1. No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

DRIVER: Jimmie Johnson

BORN: Sept. 17, 1975

HOMETOWN: El Cajon, Calif.

CREW CHIEF: Chad Knaus

NOTES: Can't seal the deal? Can't win the big one? Yeah, right. To get the new season off and running, the two-time defending series champion has added his second Daytona 500 pole. Johnson and Knaus are setting the standard in the sport right now, and it's up to the rest of the field to catch up.

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2. No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

DRIVER: Michael Waltrip

BORN: April 30, 1963

HOMETOWN: Owensboro, Ky.

CREW CHIEF: Paul Andrews

NOTES: Waltrip's debut as a full-time Cup car owner was a remarkably rough ride, beginning with a fuel additive violation during speedweeks and ending with him qualifying for only 14 races. Waltrip even crashed his street car last April. With Gibbs joining the Toyota stable, MWR likely will take a back seat in the corporate hierarchy, but the team is off to a rousing start in 2008, with Waltrip taking the outside pole here and both teammates also in the lineup.

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3. No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

BORN: Oct. 10, 1974

HOMETOWN: Kannapolis, N.C.

CREW CHIEF: Tony Eury Jr.

NOTES: After boldly leaving the team his father founded behind, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s no-excuses tour has begun. He joins superstars Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports, where he has access to the best cars, engines, crew members and technical data available in NASCAR. He's 2-for-2 so far, with victories in the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race and his 150-mile qualifying race.

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4. No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

DRIVER: Denny Hamlin

BORN: Nov. 18, 1980

HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Va.

CREW CHIEF: Mike Ford

NOTES: Scored one win last season and was second in the points for a huge chunk of the year. Made Chase for the championship, but faltered early and finished 12th in the final standings. Gave Toyota its first Cup win in Thursday's 150-mile qualifying race.

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5. No. 41 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

DRIVER: Reed Sorenson

BORN: Feb. 5, 1986

HOMETOWN: Peachtree City, Ga.

CREW CHIEF: Jimmy Elledge

NOTES: Although still winless, Sorenson had the best statistical season of his short career. Won the pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and finished 22nd in the final seasons standings. Just 21, he still has the most Cup experience of all three Ganassi teams and is off to a great start with solid showings in the Budweiser Shootout and his Daytona qualifying race.

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6. No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

DRIVER: Tony Stewart

BORN: May 20, 1971

HOMETOWN: Columbus, Ind.

CREW CHIEF: Greg Zipadelli

NOTES: Scored three wins in his usual second-half surge, but disappointed during the Chase by failing to challenge Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon for the title. Stewart finished sixth in the final standings. Enters this season with the longest driver-crew chief relationship in Cup series. Looking for his first Daytona 500 win in his 10th try, Stewart had runner-up finishes in the Budweiser Shootout and his qualifying race.

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7. No. 12 Dodge, Penske Racing

DRIVER: Ryan Newman

BORN: Dec. 8, 1977

HOMETOWN: South Bend, Ind.

CREW CHIEF: Roy McCauley

NOTES: Won five poles last season but failed to make it to Victory Lane, which he last visited in 2005. Back with crew chief McCauley, who teamed with Newman to win six of nine Nationwide races in 2005.

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8. No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

DRIVER: Jeff Gordon

BORN: Aug. 4, 1971

HOMETOWN: Pittsboro, Ind.

CREW CHIEF: Steve Letarte

NOTES: Finished a disappointing second in the title chase to teammate Jimmie Johnson. Had a baby, won six races and built a lead of more than 300 points during the regular season. He was great in the Chase, too. Johnson was just better. A three-time Daytona 500 winner, he's among the favorites Sunday.

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9. No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

DRIVER: Casey Mears

BORN: March 12, 1978

HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, Calif.

CREW CHIEF: Alan Gustafson

NOTES: Got off to a slow start with Hendrick last season, his first with the mighty team, but scored a dramatic first victory at the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day. Moves into team that qualified for the last two Chase for the championships with Kyle Busch as the driver.

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10. No. 9 Dodge, Gillett Evernham Motorsports

DRIVER: Kasey Kahne

BORN: April 10, 1980

HOMETOWN: Enumclaw, Wash.

CREW CHIEF: Kenny Francis (team director)

NOTES: Failed to win a race or make the Chase for the championship after winning six events in 2006 and finishing eighth in the standings. Was 19th last season. Takes over Budweiser sponsorship from Dale Earnhardt Jr. this season, and Kahne should be heavily hyped by the beer company.

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11. No. 99 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

DRIVER: Carl Edwards

BORN: Aug. 15, 1979

HOMETOWN: Columbia, Mo.

CREW CHIEF: Bob Osbourne

NOTES: In an off year for Roush-Fenway, Edwards and Matt Kenseth still finished in the top 10. Hard to imagine those two spent a lot of time reminiscing about that in the offseason, though, as Edwards' signature moment from 2007 was his controversial run-in with Kenseth at Martinsville. Expect more victory backflips, and perhaps more sparring with teammates, in 2008.

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12. No. 8 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

DRIVER: Mark Martin

BORN: Jan. 9, 1959

HOMETOWN: Batesville, Ark.

CREW CHIEF: Tony Gibson

NOTES: Nearly won the Daytona 500, narrowly losing out to Kevin Harvick in a photo finish. Led points for first month of season but got out of the car for the fifth and sixth races of the season, part of his plan to run a partial schedule. Will run just 26 races this year and share seat time with Aric Almirola.

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13. No. 43 Dodge, Petty Enterprises

DRIVER: Bobby Labonte

BORN: May 8, 1964

HOMETOWN: Corpus Christi, Texas

CREW CHIEF: Jeff Meendering

NOTES: Labonte quietly finished a respectable 18th in the points last season as Petty Enterprises continued its long climb back to competitiveness. The addition of Meendering, Jeff Gordon's former car chief at Hendrick Motorsports, could accelerate that process.

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14. No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

DRIVER: David Ragan

BORN: Dec. 24, 1985

HOMETOWN: Unadilla, Ga.

CREW CHIEF: Jimmy Fennig

NOTES: Had a quiet rookie season after replacing Mark Martin in Roush's flagship Ford. Scored a career-best finish of third at Richmond in September.

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15. No. 42 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

DRIVER: Juan Pablo Montoya

BORN: Sept. 20, 1975

HOMETOWN: Bogota, Colombia

CREW CHIEF: Donnie Wingo

NOTES: Former Formula One star and Indianapolis 500 winner had successful first season in NASCAR, winning on road courses in Sonoma, Calif., and Mexico City. Finished second at the Brickyard and won rookie of the year honors while finishing 20th in the points. Ganassi has said this season is "Chase or bust.''

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16. No. 29 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

DRIVER: Kevin Harvick

BORN: Dec. 8, 1975

HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, Calif.

CREW CHIEF: Todd Berrier

NOTES: Nipped Mark Martin at the line to win the Daytona 500, and added another huge payday in May by winning the All-Star race. Although he made the Chase for the championship, he never contended and finished 10th in the final standings.

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17. No. 87 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing

DRIVER: Kenny Wallace

BORN: Aug. 23, 1963

HOMETOWN: St. Louis, Mo.

CREW CHIEF: Ed Nathman

NOTES: Veteran of 342 starts in NASCAR's top series lost his ride with new team in the middle of last season. Called back for the Daytona 500, Wallace raced his way in with brother Mike Wallace as his spotter and the help of a Hendrick Motorsports engine. Will drive full time in Nationwide Series.

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18. No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

DRIVER: Greg Biffle

BORN: Dec. 23, 1969

HOMETOWN: Vancouver, Wash.

CREW CHIEF: Greg Erwin

NOTES: Biffle's only win last season came at Kansas in September, and he led just 78 laps all year. In the final season of his Roush contract, he has maintained he'd like to stay with the team.

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19. No. 77 Dodge, Penske Racing

DRIVER: Sam Hornish Jr.

BORN: July 2, 1979

HOMETOWN: Defiance, Ohio

CREW CHIEF: Chris Carrier

NOTES: Hornish's talent is unquestioned, and his credentials in open-wheel racing are as impressive as his sideburns: he's a three-time IRL IndyCar Series champion and the 2006 winner of the Indianapolis 500. But Hornish's first few attempts at stock car racing were disappointing, and he still must prove he can make the transition.

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20. No. 44 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

DRIVER: Dale Jarrett

BORN: Nov. 26, 1956

HOMETOWN: Hickory, N.C.

CREW CHIEF: Bill Pappas

NOTES: Three-time Daytona 500 winner raced his way into the lineup with a ninth-place finish in his qualifying race. It might be his final Daytona 500 as he announced his retirement from full-time competition after a rough 2007 season with Waltrip's new team. Jarrett's future is in the television booth. But he'll run the first five races of the season and the all-star race in May before unlacing his fireproof shoes for good. ---

21. No. 15 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

DRIVER: Paul Menard

BORN: Aug. 21, 1980

HOMETOWN: Eau Claire, Wis.

CREW CHIEF: Doug Randolph

NOTES: Menard struggled to make races until the DEI-Ginn merger, which allowed him to move inside the top 35 in points. He finished the year 34th in the standings, which assures him a spot in the field for at least the first five events.

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22. No. 34 Chevrolet, Front Row Motorsports

DRIVER: John Andretti

BORN: March 12, 1963

HOMETOWN: Bethlehem, Pa.

CREW CHIEF: Scott Eggleston

NOTES: Member of famous racing family has won in NASCAR, open-wheel and drag racing. Part-time Cup racer in recent years raced his way into the Daytona 500 with new team with 10th-place finish in his qualifier.

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23. No. 83 Toyota, Red Bull Racing

DRIVER: Brian Vickers

BORN: Oct. 24, 1983

HOMETOWN: Thomasville, N.C.

CREW CHIEF: Kevin Hamlin

NOTES: How rough were things for Toyota last year? Vickers finished 38th in the points last year - and he was a bright spot! Vickers gave Toyota its first top-10 finish at California and later added a top-five at Charlotte. Addition of veteran crew chief Hamlin and new team general manager Jay Frye should help Red Bull's second season. Had to race his way into the Daytona 500 lineup.

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24. No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

DRIVER: Kyle Busch

BORN: March 2, 1985

HOMETOWN: Las Vegas

CREW CHIEF: Steve Addington

NOTES: Won the first Car of Tomorrow race and made the Chase for the championship. Was in position to make run at title until he was wrecked at Kansas and Talladega to fall out of contention. Now with Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch wants to pick up where he left off with Hendrick Motorsports.

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25. No. 1 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

DRIVER: Martin Truex Jr.

BORN: June 29, 1980

HOMETOWN: Mayetta, N.J.

CREW CHIEF: Kevin "Bono'' Manion

NOTES: Scored first win of his career at Dover last June to start hot streak that pushed him into the Chase. Early troubles in the Chase kept him from contending for the title, and he finished 11th.

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26. No. 7 Dodge, Robby Gordon Motorsports

DRIVER: Robby Gordon

BORN: Jan. 2, 1969

HOMETOWN: Cerritos, Calif.

CREW CHIEF: Frankie Kerr

NOTES: Formed an alliance with Gillett Evernham Motorsports last week, a move that switches him from Fords to Dodges. The move was necessary after the driver-owner suffered $4.5 million in losses after the Dakar Rally was canceled. Gordon has said he hopes the partnership will strengthen his single-car team.

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27. No. 66 Chevrolet, Haas CNC Racing

DRIVER: Scott Riggs

BORN: Jan. 1, 1971

HOMETOWN: Bahama, N.C.

CREW CHIEF: Bootie Barker

NOTES: Riggs didn't live up to his potential during his stint at Evernham Motorsports, bowing out with a 36th-place finish in the points last year. Now he'll try to salvage his career at a lower-tier team whose owner, Gene Haas, recently was sentenced to two years in prison for tax fraud. At least he'll have Hendrick engines.

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28. No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

DRIVER: Matt Kenseth

BORN: March 10, 1972

HOMETOWN: Cambridge, Wis.

CREW CHIEF: Chip Bolin

NOTES: Won two races - the second event and the last one - and made the Chase for the championship. Finished fourth in final standings. Longtime crew chief Robbie Reiser stepped down at the end of the season, but Bolin filled in last year during Reiser's four-week suspension.

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29. No. 01 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

DRIVER: Regan Smith

BORN: Sept. 23, 1983

HOMETOWN: Cato, N.Y.

CREW CHIEF: Doug Richert

NOTES: Shared seat time with Mark Martin last season, running seven races with a best finish of 24th at Talladega. Will run for rookie of the year in the Cup series.

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30. No. 28 Ford, Yates Racing

DRIVER: Travis Kvapil

BORN: March 1, 1976

HOMETOWN: Janesville, Wis.

CREW CHIEF: Todd Parrott

NOTES: Ran the full trucks schedule last season, winning four races and finishing sixth in the standings. Had a rough start to his Cup career, lasting just one season with Penske Racing before moving back to the truck series.

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31. No. 07 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

DRIVER: Clint Bowyer

BORN: May 30, 1979

HOMETOWN: Emporia, Kan.

CREW CHIEF: Gil Martin

NOTES: The surprise of the Chase for the championship last season, he won the opener of the 10-race title hunt to score the first Cup victory of his career. Finished third in final season standings and had 17 top-10 finishes.

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32. No. 38 Ford, Yates Racing

DRIVER: David Gilliland

BORN: April 1, 1976

HOMETOWN: Riverside, Calif.

CREW CHIEF: Cully Barraclough

NOTES: Sat on the front row at Daytona last year, but struggled from there with just one top-five finish all season. The Yates organization has been plagued with problems, and owner Robert Yates stepped aside at the end of last season. Doug, his son, now runs it.

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33. No. 70 Chevrolet, Haas CNC Racing

DRIVER: Jeremy Mayfield

BORN: May 27, 1969

HOMETOWN: Owensboro, Ky.

CREW CHIEF: Dave Skog

NOTES: After an ugly parting of ways with Evernham Motorsports, Mayfield struggled at Bill Davis Racing last season. Now he joins fellow Evernham refugee Scott Riggs. It wasn't so long ago that Mayfield made waves by racing his way into the Chase with a victory at Richmond. Now he'll have to prove his best days aren't behind him.

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34. No. 22 Toyota, Bill Davis Racing

DRIVER: Dave Blaney

BORN: Oct. 24, 1962

HOMETOWN: Hartford, Ohio

CREW CHIEF: Tommy Baldwin Jr.

NOTES: Blaney was the only Toyota driver to finish in the top 35 in points last season. He also scored the highest finish of the year for a Camry, third at Talladega in October.

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35. No. 19 Dodge, Gillett Evernham Motorsports

DRIVER: Elliott Sadler

BORN: April 30, 1975

HOMETOWN: Emporia, Va.

CREW CHIEF: Rodney Childers (team director)

NOTES: Scored just two top-10 finishes last season and was 25th in the points. Hoping for improvement under Childers, who moved over from GEM's No. 10 car to run Sadler's team.

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36. No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

DRIVER: Jeff Burton

BORN: June 29, 1967

HOMETOWN: South Boston, Va.

CREW CHIEF: Scott Miller

NOTES: Survived a sponsorship flap that saw AT&T and Nextel go to court over the logos on Burton's car. A settlement finally was reached and Burton quietly won one race and made the Chase, where he finished seventh in the final standings.

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37. No. 96 Toyota, Hall of Fame Racing

DRIVER: JJ Yeley

BORN: Oct. 5, 1976

HOMETOWN: Phoenix

CREW CHIEF: Brandon Thomas

NOTES: The 2003 USAC Triple Crown winner and Tony Stewart protege was a disappointment at Joe Gibbs Racing, and slides down to the Gibbs-affiliated Hall of Fame team after Kyle Busch took his seat at JGR.

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38. No. 26 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

DRIVER: Jamie McMurray

BORN: June 3, 1976

HOMETOWN: Joplin, Mo.

CREW CHIEF: Larry Carter

NOTES: Won for the first time since 2002 when he scored a victory at Daytona in July, edging Kyle Busch in what's tied for the second closest finish in NASCAR history. He had just two other top-five finishes the rest of the season.

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39. No. 45 Dodge, Petty Enterprises

DRIVER: Kyle Petty

BORN: June 2, 1960

HOMETOWN: Randleman, N.C.

CREW CHIEF: Bill Wilburn

NOTES: These days, Petty seems to be at his best in the television booth or doing charity work, not behind the wheel. But Petty showed a flash of his remaining competitive fire - and his team's improving grasp of what it takes to run up front in today's NASCAR - with his third-place finish at the Coca-Cola 600 last season.

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40. No. 40 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

DRIVER: Dario Franchitti

BORN: May 19, 1973

HOMETOWN: Edinburgh, Scotland

CREW CHIEF: Steven Lane

NOTES: The reigning IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champion is one of four former open-wheelers moving to NASCAR this season. Will lean on teammate Juan Pablo Montoya to ease his transition, and the two teamed together to win the prestigious Rolex 24 sports-car race last month. Car doesn't have full sponsorship heading into the season.

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41. No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing

DRIVER: Joe Nemechek

BORN: Sept. 26, 1963

HOMETOWN: Lakeland, Fla.

CREW CHIEF: Jay Guy

NOTES: Nemechek found himself out of a ride after the hastily arranged Ginn Racing/Dale Earnhardt Inc. merger last season, but he helped the No. 78 team qualify for nine of the final 12 races of last season. Team will lean on Nemechek's qualifying skill without top-35 starting spot entitlement. Used that skill to make it into Daytona 500 on speed in pole qualifying.

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42. No. 00 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

DRIVER: David Reutimann

BORN: March 2, 1970

HOMETOWN: Zephyrhills, Fla.

CREW CHIEF: Bill Pappas

NOTES: Will drive car for first five races, then replace Dale Jarrett in the No. 44. Failed to qualify for 10 of 36 races last season and finished 39th in the points. Highest finish of 2007 was a 13th at Richmond in September. Qualified for Daytona 500 on speed in pole qualifying.

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43. No. 2 Dodge, Penske Racing

DRIVER: Kurt Busch

BORN: Aug. 4, 1978

HOMETOWN: Las Vegas

CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson

NOTES: After Tryson came on board last June, the team got rolling and Busch won two of three races in August. He lost momentum with finishes of 25th and 29th to start the Chase. Finished eighth in the final standings. Gave last year's points to new teammate Sam Hornish Jr. and used former champion's provisional to make Daytona field after an electrical problem cropped up in qualifying race.