The 40 drivers competing in the 2022 Daytona 500, in order of starting position:
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No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Kyle Larson
BORN: July 31, 1992
HOMETOWN: Elk Grove, California
CREW CHIEF: Cliff Daniels
SPONSOR: HendrickCars.com
TWITTER: @KyleLarsonRacin
NOTEWORTHY: The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion was the dominant driver in 2021, winning a series-high 10 races. His first Daytona 500 pole gave powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports its seventh in the last eight years.
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No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Alex Bowman
BORN: April 25, 1993
HOMETOWN: Tucson, Arizona
CREW CHIEF: Greg Ives
SPONSOR: Ally
TWITTER: @AlexBowman88
NOTEWORTHY: Bowman is starting the Daytona 500 from the front row for a record-tying fifth straight year. He won a career-high four races last year and had made the playoffs in each of his four full seasons at Hendrick.
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No. 6 Ford, RFK Racing
DRIVER: Brad Keselowski
BORN: Feb. 12, 1984
HOMETOWN: Rochester Hills, Michigan
CREW CHIEF: Matt McCall
SPONSOR: Kohler Generators
TWITTER: @keselowski
NOTEWORTHY: The 2012 Cup champion is making his debut as a driver/co-owner at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. He won the first of two Duel races Thursday and dedicated it to his father, who died in December. He’s winless in 12 Daytona 500 starts, although he does have seven victories at NASCAR superspeedways.
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No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
DRIVER: Chris Buescher
BORN: Oct. 29, 1992
HOMETOWN: Prosper, Texas
CREW CHIEF: Scott Graves
SPONSOR: Fastenal
TWITTER: @Chris_Buescher
NOTEWORTHY: He won the second of two Duel races Thursday night. He has one win in 222 Cup starts, but he’s at his best in the 500. He finished fifth in 2018 and third in 2020.
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No. 2 Ford, Team Penske
DRIVER: Austin Cindric
BORN: Sept. 2, 1998
HOMETOWN: Mooresville, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Jeremy Bullins
SPONSOR: Discount Tire
TWITTER: @AustinCindric
NOTEWORTHY: The son of Team Penske President Tim Cindric is racing his first full Cup season for Penske, replacing Keselowski in the No. 2. He’s one of three newcomers vying for rookie of the year honors.
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No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: Michael McDowell
BORN: Dec. 21, 1984
HOMETOWN: Glendale, Arizona
CREW CHIEF: Blake Harris
SPONSOR: Love’s Travel Stops
TWITTER: @Mc_Driver
NOTEWORTHY: Won last year’s Daytona 500 as a 100-1 longshot after Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski wrecked battling for the lead on the final lap. It was McDowell’s first victory in 358 Cup starts.
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No. 12 Ford, Team Penske
DRIVER: Ryan Blaney
BORN: Dec. 31, 1993
HOMETOWN: High Point, North Carolina
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CREW CHIEF: Jonathan Hassler
SPONSOR: Menards/Blue Def/Peak
TWITTER: @Blaney
NOTEWORTHY: Two-time runner-up in the Daytona 500 is looking for a breakthrough victory in his eighth try. He won a career-best three races in 2021 and finished in the top 10 in points for the fifth straight year.
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No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers
DRIVER: Harrison Burton
BORN: October 9, 2000
HOMETOWN: Huntersville, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Brian Wilson
SPONSOR: Motorcraft/DEX Imaging
TWITTER: @HBurtonRacing
NOTEWORTHY: One of three newcomers vying for rookie of the year honors. Made one Cup start last year, finishing 20th at Talladega.
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No. 14 Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Chase Briscoe
BORN: Dec. 15, 1994
HOMETOWN: Mitchell, Indiana
CREW CHIEF: John Klausmeier
SPONSOR: Mahindra Tractors
TWITTER: @ChaseBriscoe_14
NOTEWORTHY: Briscoe begins second season at Stewart-Haas. He finished 23rd in points as a rookie in 2021, with three top 10s.
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No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Kyle Busch
BORN: May 2, 1985
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF: Ben Beshore
SPONSOR: M&Ms
TWITTER: @KyleBusch
NOTEWORTHY: The two-time Cup Series champion (2015, ’19) is winless in 16 Daytona 500 starts, calling it “top of the to-do list.” His storied career includes 222 victories across NASCAR’s three national series.
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No. 9 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: Chase Elliott
BORN: Nov. 28, 1995
HOMETOWN: Dawsonville, Georgia
CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson
SPONSOR: NAPA Auto Parts
TWITTER: @ChaseElliott
NOTEWORTHY: The 2020 Cup Series champion has been voted NASCAR’s most popular driver four straight years. He’s the son of two-time Daytona 500 champion and Hall of Famer Bill Elliott.
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No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Christopher Bell
BORN: Dec. 16, 1994
HOMETOWN: Norman, Oklahoma
CREW CHIEF: Adam Stevens
SPONSOR: DeWalt
TWITTER: @CBellRacing
NOTEWORTHY: Beginning his second season with JGR. Made the playoffs last year thanks to a victory on the Daytona Road Course, but finished 12th in points.
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No. 43 Chevrolet, Petty GMS Motorsports
DRIVER: Erik Jones
BORN: May 30, 1996
HOMETOWN: Byron, Michigan
CREW CHIEF: David Elenz
SPONSOR: FOCUSfactor
TWITTER: @erik_jones
NOTEWORTHY: Jones begins his second season in Petty’s iconic No. 43. He finished a career-worst 24th in 2021, with six top 10s.
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No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Martin Truex Jr.
BORN: June 29, 1980
HOMETOWN: Mayetta, New Jersey
CREW CHIEF: James Small
SPONSOR: Bass Pro Shops
TWITTER: @MartinTruexJr56
NOTEWORTHY: The 2017 Cup champion has finished second in points three times in the last four years, including last season. He is 0 for 17 in the Daytona 500, the longest current skid of anyone in the field.
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No. 8 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Tyler Reddick
BORN: Jan. 11, 1996
HOMETOWN: Corning, California
CREW CHIEF: Randall Burnett
SPONSOR: 3CHI
TWITTER: @TylerReddick
NOTEWORTHY: He made the playoffs in his second Cup season at RCR and finished 13th, another step forward for a promising driver who was a two-time Xfinity Series champion (2018-19).
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No. 23 Toyota, 23XI Racing
DRIVER: Bubba Wallace
BORN: Oct. 8, 1993
HOMETOWN: Mobile, Alabama
CREW CHIEF: Robert Barker
SPONSOR: McDonald’s
TWITTER: @BubbaWallace
NOTEWORTHY: Beginning his second season at 23IX, which expanded to two cars this season and is owned by fellow Toyota driver Denny Hamlin and basketball great Michael Jordan.
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No. 45 Toyota, 23XI Racing
DRIVER: Kurt Busch
BORN: Aug. 4, 1978
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF: Billy Scott
SPONSOR: Monster Energy
TWITTER: @KurtBusch
NOTEWORTHY: The 2004 Cup champion has at least one victory in eight consecutive years, including the 2017 Daytona 500. He is entering his first season driving for 23XI, which is owned by three-time Daytona 500 winner Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan.
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No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing
DRIVER: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
BORN: Oct. 2, 1987
HOMETOWN: Olive Branch, Mississippi
CREW CHIEF: Brian Pattie
SPONSOR: Kroger/Irish Spring
TWITTER: @StenhouseJr
NOTEWORTHY: Stenhouse is one of NASCAR’s most aggressive superspeedway drivers, with both of his wins in 328 Cup starts coming at superspeedways in 2017.
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No. 1 Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
DRIVER: Ross Chastain
BORN: Dec. 4, 1992
HOMETOWN: Alva, Florida
CREW CHIEF: Phil Surgen
SPONSOR: Advent Health
TWITTER: @RossChastain
NOTEWORTHY: The eighth-generation watermelon farmer is driving a second car for newly expanded Trackhouse, which is owned by rapper Pitbull and former NASCAR driver Justin Marks.
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No. 22 Ford, Team Penske
DRIVER: Joey Logano
BORN: May 24, 1990
HOMETOWN: Middletown, Connecticut
CREW CHIEF: Paul Wolfe
SPONSOR: Shell Pennzoil
TWITTER: @joeylogano
NOTEWORTHY: The 2015 Daytona 500 winner and 2018 series champion has become a perennial title contender since moving to Penske in 2013, finishing in the top 10 eight times in nine years.
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No. 99 Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
DRIVER: Daniel Suarez
BORN: Jan. 7, 1992
HOMETOWN: Monterrey, Mexico
CREW CHIEF: Travis Mack
SPONSOR: Tootsies Orchid Lounge
TWITTER: @Daniel_SuarezG
NOTEWORTHY: Beginning second season with Trackhouse, which is owned by rapper Pitbull and former NASCAR driver Justin Marks. One of four minorities driving full time in the Cup Series, joining Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson and Aric Almirola.
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No. 4 Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Kevin Harvick
BORN: Dec. 8, 1975
HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, California
CREW CHIEF: Rodney Childers
SPONSOR: Busch Light
TWITTER: @KevinHarvick
NOTEWORTHY: The 2014 series champion and perennial title contender won NASCAR’s signature event in 2010. He has finished fifth or better in each of the last five years, but has gone 43 races without a Cup victory.
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No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
DRIVER: William Byron
BORN: Nov. 29, 1997
HOMETOWN: Charlotte, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Rudy Fugle
SPONSOR: Axalta
TWITTER: @williambyron
NOTEWORTHY: Byron has one victory in each of the last two years, but has made the playoffs in three straight seasons at Hendrick. He’s entering the final year of his contract, but Hendrick insists he wants Byron in the fold “forever.”
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No. 7 Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
DRIVER: Corey LaJoie
BORN: Sept. 25, 1991
HOMETOWN: Charlotte, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Ryan Sparks
SPONSOR: Built.com
TWITTER: @CoreyLaJoie
NOTEWORTHY: His father is two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, who won titles in 1996 and ’97.
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No. 31 Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing
DRIVER: Justin Haley
BORN: April 28, 1999
HOMETOWN: Winamac, Indiana
CREW CHIEF: Trent Owens
SPONSOR: LeafFilter Gutter Protection
TWITTER: @Justin_Haley—
NOTEWORTHY: Haley has one victory in 36 career Cup starts, with the win coming in the 2019 summer race at Daytona. Haley was out front when the skies opened and rained out the event.
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No. 42 Chevrolet, Petty GMS Racing
DRIVER: Ty Dillon
BORN: Feb. 27, 1992
HOMETOWN: Lewisville, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Jermane Donley
SPONSOR: Black Rifle Coffee Company
TWITTER: @tydillon
NOTEWORTHY: Dillon, the younger brother of Austin Dillion, is winless in 166 career Cup starts. He is beginning his first season driving for Petty GMS. He previously drove for his grandfather at Richard Childress Racing, Gaunt Brothers, Germain, Leavine Family, Tommy Baldwin and Stewart-Haas.
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No. 77 Chevrolet, Spire Sports
DRIVER: Landon Cassill
BORN: July 7, 1989
HOMETOWN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
CREW CHIEF: Kevin Bellicourt
SPONSOR: Fox Nation
TWITTER: @landoncassill
NOTEWORTHY: Cassill is driving a car with a patriotic paint scheme and sponsored by Fox Nation. The red, white and blue car is likely to delight much of NASCAR’s right-leaning fanbase.
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No. 44 Chevrolet, NY Racing
DRIVER: Greg Biffle
BORN: Dec. 23, 1969
HOMETOWN: Vancouver, Washington
CREW CHIEF: Jay Guy
SPONSOR: Grambling State University
TWITTER: @gbiffle
NOTEWORTHY: The 52-year-old Biffle last raced in the Cup Series in the 2016 season. He won 19 times over 14 years at Roush Racing and agreed to join team owner John Cohen for a start-up program designed to promote minority drivers. Cohen eventually hopes to get current Drive for Diversity drivers Rajah Caruth or Lavar Scott behind the wheel.
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No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
DRIVER: Todd Gilliland
BORN: May 15, 2000
HOMETOWN: Sherrills Ford, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Seth Barbour
SPONSOR: First Phrase Credit Card
TWITTER: @ToddGilliland—
NOTEWORTHY: Gilliland is making the jump to Cup after 93 races and two victories spanning the last five years in the Truck Series. He won back-to-back (2016-17) titles in the K&N Pro Series West.
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No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER: Denny Hamlin
BORN: Nov. 18, 1980
HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Virginia
CREW CHIEF: Chris Gabehart
SPONSOR: FedEx
TWITTER: @dennyhamlin
NOTEWORTHY: The three-time Daytona 500 winner (2016, ’19, ’20) is trying to join Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty as the only drivers to win “The Great American Race” at least four times.
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No. 41 Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Cole Custer
BORN: Jan. 23, 1998
HOMETOWN: Ladera Ranch, California
CREW CHIEF: Mike Shiplett
SPONSOR: HaasTooling.com
TWITTER: @ColeCuster
NOTEWORTHY: Custer finished 26th in his second full season at Stewart-Haas, a disappointing year for a promising driver who made the playoffs as a rookie.
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No. 51 Chevrolet, Rick Ware Racing
DRIVER: Cody Ware
BORN: Nov. 7, 1995
HOMETOWN: Greensboro, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Billy Plourde
SPONSOR: Nurtec ODT
TWITTER: @CodyShaneWare
NOTEWORTHY: Ware made a career-high 32 starts last season and even led five laps. He has openly discussed his struggles with depression and anxiety in hopes of helping others.
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No. 16 Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing
DRIVER: Daniel Hemric
BORN: Jan. 27, 1991
HOMETOWN: Kannapolis, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Matt Swiderski
SPONSOR: Heritage Pool Supply
TWITTER: @DanielHemric
NOTEWORTHY: Hemric is back in the Cup Series after a two-year stint in the Xfinity Series, where he won the championship last season with Joe Gibbs Racing. He was the Cup Series rookie of the year in 2019 with Richard Childress Racing, but was let go after one season.
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No. 15 Ford, Rick Ware Racing
DRIVER: David Ragan
BORN: Dec. 24, 1985
HOMETOWN: Unadilla, Georgia
CREW CHIEF: Mike Hillman Sr.
SPONSOR: Select Blinds
TWITTER: @DavidRagan
NOTEWORTHY: Ragan has two wins in 472 Cup starts, both on superspeedways. He won the Daytona summer race in 2011 and at Talladega two years later.
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No. 50 Chevrolet, The Money Team Racing
DRIVER: Kaz Grala
BORN: Dec. 29, 1998
HOMETOWN: Boston
CREW CHIEF: Tony Eury Jr.
SPONSOR: Pit Viper Sunglasses
TWITTER: @KazGrala
NOTEWORTHY: Grala is making his debut with upstart TMT Racing, which is owned by former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. The team leaned on Eury Jr. to get up to speed, relying on him to build the car, assemble a crew and get them all to Daytona on time and ready to go.
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No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
DRIVER: Austin Dillon
BORN: April 27, 1990
HOMETOWN: Welcome, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Justin Alexander
SPONSOR: Bass Pro Shops
TWITTER: @austindillon3
NOTEWORTHY: The 2018 Daytona 500 champion missed the playoffs last season after finishing 17th in the regular season, one spot below the cutoff.
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No. 78 Ford, Live Fast Motorsports
DRIVER: B.J. McLeod
BORN: Nov. 17, 1983
HOMETOWN: Wauchula, Florida
CREW CHIEF: Lee Leslie
SPONSOR: NASCAR Ignition
TWITTER: @bjmcleod78
NOTEWORTHY: McLeod is an owner-driver racing in his fourth Daytona 500. He is winless in 85 Cup starts but finished a career-best ninth in last year’s summer race at Daytona.
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No. 10 Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing
DRIVER: Aric Almirola
BORN: March 14, 1984
HOMETOWN: Tampa, Florida
CREW CHIEF: Drew Blickensderfer
SPONSOR: Smithfield
TWITTER: @aric_almirola
NOTEWORTHY: Almirola has made the playoffs four straight years since replacing Danica Patrick in the No. 10 car. The 15-year veteran plans to retire at the end of this season, but adds he potentially “could get a hall pass” to make another Daytona 500 start.
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No. 62 Chevrolet, Beard Motorsports
DRIVER: Noah Gragson
BORN: July 15, 1998
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas
CREW CHIEF: Darren Shaw
SPONSOR: Beard Oil/South Point
TWITTER: @NoahGragson
NOTEWORTHY: Gragson earned a starting spot in the Daytona 500 in single-lap qualifying, a huge victory for a team that missed the opener last year after owner Mark Beard died in January 2021. Gragson is expected to attempt all four superspeedway races for Beard. He also will run about a dozen Cup events for Kaulig Racing and race full time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.
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No. 27 Ford, Team Hezeberg
DRIVER: Jacques Villeneuve
BORN: April 9, 1971
HOMETOWN: Quebec, Canada
CREW CHIEF: Josh Reaume
SPONSOR: Hezeberg Engineering Systems
TWITTER: @27villeneuve
NOTEWORTHY: The 50-year-old Villeneuve is the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner and the 1997 Formula One champion. He is filling in for Loris Hezemans, the 24-year-old son of team co-owner Toine Hezemans who is not approved to race at Daytona.