A glance at 16 NASCAR drivers racing in the Chase
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) A glance at the 16 NASCAR drivers racing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which begins Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. Drivers listed in order of Chase ranking:
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No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson
BORN: Sept. 17, 1975
HOMETOWN: El Cajon, California
CREW CHIEF: Chad Knaus
SPONSOR: Lowe's
TWITTER: (at)JimmieJohnson
NOTEWORTHY: Won four times, has only one top-five finish in last nine races as Hendrick Motorsports struggled all summer.
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No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Kyle Busch
BORN: May 2, 1985
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF: Adam Stevens
SPONSOR: M&Ms Crispy
TWITTER: (at)KyleBusch
NOTEWORTHY: Won four races, missed first 11 with a broken right leg and left foot suffered in Xfinity race at Daytona. Received waiver to become Chase eligible.
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No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Matt Kenseth
BORN: March 10, 1972
HOMETOWN: Cambridge, Wisconsin
CREW CHIEF: Jason Ratcliff
SPONSOR: Dollar General
TWITTER: (at)mattkenseth
NOTEWORTHY: Won four races, including regular-season finale at Richmond to earn a tie for top seed. Won three of last six races.
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No. 22 Ford, Team Penske
DRIVER: Joey Logano
BORN: May 24, 1990
HOMETOWN: Middletown, Connecticut
CREW CHIEF: Todd Gordon
SPONSOR: Shell Pennzoil
TWITTER: (at)joeylogano
NOTEWORTHY: Daytona 500 champion won three races. Made it to four-driver finale last season where bad pit stop derailed title hope.
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No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Kevin Harvick
BORN: Dec. 8, 1975
HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, California
CREW CHIEF: Rodney Childers
SPONSOR: Budweiser/Jimmy John's
TWITTER: (at)KevinHarvick
NOTEWORTHY: Won first career Sprint Cup Series championship last year in debut season with SHR. Won two races with 10 runners-up finishes.
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No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
BORN: Oct. 10, 1974
HOMETOWN: Kannapolis, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Greg Ives
SPONSOR: Nationwide
TWITTER: (at)DaleJr
NOTEWORTHY: Won two races, enters Chase with four straight top 10s.
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No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Driver: Kurt Busch
BORN: Aug. 8, 1978
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF: Tony Gibson
SPONSOR: Haas Automation
TWITTER: (at)KurtBusch
NOTEWORTHY: Won two races, suspended for first three of the season. 2004 champion.
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DRIVER: Carl Edwards
BORN: Aug. 15, 1979
HOMETOWN: Columbia, Missouri
CREW CHIEF: Darian Grubb
SPONSOR: Arris
TWITTER: None
NOTEWORTHY: Left Roush Fenway Racing to join a new fourth team at Joe Gibbs Racing. Won two races.
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No. 2 Ford, Penske Racing
DRIVER: Brad Keselowski
BORN: Feb. 12, 1984
HOMETOWN: Rochester Hills, Michigan
CREW CHIEF: Paul Wolfe
SPONSOR: Miller Lite
TWITTER: (at)keselowski
NOTEWORTHY: A six-race winner last year, won only once this season. 2012 champion.
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No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing
DRIVER: Martin Truex Jr.
BORN: June 29, 1980
HOMETOWN: Mayetta, New Jersey
CREW CHIEF: Cole Pearn
SPONSOR: Furniture Row
TWITTER: (at)MartinTruexJr56
NOTEWORTHY: Won third career race at Pocono; made it as one-car team.
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No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
BORN: Nov. 18, 1980
HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Virginia
CREW CHIEF: Dave Rogers
SPONSOR: FedEx Express
TWITTER: (at)dennyhamlin
NOTEWORTHY: Tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and raced at Richmond. Won one race.
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No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DRIVER: Jamie McMurray
BORN: June 3, 1976
HOMETOWN: Joplin, Missouri
CREW CHIEF: Matt McCall
SPONSOR: Cessna/McDonald's
TWITTER: (at)jamiemcmurray
NOTEABLE STATS: Made first career Chase. Second driver to earn berth for owner Chip Ganassi.
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No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Jeff Gordon
BORN: Aug. 4, 1971
HOMETOWN: Pittsboro, Indiana
CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson
SPONSOR: Drive To End Hunger
TWITTER: (at)JeffGordonWeb
NOTEWORTHY: Trying to win his fifth career championship in final season.
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No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Ryan Newman
BORN: Dec. 8, 1977
HOMETOWN: South Bend, Indiana
CREW CHIEF: Luke Lambert
SPONSOR: Caterpillar
TWITTER: (at)RyanJNewman
NOTEWORTHY: Nearly won the championship last season, finishing second to Kevin Harvick. Winless entering Chase for second straight season.
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No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Paul Menard
BORN: Aug. 21, 1980
HOMETOWN: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
CREW CHIEF: Justin Alexander
SPONSOR: Peak/Menards
TWITTER: (at)RCR27PMenard
NOTEWORTHY: Made first career Chase. Joins Ryan Newman as Richard Childress Racing drivers in field.
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No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
DRIVER: Clint Bowyer
BORN: May 30, 1979
HOMETOWN: Emporia, Kansas
CREW CHIEF: Brian Pattie
SPONSOR: 5-hour Energy
TWITTER: (at)ClintBowyer
NOTEWORTHY: Coming off third straight winless season. Free agent driving in final season of Michael Waltrip Racing.
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This story has been corrected to show Truex won at Pocono, not Dover.
