ROW 1
William Byron
No. 24 Chevrolet
TEAM Hendrick Motorsports
BORN Nov. 29, 1996
HOMETOWN Charlotte, N.C.
CREW CHIEF Chad Knaus
NOTEWORTHY Daytona 500 pole-sitter and 2018 rookie of the year. Winless with four top-10 finishes in rookie season with Hendrick Motorsports.
Alex Bowman
No. 88 Chevrolet
TEAM Hendrick Motorsports
BORN April 25, 1993
HOMETOWN Tucson, Ariz.
CREW CHIEF Greg Ives
NOTEWORTHY Bowman starts on the front row for the second consecutive year after winning the pole last year.
ROW 2
Kevin Harvick
No. 4 Ford
TEAM Stewart-Haas Racing
BORN Dec. 8, 1975
HOMETOWN Bakersfield, Calif.
CREW CHIEF Rodney Childers
NOTEWORTHY Won 2007 Daytona 500 with Richard Childress Racing. Third in points for the second consecutive season in 2018. Won a series-leading eight times last season, giving him 45 in his career.
Joey Logano
No. 22 Ford
TEAM Team Penske
BORN May 24, 1990
HOMETOWN Middletown, Conn.
CREW CHIEF Todd Gordon
NOTEWORTHY Defending Monster Energy Cup champion and is looking to become the first since Jimmie Johnson in 2010 to win consecutive Cup titles.
ROW 3
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
No. 17 Ford
TEAM Roush Fenway Racing
BORN Oct. 2, 1987
HOMETOWN Olive Branch, Miss.
CREW CHIEF Brian Pattie
SPONSOR Fastenal
NOTEWORTHY Began career as a teenager, racing sprint cars at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis and at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock.
DRIVER Clint Bowyer
No. 14 Ford
TEAM Stewart-Haas Racing
BORN May 30, 1979
HOMETOWN Emporia, Kan.
CREW CHIEF Mike Bugarewicz
NOTEWORTHY Made strides in second year at Stewart-Haas Racing. Won two races last season, his first since 2012. Winless in 13 Daytona 500 starts.
ROW 4
DRIVER Paul Menard
No. 21 Ford
TEAM Wood Brothers
BORN Aug. 21, 1980
HOMETOWN Eau Claire, Wis.
CREW CHIEF Greg Erwin
NOTEWORTHY One victort in 435 Cup starts. Winless since taking checkered flag at Brickyard 400 in 2011. Wrecked by Jimmie Johnson with the lead at the exhibition Clash last weekend.
Aric Almirola
No. 10 Ford
TEAM Stewart-Haas Racing
BORN March 14, 1984
HOMETOWN Tampa, Fla.
CREW CHIEF John Klausmeier
NOTEWORTHY Won his first race since 2014, ending 149-race winless streak. Starts second season with Stewart-Haas Racing. Led 2018 Daytona 500 until last-lap accident.
Row 5
Matt DiBenedetto
No. 95 Chevrolet
TEAM Leavine Family Racing
BORN July 27, 1991
HOMETOWN Grass Valley, Calif.
CREW CHIEF Michael Wheeler
NOTEWORTHY No top five finishes in 140 career starts.
Denny Hamlin
No. 11 Toyota
TEAM Joe Gibbs Racing
BORN Nov. 18, 1980
HOMETOWN Chesterfield, Va.
CREW CHIEF Chris Gabehart
NOTEWORTHY 2016 Daytona 500 champion. Won closest finish in race history, barely edging Martin Truex Jr.
ROW 6
Martin Truex Jr.
No. 19 Toyota
TEAM Joe Gibbs Racing
BORN June 29, 1980
HOMETOWN Mayetta, N.J.
CREW CHIEF Cole Pearn
NOTEWORTHY 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion. Won four races and was runner-up to Joey Logano for championship in 2018. Starts first season with Joe Gibbs Racing after Furniture Row Racing folded.
Kurt Busch
No. 1 Ford
TEAM Chip Ganassi Racing
BORN Aug. 4, 1978
HOMETOWN Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF Matt McCall
NOTEWORTHY 2017 Daytona 500 champion with Stewart-Haas Racing. Well-traveled driver making move to Chip Ganassi for 2019. Missed 2015 race because of suspension.
ROW 7
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.
No. 43 Chevrolet
TEAM Richard Petty Motorsports
BORN Oct. 8, 1993
HOMETOWN Mobile, Ala.
CREW CHIEF Derek Stamets
NOTEWORTHY Was first black driver last year to start Daytona 500 since Wendell Scott in 1969. Finished second behind winner Austin Dillon.
Ryan Blaney
No. 12 Ford
TEAM Team Penske
BORN Dec. 31, 1993
HOMETOWN High Point, N.C.
CREW CHIEF Jeremy Bullins
NOTEWORTHY Won second career Cup race last season at Charlotte “roval.” Starts second season driving for team owner Roger Penske.
ROW 8
DRIVER Chris Buescher
No. 37 Chevrolet
TEAM JTG Daugherty Racing
BORN Oct. 29, 1992
HOMETOWN Prosper, Texas
CREW CHIEF Trent Owens
NOTEWORTHY Entering fourth full-time season. Only victory came in rain-shortened race in 2016. Had only two top-10 finishes in 2018.
Jamie McMurray
No. 40 Chevrolet
TEAM Spire Sports
BORN June 3, 1976
HOMETOWN Joplin, Mo.
CREW CHIEF Scott Eggleston
NOTEWORTHY Won 2010 Daytona 500, same year he also won Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Expected to make final NASCAR start. Will transition to TV analyst for Fox Sports.
ROW 9
Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Chevrolet
TEAM Hendrick Motorsports
BORN Sept. 17, 1975
HOMETOWN El Cajon, Calif.
CREW CHIEF Kevin Meendering
NOTEWORTHY Seven-time NASCAR champion. An eighth title would push him past the late Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for most ever.
Chase Elliott
No. 9 Chevrolet
TEAM Hendrick Motorsports
BORN Nov. 28, 1995
HOMETOWN Dawsonville, Ga.
CREW CHIEF Alan Gustafson
NOTEWORTHY Son of two-time Daytona 500 champ and Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott won three times last season. Voted NASCAR’s most popular driver in 2018.
ROW 10
Ryan Newman
No. 6 Ford
TEAM Roush Fenway Racing
BORN Dec. 8, 1977
HOMETOWN South Bend, Ind.
CREW CHIEF Scott Graves
NOTEWORTHY Starts first season driving for Jack Roush. Failed to post a top-five finish for first time in his career.
Austin Dillon
No. 3 Chevrolet
TEAM Richard Childress Racing
BORN April 27, 1990
HOMETOWN Welcome, N.C.
CREW CHIEF Danny Stockman Jr.
NOTEWORTHY 2018 Daytona 500 champion. Spun Aric Almirola on the last lap to pull off the victory. No driver has won consecutive Daytona 500s since Sterling Marlin in 1994 and 1995.
ROW 11
Ryan Preece
No. 47 Chevrolet
TEAM JTG Daugherty Racing
BORN Oct. 25, 1990
HOMETOWN Hartford, Conn.
CREW CHIEF Tristan Smith
NOTEWORTHY Made five Cup starts last season. Takes over for AJ Allmendinger in the 47. Candidate for NASCAR rookie of the year.
Ty Dillon
No. 13 Chevrolet
TEAM Germain Racing
BORN Feb. 27, 1992
HOMETOWN Lewisville, N.C.
CREW CHIEF Matt Borland
NOTEWORTHY Younger brother of Austin Dillon. Grandson of team owner Richard Childress.
ROW 12
Daniel Suarez
No. 41 Ford
TESAM Stewart-Haas Racing
BORN Jan. 7, 1992
HOMETOWN Monterrey, Mexico
CREW CHIEF Billy Scott
NOTEWORTHY Makes move to Stewart-Haas Racing. Pushed out at Joe Gibbs Racing to make room for Martin Truex Jr. Won first Cup pole at Pocono. Won Xfinity Series title in 2016, becoming NASCAR’s first foreign champion.
David Ragan
No. 38 Ford
TEAM Front Row Motorsports
BORN Dec. 24, 1985
HOMETOWN Unadilla, Ga.
CREW CHIEF Seth Barbour
NOTEWORTHY Won only Cup races in 2011 and 2013. Had just one top-10 finish last four years. Finished 30th at Daytona last season.
ROW 13
Parker Kligerman
No. 96 Toyota
TEAM Gaunt Brothers Racing
BORN Aug 8, 1990
HOMETOWN Stamford, Conn.
CREW CHIEF Mark Hillman
NOTEWORTHY Doubles as NBC Sports broadcaster. Winless in 14 career starts.
Kyle Larson
No. 42 Chevrolet
TEAM Chip Ganassi Racing
BORN July 31, 1992
HOMETOWN Elk Grove, Calif.
CREW CHIEF Chad Johnston
NOTEWORTHY Followed breakthrough 2017 season with winless 2018. Fell from four victories to none but made playoffs for third consecutive season.
ROW 14
Landon Cassill
No. 00 Chevrolet
TEAM StarCom Racing
BORN July 7, 1989
HOMETOWN Cedar Rapids, Iowa
CREW CHIEF Wayne Carroll
NOTEWORTY Made 29 starts for StarCom in 2018. Winless in 288 career starts.
Erik Jones
No. 20 Toyota
TEAM Joe Gibbs Racing
BORN May 30, 1996
HOMETOWN Byron, Mich.
CREW CHIEF Chris Gayle (Little Rock)
NOTEWORTHY Won at Daytona in July for first career Cup win. Had nine top-fives and finished 15th in standings in first season at Joe Gibbs Racing.
ROW 15
Daniel Hemric
No. 8 Chevrolet
TEAM Richard Childress Racing
BORN Jan. 27, 1991
HOMETOWN Kannapolis, N.C.
CREW CHIEF Luke Lambert
NOTEWORTHY Made two starts for RCR last season. First driver to race the No. 8 since Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hails from same hometown as the Earnhardts.
Brendan Gaughan
No. 62 Chevrolet
TEAM Beard Motorsports
BORN July 10, 1975
HOMETOWN Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF Darren Shaw
NOTEWORTHY Winless in 58 Cup starts. Played college football and basketball at Georgetown, guarding Allen Iverson on practice court and becoming all-Big East kicker on gridiron. Earned one of the final transfer spots for the Daytona 500.
ROW 16
Kyle Busch
No. 18 Toyota
TEAM Joe Gibbs Racing
BORN May 2, 1985
HOMETOWN Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF Adam Stevens
NOTEWORTHY 2015 Cup Series champion has yet to win Daytona 500, a streak that stands at 13. Won eight races last season and finished fourth in season standings.
Corey LaJoie
No. 32 Ford
TEAM GO FAS Racing
BORN Sept. 25, 1991
HOMETOWN Charlotte, N.C.
CREW CHIEF Randy Cox
NOTEWORTHY No top-10 finishes in 57 career starts. Son of two-time NASCAR second-tier series champion Randy LaJoie.
ROW 17
Matt Tifft
No. 36 Ford
TEAM Front Row Motorsports
BORN June 26, 1996
HOMETOWN Hinckley, Ohio
CREW CHIEF Michael Kelley
NOTEWORTHY Cup rookie missed part of the 2016 season after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was discovered during treatment for a back injury. Returned to racing 11 weeks after the tumor was removed.
Michael McDowell
No. 34 Ford
TEAM Front Row Motorsports
BORN Dec. 21, 1984
HOMETOWN Glendale, Ariz.
CREW CHIEF Drew Blickensderfer
NOTEWORTHY Winless in 285 Cup starts. Shines at Daytona. Finished fourth in 2017 Daytona 500, and ninth in 2018. Were his only top-10s each season.
ROW 18
Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Ford
TEAM Team Penske
BORN Feb. 12, 1984
HOMETOWN Rochester Hills, Mich.
CREW CHIEF Paul Wolfe
NOTEWORTHY 2012 series champion looking for first Daytona 500 victory. Has at least three victories in each of the past three years at Team Penske, including three in a row late last year.
Ross Chastain
No. 15 Chevrolet
TEAM Premium Motorsports
BORN Dec. 4, 1992
HOMETOWN Alva, Fla.
CREW CHIEF Peter Sospenzo
NOTEWORTHY Eighth-generation watermelon farmer making Daytona 500 debut. Landed sponsorship to race in Xfinity Series this season, but FBI raid on that company derailed his plans. He’s now cobbled together races across all three national series.
ROW 19
Cody Ware
No. 52 Chevrolet
TEAM Rick Ware Racing
BORN Nov. 7, 1995
HOMETOWN Greensboro, N.C.
CREW CHIEF George Church
NOTEWORTHY Making Daytona 500 debut for RWR, which bought NASCAR charter from Front Row Motorsports.
B.J. McLeod
No. 51 Chevrolet
TEAM Rick Ware Racing
BORN Nov. 17, 1983
HOMETOWN Wauchula, Fla.
CREW CHIEF Michael Hillman
NOTEWORTHY Making Daytona 500 debut for RWR, which bought NASCAR charter from Richard Petty Motorsports.
Row 20
Tyler Reddick
No. 31 Chevrolet
TEAM Richard Childress Racing
BORN Jan. 11, 1996
HOMETOWN Corning, Calif.
CREW CHIEF Justin Alexander
NOTEWORTHY Driving a third car for RCR, a one-off ride for the Daytona 500. Reigning Xfinity champion left JR Motorsports to drive for RCR in the second-tier series.
Casey Mears
No. 27 Chevrolet
TEAM Germain Racing
BORN March 12, 1978
HOMETOWN Bakersfield, Calif.
CREW CHIEF Pat Tryson
NOTEWORTHY Making his first Cup start since 2016. Has one victory in 488 Cup starts. Finished second in the 2006 Daytona 500.