ASSOCIATED PRESS
The 40 drivers competing in the 2016 Daytona 500, in order of starting position:
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No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Chase Elliott
BORN: Nov. 28, 1995
HOMETOWN: Dawsonville, Georgia
CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson
SPONSOR: NAPA Auto Parts
TWITTER: @ChaseElliott
NOTEWORTHY: Son of Hall of Famer Bill Elliott starts from the pole in his first Daytona 500.
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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: @mattkenseth
NOTEWORTHY: Will start in the back of the field after switching to a backup car. Suspended two races last year for intentionally wrecking Joey Logano.
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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: @DaleJr
NOTEWORTHY: Driving car nicknamed “Amelia,” which has four wins, a second and a third in six restrictor-plate races over the last 13 months. Won one of the twin qualifying races Thursday.
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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&M’s 75
TWITTER: @KyleBusch
NOTEWORTHY: Won one of the twin qualifying races Thursday. Missed the Daytona 500 and 10 other races last season because of injuries suffered in a crash the day before the 500. Rallied to win his first Cup title.
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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: @joeylogano
NOTEWORTHY: Defending Daytona 500 winner is a favorite to win the Sprint Cup championship this season.
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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: @jamiemcmurray
NOTEWORTHY: Won the 2010 Daytona 500 and made his first Chase for the Sprint Cup championship last season.
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No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing
DRIVER: Ryan Blaney
BORN: Dec. 31, 1993
HOMETOWN: High Point, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Jeremy Bullins
SPONSOR: Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
TWITTER: @Blaney
NOTEWORTHY: Development driver for Roger Penske is on loan to Wood Brothers for the full season. One of four non-charter teams. Raced way into field in qualifying Thursday.
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No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Kurt Busch
BORN: Aug. 4, 1978
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF: Tony Gibson
SPONSOR: Haas Automation/Monster Energy
TWITTER: @KurtBusch
NOTEWORTHY: Busch was suspended by NASCAR for the first three races last year and missed the Daytona 500.
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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: Jimmy John’s
TWITTER: @KevinHarvick
NOTEWORTHY: Finished second in the championship race last year as he failed to defend his 2014 title. In the last eight seasons, drivers who finished second have a combined one win the following year.
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No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Carl Edwards
BORN: Aug. 15, 1979
HOMETOWN: Columbia, Missouri
CREW CHIEF: Dave Rogers
SPONSOR: Arris
TWITTER: None
NOTEWORTHY: In his second season with Joe Gibbs Racing, made an offseason crew chief change to bolster team.
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No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
BORN: Nov. 18, 1980
HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Virginia
CREW CHIEF: Mike Wheeler
SPONSOR: FedEx Express
TWITTER: @dennyhamlin
NOTEWORTHY: Won the exhibition Sprint Unlimited and is vying for his first Daytona 500 victory.
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No. 95 Ford, Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing
DRIVER: Ty Dillon
BORN: Feb. 27, 1992
HOMETOWN: Lewisville, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Todd Parrott
SPONSOR: Cheerios
TWITTER: @tydillon
NOTEWORTHY: Will run a limited Cup schedule for Leavine Family this year, but could gain additional starts as injury replacement for Tony Stewart.
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No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Kasey Kahne
BORN: April 10, 1980
HOMETOWN: Enumclaw, Washington
CREW CHIEF: Keith Rodden
SPONSOR: Farmers Insurance
TWITTER: @kaseykahne
NOTEWORTHY: Coming off disappointing and winless season, failing to make the Chase.
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No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DRIVER: Kyle Larson
BORN: July 31, 1992
HOMETOWN: Elk Grove, California
CREW CHIEF: Chad Johnston
SPONSOR: Target
TWITTER: @KyleLarsonRacin
NOTEWORTHY: Still seeking his first Cup win as he begins his third season.
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No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Greg Biffle
BORN: Dec. 23, 1969
HOMETOWN: Vancouver, Washington
CREW CHIEF: Brian Pattie
SPONSOR: KFC Nashville Hot
TWITTER: @gbiffle
NOTEWORTHY: Entering 14th season at RFR, the veteran driver of the organization.
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No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Danica Patrick
BORN: March 25, 1982
HOMETOWN: Roscoe, Illinois
CREW CHIEF: Billy Scott
SPONSOR: Nature’s Bakery
TWITTER: @DanicaPatrick
NOTEWORTHY: Patrick begins a new era with a new sponsor after spending most of her career with GoDaddy.
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No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: Chris Buescher
BORN: Oct. 29, 1992
HOMETOWN: Prosper, Texas
CREW CHIEF: Bob Osborne
SPONSOR: Love’s Travel Stops
TWITTER: @Chris_Buescher
NOTEWORTHY: Won the Xfinity Series title last year for Roush Fenway and is on loan to Front Row to run a full Cup schedule.
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No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Brian Vickers
BORN: Oct. 24, 1983
HOMETOWN: Thomasville, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Mike Bugarewicz
SPONSOR: Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
TWITTER: @BrianLVickers
NOTEWORTHY: Missed all but two races last year because of recurring blood clots. Replacing injured driver Tony Stewart for start of season.
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No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
BORN: Oct. 2, 1987
HOMETOWN: Olive Branch, Mississippi
CREW CHIEF: Nicholas Sandler
SPONSOR: Fastenal
TWITTER: @StenhouseJr
NOTEWORTHY: Had just three top-10 finishes last year.
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No. 93 Toyota, BK Racing
DRIVER: Matt DiBenedetto
BORN: July 27, 1991
HOMETOWN: Grass Valley, California
CREW CHIEF: Gene Nead
SPONSOR: Dustless Blasting
TWITTER: @mattdracing
NOTEWORTY: One of four non-charter teams. Raced way into field in qualifying Thursday.
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No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Austin Dillon
BORN: April 27, 1990
HOMETOWN: Welcome, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Slugger Labbe
SPONSOR: Dow
TWITTER: @austindillon3
NOTEWORTHY: Has high expectations as he enters his third full Sprint Cup season.
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No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports
DRIVER: Michael Annett
BORN: June 23, 1986
HOMETOWN: Des Moines, Iowa
CREW CHIEF: Jay Guy
SPONSOR: Pilot/Flying J Travel Centers
TWITTER: @MichaelAnnett
NOTEWORTHY: Entering his second season with HScott Motorsports.
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No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Trevor Bayne
BORN: Feb. 19, 1991
HOMETOWN: Knoxville, Tennessee
CREW CHIEF: Matt Puccia
SPONSOR: AdvoCare
TWITTER: @Tbayne21
NOTEWORTHY: Won the 2011 Daytona 500 in his first career start in the “Great American Race.”
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No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: Landon Cassill
BORN: July, 9, 1989
HOMETOWN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
CREW CHIEF: Donnie Wingo
SPONSOR: Florida Lottery Fund
TWITTER: @landoncassill
NOTEWORTHY: Made a move to Front Row Motorsports this season in one of the more competitive rides he’s had in years.
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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: @keselowski
NOTEWORTHY: Considers 2015 a disappointment because he failed for the second consecutive year to make the championship race.
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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: @JimmieJohnson
NOTEWORTHY: Will start in the back of the field after switching to a backup car. Won five races last season, but a broken part eliminated him in the first round of the Chase.
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No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
DRIVER: Regan Smith
BORN: Sept., 23, 1983
HOMETOWN: Cato, New York
CREW CHIEF: Tommy Baldwin
SPONSOR: Nikko RC/Golden Corral
TWITTER: @ReganSmith
NOTEWORTHY: Lost his full-time ride in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports after last season and was a very late hire by Baldwin.
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No. 78 Toyota, Furniture Row Racing
DRIVER: Martin Truex Jr.
BORN: June 29, 1980
HOMETOWN: Mayetta, New Jersey
CREW CHIEF: Cole Pearn
SPONSOR: Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats
TWITTER: @MartinTruexJr56
NOTEWORTHY: Will start in the back of the field after switching to a backup car. Made the Chase last season and raced for the championship. Team switched from Chevrolet to Toyota this season.
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No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing
DRIVER: David Ragan
BORN: Dec. 24, 1985
HOMETOWN: Unadilla, Georgia
CREW CHIEF: Patrick Donahue
SPONSOR: Dr Pepper
TWITTER: @DavidRagan
NOTEWORTHY: Bounced between Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing last season as a replacement driver.
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No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing
DRIVER: AJ Allmendinger
BORN: Dec. 16, 1981
HOMETOWN: Los Gatos, California
CREW CHIEF: Randall Burnett
SPONSOR: Kroger/Scott Products
TWITTER:@AJDinger
NOTEWORTHY: Will start in the back of the field after switching to a backup car. Failed to follow up on his 2014 season, when he made the Chase.
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No. 15 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports
DRIVER: Clint Bowyer
BORN: May 30, 1979
HOMETOWN: Emporia, Kansas
CREW CHIEF: Steve Addington
SPONSOR: 5-hour Energy
TWITTER: @ClintBowyer
NOTEWORTHY: Driving one season for Harry Scott before moving to Stewart-Haas Racing to replace retiring driver Tony Stewart.
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No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing
DRIVER: Casey Mears
BORN: March 12, 1978
HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, California
CREW CHIEF: Robert “Bootie” Barker
SPONSOR: Geico
TWITTER: @CaseyMears13
NOTEWORTHY: Hasn’t won a Cup race in 296 consecutive races.
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No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing
DRIVER: Bobby Labonte
BORN: May 8, 1964
HOMETOWN: Corpus Christi, Texas
CREW CHIEF: Wally Rogers
SPONSOR: C&J Energy Services
TWITTER: @bobbylabonte
NOTEWORTHY: The 2000 NASCAR champion ran just four races last year.
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No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
DRIVER: Aric Almirola
BORN: March 14, 1984
HOMETOWN: Tampa, Florida
CREW CHIEF: Trent Owens
SPONSOR: Smithfield
TWITTER: @aric_almirola
NOTEWORTHY: Failed to follow up on his 2014 season, which saw him win one race (summer event at Daytona) and make the Chase.
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No. 44 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
DRIVER: Brian Scott
BORN: Jan. 12, 1988
HOMETOWN: Boise, Idaho
CREW CHIEF: Chris Heroy
SPONSOR: Albertsons/Shore Lodge Fund
TWITTER: @bscottracing
NOTEWORTHY: Moved to Richard Petty Motorsports this season to run a full Cup season.
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No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing
DRIVER: Michael Waltrip
BORN: April 30, 1963
HOMETOWN: Owensboro, Kentucky
CREW CHIEF: Doug Richert
SPONSOR: Maxwell House
TWITTER: @mwr55
NOTEWORTHY: A two-time Daytona 500 winner, this could be his final “Great American Race.”
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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 Antifreeze/Menards
TWITTER: @RCR27PMenard
NOTEWORTHY: Made the Chase last year for the first time.
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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: @RyanJNewman
NOTEWORTHY: Made the Chase last year for the second consecutive season.
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No. 59 Chevrolet, Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing
DRIVER: Michael McDowell
BORN: Dec. 21, 1984
HOMETOWN: Glendale, Arizona
CREW CHIEF: Wally Rogers
SPONSOR: Thrivent Financial
TWITTER: @Mc_Driver
NOTEWORTHY: Driving in his fourth Daytona 500 in the last five years. Finished career-best ninth in 2013. One of four non-charter teams. Got in field based on qualifying speed.
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No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing
DRIVER: Robert Richardson Jr.
BORN: April 4, 1982
HOMETOWN: McKinney, Texas
CREW CHIEF: Mike Ford
SPONSOR: Stalk It
TWITTER: @RRJR23
NOTEWORTY: Was working on his farm bailing hay two weeks ago when he got the call to attempt to make the Daytona 500. One of four non-charter teams. Got in field based on qualifying speed.
