A glance at 16 NASCAR drivers racing in the Chase – USA TODAY
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:
___
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: Won four times, has only one top-five finish in last nine races as Hendrick Motorsports struggled all summer.
___
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: @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.
___
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: Won four races, including regular-season finale at Richmond to earn a tie for top seed. Won three of last six races.
___
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: Daytona 500 champion won three races. Made it to four-driver finale last season where bad pit stop derailed title hope.
___
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: @KevinHarvick
NOTEWORTHY: Won first career Sprint Cup Series championship last year in debut season with SHR. Won two races with 10 runners-up finishes.
___
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: Won two races, enters Chase with four straight top 10s.
___
No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Driver: Kurt Busch
BORN: Aug. 8, 1978
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF: Tony Gibson
SPONSOR: Haas Automation
TWITTER: @KurtBusch
NOTEWORTHY: Won two races, suspended for first three of the season. 2004 champion.
___
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.
___
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: A six-race winner last year, won only once this season. 2012 champion.
___
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: @MartinTruexJr56
NOTEWORTHY: Won third career race at Dover; made it as one-car team.
___
No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
BORN: Nov. 18, 1980
HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Virginia
CREW CHIEF: Dave Rogers
SPONSOR: FedEx Express
TWITTER: @dennyhamlin
NOTEWORTHY: Tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and raced at Richmond. Won one race.
___
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
NOTEABLE STATS: Made first career Chase. Second driver to earn berth for owner Chip Ganassi.
___
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: @JeffGordonWeb
NOTEWORTHY: Trying to win his fifth career championship in final season.
___
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: Nearly won the championship last season, finishing second to Kevin Harvick. Winless entering Chase for second straight season.
___
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: @RCR27PMenard
NOTEWORTHY: Made first career Chase. Joins Ryan Newman as Richard Childress Racing drivers in field.
___
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: @ClintBowyer
NOTEWORTHY: Coming off third straight winless season. Free agent driving in final season of Michael Waltrip Racing.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.