Ford 5. Danny O'Quinn Jr. Ford • Complete results, click here Final lapsDave Blaney rolls to the checkers in an exciting finish at Lowe's Title timeKevin Harvick clinches the Busch Series championship Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Friday the 13th met expectation at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and the only thing normal about the Dollar General 300 was that Kevin Harvick was successful.

Where to begin?

There were three Cup regulars who crashed in the first 25 laps after trying to use the race as a judge for how tires gripped the surface at LMS.

There was a restart that was promptly called off when the cars accelerated into Turn 1 because a group of safety trucks were still cleaning up debris on the other side of the track.

And there was the finish.

Casey Mears made a gas-and-go pit stop during a caution with 18 laps remaining. No big deal, right?

Wrong. Carl Edwards, who led 123 of 203 laps, stayed out. But when the race was ready to go green again, somehow Mears was scored as the leader despite pitting. NASCAR red-flagged the race to determine who was supposed to be out front, and Edwards was declared the leader after six minutes of research.

Mears stayed with Edwards on the restart and was making the pass for the lead with two laps to go when both drivers got loose, touched and went spinning down the straightaway in mangled racecars.

"Carl was doing all he could to keep it on the bottom and not get in the lane," said Mears, who had a minor confrontation with one of Edwards' crewmen in the garage afterward. "I got the outside and he started running up the track and it took off. I got loose and took him out."

Edwards wasn't as angry as his crewmen.

"That's what happens sometimes," he said. "If that had been the last lap, it would have been the coolest finish ever."

The real finish would've been a close second.

After a third red-flag session to clean up the Mears / Edwards mess, Dave Blaney inherited the lead and went toe-to-toe with Matt Kenseth during the green-white-checkered finish. Two laps racing side-by-side ended when Kenseth spun coming off Turn 4 and Blaney cruised to his first NASCAR victory.

And oh yeah, Harvick clinched the Busch championship with four races left in the season.

Harvick, who struggled all night and was as far back as 35th, wound up finishing ninth. Because Edwards finished 27th after the crash, Harvick celebrated his second series title early.

Truex intimidates field at Talladega

	Martin Truex Jr.'s black No. 8 went to Victory Lane at Talladega. Credit: Autostock
	Aaron's 312 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 2. Kevin Harvick Chevy 3. Kyle Busch Chevy 4. Brian Vickers Chevy 5. Clint Bowyer Chevy • Complete results, click here Victory LaneMartin Truex Jr. celebrates his third consecutive 'Dega win Airborne but OKTony Stewart goes for a wild ride at Talladega Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Dubbed a "Dream Weekend" by its race sponsor, the Aaron's 312 at Talladega turned out to be a "special day" for Martin Truex Jr.

The two-time champion made his first Busch Series start of 2006 at a track where he was undefeated in two previous attempts. He made it three for three on a day when No. 3 was on everybody's mind.

April 29, 2006, would've been Dale Earnhardt's 55th birthday, and to honor the Intimidator, all DEI cars were wrapped in a special paint scheme identical to Earnhardt's trademark black Chevy.

Earnhardt won 10 Cup races, a Busch race and three IROC events at Talladega, more than any other driver. The 2.66-mile superspeedway was his most successful stop in the sport.

It's quickly becoming the same for Truex, who put his version of the black Chevy in Victory Lane.

"It's just an honor to be associated with this whole thing," Truex said of the weekend tribute to Earnhardt. "To be part of the company he started, and able to carry it on to more wins. All this stuff for me is like a bonus."

The scary moment of the day came when Tony Stewart, who had led 25 laps, moved in front of Kenny Wallace and clipped Wallace's car. The contact sent Stewart sideways and then airborne before landing on the car's roof.

Stewart was OK and later admitted the violent crash was his own fault.

But the day belonged to Truex, who led 36 laps and held off a late charge by Kevin Harvick for the victory.

"This is up there at the top of my wins," said Truex, who celebrated the victory with a reverse lap around the track holding up three fingers. "It's just a special day. Everybody at DEI, we kind of had this weekend penciled in our calendars."