Drivers competing in the 2015 Daytona 500
The 43 drivers competing in the 2015 Daytona 500, in order of starting position:
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No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Jeff Gordon
BORN: Aug. 4, 1971
HOMETOWN: Pittsboro, Ind.
CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson
SPONSOR: Drive To End Hunger
TWITTER: @JeffGordonWeb
NOTEWORTHY: Starting from the pole in his final Daytona 500.
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No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson
BORN: Sept. 17, 1975
HOMETOWN: El Cajon, Calif.
CREW CHIEF: Chad Knaus
SPONSOR: Lowe's
TWITTER: @JimmieJohnson
NOTEWORTHY: Coming off disappointing season by his standards, with four wins and an 11th-place finish in points.
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No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
BORN: Oct. 10, 1974
HOMETOWN: Kannapolis, N.C.
CREW CHIEF: Greg Ives
SPONSOR: Nationwide
TWITTER: @DaleJr
NOTEWORTHY: Defending Daytona 500 winner looking to become first to repeat since Sterling Marlin in 1995.
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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 Crispy
TWITTER: @KyleBusch
NOTEWORTHY: Changed crew chiefs in an offseason overhaul at JGR.
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No. 22 Ford, Team Penske
DRIVER: Joey Logano
BORN: May 24, 1990
HOMETOWN: Middletown, Conn.
CREW CHIEF: Todd Gordon
SPONSOR: Shell Pennzoil
TWITTER: @joeylogano
NOTEWORTHY: Raced for the championship last season in the elimination-format Chase. Finished fourth.
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No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Carl Edwards
BORN: Aug. 15, 1979
HOMETOWN: Columbia, Mo.
CREW CHIEF: Darian Grubb
SPONSOR: Arris
TWITTER: None
NOTEWORTHY: Left Roush Fenway Racing to join a new fourth team at Joe Gibbs Racing.
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No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Tony Stewart
BORN: May 20, 1971
HOMETOWN: Columbus, Ind.
CREW CHIEF: Chad Johnston
SPONSOR: Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
TWITTER: @tonystewart
NOTEWORTHY: Winless in 17 previous Daytona 500 starts.
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No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Greg Biffle
BORN: Dec. 23, 1969
HOMETOWN: Vancouver, Wash.
CREW CHIEF: Matt Puccia
SPONSOR: Ortho
TWITTER: @gbiffle
NOTEWORTHY: Entering 13th season at RFR, the veteran driver of the organization.
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No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
DRIVER: Clint Bowyer
BORN: May 30, 1979
HOMETOWN: Emporia, Kan.
CREW CHIEF: Brian Pattie
SPONSOR: 5-hour Energy
TWITTER: @ClintBowyer
NOTEWORTHY: Coming off second straight winless season.
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No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing
DRIVER: Martin Truex Jr.
BORN: June 29, 1980
HOMETOWN: Mayetta, N.J.
CREW CHIEF: Cole Pearn
SPONSOR: Furniture Row
TWITTER: @MartinTruexJr56
NOTEWORTHY: Finished second in the exhibition Sprint Unlimited to open SpeedWeeks.
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No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Kevin Harvick
BORN: Dec. 8, 1975
HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, Calif.
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.
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No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing
DRIVER: Ryan Blaney
BORN: Dec. 31, 1993
HOMETOWN: High Point, N.C.
CREW CHIEF: Jeremy Bullins
SPONSOR: Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center
TWITTER: @Blaney
NOTEWORTHY: Making his Daytona 500 debut with the team Trevor Bayne won with in 2010.
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No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Kasey Kahne
BORN: April 10, 1980
HOMETOWN: Enumclaw, Wash.
CREW CHIEF: Keith Rodden
SPONSOR: Farmers Insurance
TWITTER: @kaseykahne
NOTEWORTHY: Coming off disappointing season, with just one win and a 15th-place finish in the standings.
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No. 44 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
DRIVER: Reed Sorenson
BORN: Feb. 25, 1986
HOMETOWN: Peachtree City, Ga.
CREW CHIEF: John Monsam
SPONSOR: Golden Corral
TWITTER: @reedsorenson36
NOTEWORTHY: Winless in 225 Cup starts and without a top-five finish since 2008.
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No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DRIVER: Jamie McMurray
BORN: June 3, 1976
HOMETOWN: Joplin, Mo.
CREW CHIEF: Matt McCall
SPONSOR: Cessna/McDonald's
TWITTER: @jamiemcmurray
NOTEWORTHY: Won the 2010 Daytona 500, and joined Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt last month as the only drivers to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 500.
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No. 66 Toyota, Premium Motorsports
DRIVER: Mike Wallace
BORN: March 10, 1959
HOMETOWN: Fenton, Mo.
CREW CHIEF: Scott Eggleston
SPONSOR: Crazy Vapors/X8 Energy Gum
TWITTER: @mikewallace01
NOTEWORTHY: Has three top-10 finishes with a best of fourth in his last start in the race in 2007.
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No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Racing
DRIVER: Landon Cassill
BORN: July, 9, 1989
HOMETOWN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
CREW CHIEF: Mark Hillman
SPONSOR: CarsForSale.com
TWITTER: @landoncassill
NOTEWORTHY: Finished 12th in last year's Daytona 500.
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No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports
DRIVER: Justin Allgaier
BORN: June 6, 1986
HOMETOWN: Riverton, Ill.
CREW CHIEF: Steve Addington
SPONSOR: Brandt Professional Agriculture
TWITTER: @J_Allgaier
NOTEWORTHY: Finished 27th in his Daytona 500 debut last season.
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No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: Cole Whitt
BORN: June 22, 1991
HOMETOWN: Alpine, Calif.
CREW CHIEF: Randy Cox
SPONSOR: Speed Stick
TWITTER: @colewhitt
NOTEWORTHY: Ran full season last year for two different teams, now with Front Row Motorsports.
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No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Danica Patrick
BORN: March 25, 1982
HOMETOWN: Roscoe, Ill.
CREW CHIEF: Daniel Knost
SPONSOR: GoDaddy.com
TWITTER: @DanicaPatrick
NOTEWORTHY: First woman to lead laps in the Daytona 500.
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No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Paul Menard
BORN: Aug. 21, 1980
HOMETOWN: Eau Claire, Wis.
CREW CHIEF: Justin Alexander
SPONSOR: Peak/Menards
TWITTER: @RCR27PMenard
NOTEWORTHY: Finished 21st in standings last year, his lowest in four seasons.
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No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Ryan Newman
BORN: Dec. 8, 1977
HOMETOWN: South Bend, Ind.
CREW CHIEF: Luke Lambert
SPONSOR: Caterpillar
TWITTER: @RyanJNewman
NOTEWORTHY: Nearly won the championship last season, finishing second to Kevin Harvick.
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No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing
DRIVER: Michael McDowell
BORN: Dec. 21, 1984
HOMETOWN: Glendale, Ariz.
CREW CHIEF: Wally Rogers
SPONSOR: Thrivent Financial
TWITTER: @Mc_Driver
NOTEWORTHY: Finished a career-best seventh at Daytona last July.
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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
TWITTER: @KurtBusch
NOTEWORTHY: Mired in legal issues since late last year after an ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic assault.
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No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing
DRIVER: JJ Yeley
BORN: Oct. 5, 1976
HOMETOWN: Phoenix
CREW CHIEF: Joe Williams
SPONSOR: MAXIM Fantasy App/Dr. Pepper
TWITTER: @jjyeley1
NOTEWORTHY: Winless in 220 Cup starts and no top-five finishes since 2008.
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No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: David Gilliland
BORN: April 1, 1976
HOMETOWN: Riverside, Calif.
CREW CHIEF: Donnie Wingo
SPONSOR: Love's Travel Stops
TWITTER: @DavidGilliland
NOTEWORTHY: Is a noted restrictor-plate racer, has six career top-10 finishes at Daytona and Talladega.
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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: Left Tommy Baldwin Racing in January to drive for Harry Scott Jr.
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No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: David Ragan
BORN: Dec. 24, 1985
HOMETOWN: Unadilla, Ga.
CREW CHIEF: Derrick Finley
SPONSOR: KFC
TWITTER: @DavidRagan
NOTEWORTHY: Had just one top-10 finish last season.
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No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DRIVER: Kyle Larson
BORN: July 31, 1992
HOMETOWN: Elk Grove, Calif.
CREW CHIEF: Chris Heroy
SPONSOR: Target
TWITTER: @KyleLarsonRacin
NOTEWORTHY: The reigning Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year.
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No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Austin Dillon
BORN: April 27, 1990
HOMETOWN: Welcome, N.C.
CREW CHIEF: Gil Martin
SPONSOR: Dow
TWITTER: @austindillon3
NOTEWORTHY: Started from the pole last year in the iconic No. 3.
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No. 33 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Ty Dillon
BORN: Feb. 27, 1992
HOMETOWN: Lewisville, N.C.
CREW CHIEF: Todd Parrott
SPONSOR: Cheerios
TWITTER: @tydillon
NOTEWORTHY: Austin's younger brother is making his Daytona 500 debut.
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No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
BORN: Oct. 2, 1987
HOMETOWN: Olive Branch, Miss.
CREW CHIEF: Nicholas Sandler
SPONSOR: Fastenal
TWITTER: @StenhouseJr
NOTEWORTHY: Had just five top-10 finishes last season and RFR made a crew chief change for him during the offseason.
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No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
DRIVER: Aric Almirola
BORN: March 14, 1984
HOMETOWN: Tampa, Fla.
CREW CHIEF: Trent Owens
SPONSOR: Smithfield
TWITTER: @aric_almirola
NOTEWORTHY: Made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship last season for the first time in his career.
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No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
DRIVER: Michael Waltrip
BORN: April 30, 1963
HOMETOWN: Owensboro, Ky.
CREW CHIEF: Billy Scott
SPONSOR: Aaron's Dream Machine
TWITTER: @mwr55
NOTEWORTHY: Filling in for Brian Vickers, who will miss the first two races following offseason heart surgery.
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No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Matt Kenseth
BORN: March 10, 1972
HOMETOWN: Cambridge, Wis.
CREW CHIEF: Jason Ratcliff
SPONSOR: Dollar General
TWITTER: @mattkenseth
NOTEWORTHY: Won the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race last week at Daytona.
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No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing
DRIVER: Johnny Sauter
BORN: May 1, 1978
HOMETOWN: Necedah, Wisc.
CREW CHIEF: Doug Richert
SPONSOR: Dustless Blasting
TWITTER: @johnnysauter
NOTEWORTHY: Will be making his third career Daytona 500 start.
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No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Trevor Bayne
BORN: Feb. 19, 1991
HOMETOWN: Knoxville, Tenn.
CREW CHIEF: Bob Osborne
SPONSOR: AdvoCare
TWITTER: @Tbayne21
NOTEWORTHY: Won the 2011 Daytona 500 in his first career start.
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No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
DRIVER: Sam Hornish Jr.
BORN: July, 2, 1979
HOMETOWN: Defiance, Ohio
CREW CHIEF: Drew Blickensderfer
SPONSOR: Twisted Tea
TWITTER: @samhornish
NOTEWORTHY: Back in a full-time ride Cup ride for the first time since 2010.
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No. 2 Ford, Penske Racing
DRIVER: Brad Keselowski
BORN: Feb. 12, 1984
HOMETOWN: Rochester Hills, Mich.
CREW CHIEF: Paul Wolfe
SPONSOR: Miller Lite
TWITTER: @keselowski
NOTEWORTHY: A six-race winner last year, he finished third in the Daytona 500.
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No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing
DRIVER: AJ Allmendinger
BORN: Dec. 16, 1981
HOMETOWN: Los Gatos, Calif.
CREW CHIEF: Brian Burns
SPONSOR: Kroger/USO
TWITTER:@AJDinger
NOTEWORTHY: Made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship last season for the first time in his career.
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No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing
DRIVER: Casey Mears
BORN: March 12, 1978
HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, Calif.
CREW CHIEF: Robert "Bootie" Barker
SPONSOR: Geico
TWITTER: @CaseyMears13
NOTEWORTHY: Nephew of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears.
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No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
BORN: Nov. 18, 1980
HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Va.
CREW CHIEF: Dave Rogers
SPONSOR: FedEx Express
TWITTER: @dennyhamlin
NOTEWORTHY: Finished second in last year's Daytona 500.
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No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing
DRIVER: Bobby Labonte
BORN: May 8, 1964
HOMETOWN: Corpus Christi, Texas
CREW CHIEF: Clinton Cram
SPONSOR: C&J Energy Services
TWITTER: @bobbylabonte
NOTEWORTHY: Ran just three races last season, but finished 15th in the Daytona 500.