Rookies
- Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevy (Richard Childress Racing)
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Chevy (Joe Gibbs Racing) --winner of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award
- David Stremme, No. 40 Lone Star Steakhouse/Coors Light Dodge (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)
- Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy (Dale Earnhardt Incorporated)
- Brent Sherman, released from No. 49 Serta Dodge (BAM Racing)
- Reed Sorenson, No. 41 Target Dodge (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)
- J.J. Yeley, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevy (Joe Gibbs Racing)
The battle for ROTY was expected to be fierce, as many predicted that two time Busch Series Champion Martin Truex Jr. would handily win the award, and possibly be a chase contender. However, this was not to be as Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin shocked the NASCAR world the previous year by winning his first career pole at Phoenix while driving a part-time schedule. Hamlin again got everyone's attention by not only winning the Bud Shootout in his first attempt, but becoming the first rookie to sweep a racetrack (Pocono Raceway) since Jimmie Johnson accomplished that same feat at Dover. As Hamlin ran away with ROTY, his other competitors had up and down years. Although Clint Bowyer scored a surprising top-ten finish at Daytona, he was not a factor. Hamlin's teammate, J.J. Yeley, struggled mightily. Ganassi rookie Reed Sorenson had an up and down year, scoring his first top five at Michigan but was plagued by bad breaks. David Stremme was constantly fighting to stay within the top 35 in owners points throughout the year, and Brent Sherman was released from his ride with BAM Racing 1/3 into the year.
Read more about this topic: 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series