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A glance at 16 NASCAR drivers racing in the Chase

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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.