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A.J. ALLMENDINGER
Car: No. 44 Dodge
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
Sponsor: Valvoline
Born: Dec. 16, 1981
Hometown: Los Gatos, Calif.
Crew chief: Sammy Johns
Career: Two top-10s in 44 career starts
2008: Finished the season 36th (two top-10s)
Notes: Allmendinger has found a home after getting bounced by Red Bull late last year. He performed well during a five-race stint with what was then Gillett Evernham Motorsports late in the year and will run at least the first eight races for the newly merged team in 2009 while trying to get sponsorship for a full-year pickup.

ARIC ALMIROLA
Car: No. 8 Chevrolet
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Sponsors: Activision Guitar Hero and tba
Born: March 14, 1984
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Crew chief: Doug Randolph
Career: 1 top-10 in 18 starts
2008: Had 1 top-10 in 12 races for Dale Earnhardt Inc. last year while sharing a ride with Mark Martin.
Notes: Almirola has sponsorship only for Daytona 500, but team is hopeful they can find enough backing to run the entire season.
Web site: www.aricalmirola.com

MARCOS AMBROSE
Car: No. 47 Toyota
Team: JTG Daugherty Racing
Sponsors: Little Debbie, Clorox, Kingsford Charcoal, Bush's Baked Beans
Born: Sept. 1, 1976
Hometown: Launceston, Australia
Crew chief: Frank Kerr
Career: 11 Cup starts; 1 win (Watkins Glen in 2008) in 70 Nationwide starts.
2008: One top-5 in 11 races last season.
Notes: The laid back Ambrose finished 10th in the Nationwide Series a year ago. He would be the first Australian to run in the Daytona 500. His Cup team is aligned with Michael Waltrip Racing.
Web site: www.marcosambrose.com

JOHN ANDRETTI
Car: No. 34 Chevrolet
Team: Front Row Motorsports
Sponsors: Window World and tba
Born: March 12, 1963
Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.
Crew chief: TBA
Career: 2 wins in 358 career starts. His last win, at the 1999 spring race at Martinsville, was the last time the No. 43 has been in victory lane.
2008: Attempted 10 races but ran in only three.
Notes: Andretti and Front Row Motorsports are a late addition to 2009 after reaching a deal with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing that will let Andretti take a shot at Daytona with owner points from a former EGR entry as well as crew borrowed from that recently merged team.

GREG BIFFLE
Car: No. 16 Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Sponsors: 3M, DISH Network
Born: Dec. 23, 1969
Hometown: Vancouver, Wash.
Crew chief: Greg Erwin
Career: 14 wins in 222 starts. Made Chase in 2005 (finished 2nd) and 2008 (3rd).
2008: Two wins (at New Hampshire and Dover in back-to-back races during the Chase) and 17 top-10s. Finished third overall.
Notes: Has signed a three-year contract extension with Roush Fenway team.
Web site: www.gregbiffle.com

DAVE BLANEY
Car: No. 66 Toyota
Team: Prism Motorsports
Sponsors: Window World and tba
Born: Oct. 24, 1962
Hometown: Hartford, Ohio
Crew chief: Bill Henderson
Career: Winless in 303 career starts
2008: 30th in points for Bill Davis Racing
Notes: The much-traveled Cup veteran will pilot this newly formed team. Two-time Cup champion Terry Labonte will try to qualify this car for the Daytona 500.

CLINT BOWYER
Car: No. 33 Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Sponsors: General Mills/Cheerios, BB&T
Born: May 30, 1979
Hometown: Emporia, Kan.
Crew chief: Shane Wilson
Career: Two wins and 45 top-10s in 109 Cup starts; made the Chase in 2007 and 2008.
2008: 1 win and 17 top-10s; finished fifth overall. Also won the Nationwide season championship.
Notes: After finishing third and fifth in the points in RCR's No. 07 car the last two years, Bowyer moves to the No. 33 to make room for the team's new fourth entry, Casey Mears. Bowyer gets an all-new crew and crew chief as he tries to build on last year. Bowyer will run only part-time Nationwide schedule after winning championship in 2008.
Web site: www.clintbowyer.com

JEFF BURTON
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Sponsors: Caterpillar, Lenox Industrial Tools, Prilosec
Born: June 29, 1967
Hometown: South Boston, Va.
Crew chief: Scott Miller
Career: 21 wins and 212 top-10s in 511 starts; has made the Chase in each of the past three seasons.
2008: Two wins, 18 top-10s and an overall sixth-place finish.
Notes: Longtime Cup star had solid season in 2008, and his sixth-place season finish was his best showing since finishing third in 2000. Along with teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, Burton goes into 2009 as a title contender.
Web site: www.jeffburton.com

KURT BUSCH
Car: No. 2 Dodge
Team: Penske Racing
Sponsor: Miller Lite
Born: Aug. 4, 1978
Hometown: Las Vegas
Crew chief: Pat Tryson
Career: 2004 champion. Made Chase in 2004, 2005 and 2007. 18 wins in 292 starts.
2008: One win and a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500. But he failed to finish five races and finished 18th overall.
Notes: Busch ran his string of seasons with at least one victory to seven with a rain-shortened win at New Hampshire. Otherwise, last season was disappointing as Busch failed to make the Chase for only the second time since the postseason competition was initiated.
Web site: www.kurtbusch.com

KYLE BUSCH
Car: No. 18 Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Sponsors: M&M's, Snickers, Pedigree, Combos, Interstate Batteries
Born: May 2, 1985
Hometown: Las Vegas
Crew chief: Steve Addington
Career: 12 wins and 72 top-10s in 150 Cup starts. Made Chase in 2006, 2007 and 2008, with a best finish of fifth in 2007.
2008: Eight wins and 21 top-10s. He led the standings going into the Chase but stumbled and wound up 10th.
Notes: The younger brother of Kurt Busch had 21 victories (8 in Cup, 10 in Nationwide and 3 in Trucks) in 2008 in his first season with a new team (Joe Gibbs Racing) and manufacturer (Toyota).
Web site: www.kylebusch.com

DERRIKE COPE
Car: No. 75 Dodge
Team: Cope-Keller Racing
Sponsors: Blu Frog Energy Drink and tba
Born: Nov. 3, 1958
Hometown: Spanaway, Wash.
Crew chief: Rich Markle
Career: Two wins in 408 starts dating back to 1982.
2008: No results; his last Cup start was the fall 2006 race at Talladega.
Notes: The 1990 Daytona 500 champion will give it another shot at Sprint Cup after failing to qualify for a race last year. He plans to run a part-time schedule in 2009.
Web site: www.derrikecope.com (fan page)

DALE EARNHARDT JR.
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Sponsors: Mountain Dew, AMP Energy Drink, Army National Guard
Born: October 10, 1974
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Crew chief: Tony Eury Jr.
Career: 18 wins and 137 top-10s in 327 career starts
2008: One win and 16 top-10s; qualified for the Chase but faded to 12th.
Notes: NASCAR's most popular driver didn't really make the impact he wanted during his first year on the circuit's most powerful team. Earnhardt won just one race when he used a little bit of luck to win at Michigan in the summer with fuel strategy. But he has won only three times in the last four years and will need to develop better chemistry with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. to have any hope of catching up to teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
Web site: www.dalejr.com

CARL EDWARDS
Car: No. 99 Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Sponsors: Aflac, Subway, Claritin
Born: August 15, 1979
Hometown: Columbia, Mo.
Crew chief: Bob Osborne
Career: 16 wins and 85 top-10s in 157 career starts
2008: Nine wins and 27 top-10s (season highs in both); made Chase for third time in four years and finished second overall.
Notes: Will this be the year Edwards finally breaks through? He put together a dazzling stretch run during the Chase last fall by winning three of the last four races. He should be right there again in 2009.
Web site: www.carledwards.com

BILL ELLIOTT
Car: No. 21 Ford
Team: Wood Brothers Racing
Sponsor: Motorcraft
Born: Oct. 8, 1955
Hometown: Dawsonville, Ga.
Crew chief: David Hyder
Career: 44 wins and one Cup title (1988). His 796 starts ranks seventh all-time.
2008: No top-10s in 20 races for the Wood Brothers.
Notes: The Wood Brothers, one of NASCAR's pioneer organizations, has announced it will cut back to a 12-race schedule. Elliott is set to drive eight of those races.
Web site: www.billelliott.com

JEFF GORDON
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Sponsors: DuPont Finishes, Pepsi, National Guard
Born: August 4, 1971
Hometown: Pittsboro, Ind.
Crew chief: Steve Letarte
Career: Four Cup championships (1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001) with 336 top-10s in 545 career starts. Has made the Chase in each of the past three years. Gordon's 81 wins ranks first among active drivers and sixth all-time.
2008: 19 top-10s and seventh overall, but his first winless season since his rookie year of 1993.
Notes: Last season would have been a great season for a lot of teams, but crew chief Letarte was the subject of criticism by some. His driver remained supportive and insists the team can contend for a title in 2009.
Web site: www.jeffgordon.com

ROBBY GORDON
Car: No. 7 Toyota
Team: Robby Gordon Motorsports
Sponsors: Jim Beam, Menard's
Born: Jan. 2, 1969
Hometown: Cerritos, Calif.
Crew chief: Kirk Almquist
Career: 3 wins in 306 starts; his last win was at Watkins Glen in 2003.
2008: 33rd in points with 3 top-10s, but was especially strong in restrictor-plate events.
Notes: Entering his fifth season as an owner/driver, Gordon is switching from Dodge to Toyota for 2009. He also races in off-road events and is coming off a third-place overall finish in the Dakar Rally.
Web site: www.robbygordon.com

DENNY HAMLIN
Car: No. 11 Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Sponsor: FedEx
Born: Nov. 18, 1980
Hometown: Chesterfield, Va.
Crew chief: Mike Ford
Career: 4 wins in 115 starts; made Chase in each of the past 3 seasons with a best finish of third in 2006.
2008: Eighth in the Chase after Gibbs switched from Chevrolet to Toyota. Matched his 2007 season totals of one win, one pole, 12 top-fives and 18 top-10s.
Notes: With former teammate Tony Stewart gone from JGR, the 28-year-old Hamlin is now the leader of the youngest team in Cup.
Web site: www.dennyhamlin.com

KEVIN HARVICK
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Sponsors: Shell/Pennzoil, Reese's/Hershey Foods
Born: Dec. 8, 1975
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
Crew chief: Todd Berrier
Career: 11 wins and 120 top 10s in 286 Cup starts; won Nationwide titles in 2001 and 2006.
2008: No wins and 19 top-10s; made the Chase for the third straight time and finished fourth overall.
Notes: Harvick is coming off his first winless season since 2004, but matched his career-best points finish of fourth in 2008. His most recent victory came at the 2007 Daytona 500.
Web site: www.kevinharvick.com

SAM HORNISH JR.
Car: No. 77 Dodge
Team: Penske Racing
Sponsors: Mobil 1, Penske Trucking, AAA/Auto Club
Born: July 2, 1979
Hometown: Defiance, Ohio
Crew chief: Travis Geisler
Career: No wins in 36 career starts
2008: 35th in points, with no finish higher than 14th.
Notes: The former Indy 500 winner and three-time IndyCar Series champion had a tough first season in Cup.
Web site: www.samhornish.com

JIMMIE JOHNSON
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Sponsors: Lowe's Home Improvement, Kobalt Tools
Born: September 17, 1975
Hometown: El Cajon, Calif.
Crew chief: Chad Knaus
Career: Three Cup titles (2006-08), 40 wins, 156 top-10s in 255 starts.
2008: Won his third straight championship (7 wins, 22 top-10s)
Notes: Four-peat anybody? Captain Cool will try and make history this season by becoming the first driver to win four straight championships. The way Johnson easily handled the pressure to match Cale Yarborough's mark of three consecutive titles — driving almost flawlessly during the Chase despite a late charge by Carl Edwards — it'd be foolish to bet against him.
Web site: www.lowesracing.com

KASEY KAHNE
Car: No. 9 Dodge
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
Sponsor: Budweiser
Born: April 10, 1980
Hometown: Enumclaw, Wash.
Crew chief: Kenny Francis
Career: 9 wins in 180 starts; made Chase and finished 8th overall in 2006.
2008: Two wins (Charlotte in May and Pocono in June) and 14th overall for Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
Notes: The popular young driver bounced back after a winless 2007 to win two points races and the NASCAR All-Star event in a four-week midseason stretch last season. But he came up short of the Chase for the second straight year.
Web site: www.kaseykahne.com

MATT KENSETH
Car: No. 17 Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Born: March 10, 1972
Sponsors: DeWalt Tools, R&L Carriers, Carhartt, USG, DISH Network
Hometown: Cambridge, Wis.
Crew chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Career: 16 wins in 328 starts. Cup champion in 2003. The only driver other than Jimmie Johnson to make the Chase in all five seasons.
2008: No wins and 20 top-10s. Finished 11th overall.
Notes: Failed to win a Cup race for the first time since 2001, but kept alive his streak of making the Chase field every year since the new format began in 2004. Kenseth gets a new crew chief for second straight year, with Chip Bolin returning to engineering side at Roush Fenway.
Web site: www.mattkenseth.com

BRAD KESELOWSKI
Car: No. 09 Chevrolet
Team: Phoenix Racing
Sponsor: Miccosukee Indian Gaming
Born: Feb. 12, 1984
Hometown: Rochester Hills, Mich.
Crew chief: TBA
2008: Made Cup debut in that car late last year and finished 19th at Texas and 23rd at Homestead.
Notes: Dale Earnhardt Jr. discovery ran first full season in Nationwide in 2008 and won two races and finished third in the points for JR Motorsports. In 2009, he will run 10 Cup races, including Daytona, for team owner James Finch, with engines and chassis from Hendrick Motorsports. Keselowski also is scheduled to run seven more races in Hendrick's No. 25.
Web site: www.bradracing.com

TRAVIS KVAPIL
Car: No. 28 Ford
Team: Yates Racing
Sponsors: Golden Corral and tba
Born: March 1, 1976
Hometown: Janesville, Wis.
Crew chief: Ben Leslie
Career: Winless in 106 career Cup starts; won the 2003 Truck Series title.
2008: 4 top-10s; finished 23rd overall
Notes: After Yates allied itself with Hall of Fame Racing over the winter, Kvapil gave up the No. 28 owner points to new teammate Paul Menard and will have to qualify on speed. Going into Daytona, Kvapil only has sponsorship for the first five races. He gets new crew chief in Ben Leslie, who has worked for Ford for last several years as NASCAR field manager.
Web site: www.traviskvapil.com

BOBBY LABONTE
Car: No. 96 Ford
Team: Hall of Fame Racing
Sponsors: Ask.com, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Texas Instruments/DLP
Born: May 8, 1964
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas
Crew chief: Todd Parrott
Career: 21 wins and one title (2000) in 546 starts
2008: Two top-10s, 21st in points
Notes: Labonte makes the jump to Hall of Fame after spending the last three years at Petty Enterprises. He hasn't won since 2003 and hasn't finished better than 12th in points since 2004.
Web site: www.bobbylabonte.com

JOEY LOGANO
Car: No. 20 Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Sponsor: Home Depot
Born: May 24, 1990
Hometown: Middletown, Conn.
Crew chief: Greg Zipadelli
Career: Rookie season
2008: Made 3 races. Best finish was 32nd at New Hampshire in September.
Notes: Wunderkind replaces two-time champion Tony Stewart, who has moved on to his own team. Much-anticipated Logano made his NASCAR debut in the Nationwide Series last May after turning 18 and got his first win in his third start. Finished 20th in Nationwide points despite running only 19 of 35 races. Logano will be the youngest driver in the history of the Daytona 500.
Web site: www.joeylogano.com

MARK MARTIN
Car: No. 5 Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Sponsors: Carquest, Kellogg's, Cheez-It
Born: Jan. 9, 1959
Hometown: Batesville, Ark.
Crew chief: Alan Gustafson
Career: 35 wins in 722 starts since 1981. Finished second in the standings four times (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002) and made the Chase in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
2008: 28th in points. Had 11 top-10s in 24 races for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Notes: At 50 years old, Martin joins old friend Rick Hendrick. Martin plans to run the full season after two years of a part-time schedule for Bobby Ginn and Dale Earnhardt Inc. and attempt to win his first Cup championship. He will not only be the oldest regular in Cup, but also among the fittest.

JEREMY MAYFIELD
Car: No. 41 Toyota
Team: Mayfield Motorsports
Sponsor: All Sport Big Red Soda
Born: May 27, 1969
Hometown: Owensboro, Ky.
Crew chief: Tony Furr
Career: Five wins in 428 career starts; made the Chase in 2004 and 2005 while driving for Evernham Motorsports.
2008: One top-25 finish in only eight starts.
Notes: Mayfield returns to Cup as co-owner and driver for his own team after running a handful of races last season. He hopes to run full a Cup season for first time since 2005.
Web site: www.jeremymayfield.com

JAMIE MCMURRAY
Car: No. 26 Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Sponsors: Crown Royal, Irwin Tools
Born: June 3, 1976
Hometown: Joplin, Mo.
Crew chief: Donnie Wingo
Career: Two wins in 222 starts
2008: No wins and 11 top-10s; 16th overall.
Notes: Considered a driver with great potential, McMurray is entering his fourth season with Roush Fenway team and seventh full season in Cup. He is still looking for first Chase berth. He will start the season with new crew chief as Donnie Wingo moves to Roush from Chip Ganassi Racing.
Web site: www.jamiemcmurray.com

CASEY MEARS
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Sponsor: Jack Daniel's
Born: March 12, 1978
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
Crew chief: Gil Martin
Career: One win in 216 Cup starts
2008: Finished 20th in the No. 25 car for Hendrick Motorsports.
Notes: Mears becomes RCR's fourth Cup driver and is taking over the car driven into the Chase last year by Clint Bowyer, who moves to RCR's new No. 33. In six full seasons in Cup, Mears has 12 top-fives, including a victory at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600. Mears is the Nephew of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears.
Web site: www.mearsgang.com

PAUL MENARD
Car: No. 98 Ford
Team: Yates Racing
Sponsor: Menard's
Born: Aug. 21, 1980
Hometown: Eau Claire, Wisc.
Crew chief: Larry Carter
Career: Two top-10s in 75 starts.
2008: Got his first career top five; finished 26th in points
Notes: Menard moves to Yates Racing after spending most of his career driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. He gets a full-season ride and inherits the owner points from Travis Kvapil's No. 28 ride last year.
Web site: www.teammenard.com

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
Car: No. 42 Chevrolet
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Sponsors: Target, Big Red/Juicy Fruit Gum/Wrigley
Born: Sept. 20, 1975
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Crew chief: Brian Pattie
Career: 1 win and nine top-10s in 73 starts
2008: No wins and three top-10s; finished 25th overall.
Notes: Montoya took a small step backward during his second Cup season when he fell from 20th to 25th in points. He needs to expand his expertise beyond the road courses.
Web site: www.jpmontoya.com

JOE NEMECHEK
Car: No. 87 Toyota
Team: NEMCO Motorsports
Sponsor: None
Born: Sept. 26, 1963
Hometown: Lakeland, Fla.
Crew chief: Philippe Lopez
Career: 4 wins in 490 career starts.
2008: 37th overall (no top 10s) with Furniture Row Racing
Notes: The veteran driver goes to work for himself. He's hoping a strong performance at Daytona will help him secure sponsorship for the full season.
Web site: www.joenemechek.com

RYAN NEWMAN
Car: No. 39 Chevrolet
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
Sponsors: U.S. Army, tba
Born: Dec. 8, 1977
Hometown: South Bend, Ind.
Crew chief: Tony Gibson
Career: 13 wins in 260 career starts; made Chase in 2004 and 2005
2008: 17th in points (1 win, 8 top 10s) in the No. 12 Penske Racing car.
Notes: The defending Daytona 500 champ left Roger Penske's operation to join fellow Hoosier Tony Stewart at the new Stewart-Haas team. Managed just two top-10s over the second half of the season and was hardly teary-eyed at moving on.
Web site: www.ryannewman.org

MAX PAPIS
Car: No. 13 Toyota
Team: Germain Racing
Sponsor: GEICO
Born: Oct. 3, 1969
Hometown: Como, Italy
Crew chief: Randy Goss
Career: Has 11 career starts in NASCAR's three top series.
2008: Ran both road-course races for Haas-CNC Racing.
Notes: The Italian driver will try 18 Cup races in 2009. His racing resume includes three wins in the now-defunct Champ Car series and a brief stint in Formula One.
Web site: www.maxpapis.com

DAVID RAGAN
Car: No. 6 Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Sponsor: UPS
Born: Dec. 24, 1985
Hometown: Unadilla, Ga.
Crew chief: Jimmy Fennig
Career: No wins and 17 top-10s in 74 career starts.
2008: 13th in points with 6 top-fives and 14 top-10s
Notes: Matched his career best by finishing third in the second races at Michigan and Talladega last year.
Web site: www.davidragan.com

DAVID REUTIMANN
Car: No. 00 Toyota
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Sponsor: Aaron Rents
Born: March 2, 1970
Hometown: Zephyrhills, Fla.
Crew chief: Rodney Childers
Career: No wins and 4 top-10 finishes in 63 races.
2008: Finished 22nd overall in his first full Cup season for Michael Waltrip Racing after opening the season in the No. 00 car, then replacing Dale Jarrett in the No. 44.
Notes: Had 3 top-10 finishes in the final 12 races of 2008. Finished seventh in the Nationwide Series last year, but plans only part-time schedule there in 2009.

SCOTT RIGGS
Car: No. 36 Toyota
Team: Tommy Baldwin Racing
Sponsors: None
Born: Jan. 1, 1971
Hometown: Bahama, N.C.
Crew chief: Tommy Baldwin
Career: No wins in 167 Cup starts.
2008: Finished 31st overall in the No. 66 Haas CNC Racing
Notes: Riggs joins fledgling Tommy Baldwin Racing with hopes of running a full schedule in 2009.
Web site: www.scottriggs.com

ELLIOTT SADLER
Car: No. 19 Dodge
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
Sponsors: Best Buy, Stanley Tools
Born: April 30, 1975
Hometown: Emporia, Va.
Crew chief: Kevin Buskirk
Career: 3 wins and 63 top-10s in 357 starts. His last win was in 2004 (Sept. 5, 2004 at California Speedway).
2008: No wins and 8 top-10s with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
Notes: Sadler is coming off a mediocre season and tumultuous off-season in which he lost his ride and then regained it with the newly merged RPM team.
Web site: www.elliottsadler.com

KIRK SHELMERDINE
Car: No. 27 Toyota
Team: Kirk Shelmerdine Racing
Sponsors: None
Born: March 8, 1958
Hometown: Winston-Salem
Crew chief: Phil Harris
Career: No wins in 26 Cup starts dating back to 1981.
2008: Had one Nationwide start.
Notes: Dale Earnhardt's former crew chief hasn't raced at the Cup level since 2006 after failing to qualify in all three events he entered last season. The driver-owned team bought some Toyotas from the now-defunct Bill Davis Racing and plans to attempt every race this season.

MIKE SKINNER
Car: No. 23 Chevrolet
Team: R3 Motorsports
Sponsors: Mahindra Tractors and tba
Born: June 28, 1957
Hometown: Ontario, Calif.
Crew chief: Slugger Labbe
Career: Winless in 256 Cup starts; won the Truck Series title in 1995.
2008: No top 10s in 11 Cup starts for three teams.
Notes: Skinner is scheduled to run at least the first five races of the season for Rob Fuller's team. Two-time Daytona pole winner last started in the 500 in 2005. He plans to run a full Truck Series schedule this year.
Web site: www.mikeskinner.com

REGAN SMITH
Car: No. 78 Chevrolet
Team: Furniture Row Racing
Sponsor: Furniture Row
Born: Sept. 23, 1983
Hometown: Cato, N.Y.
Crew chief: Jay Guy
Career: Winless in 41 career starts
2008: 34th overall (no top 10s) and was 2008 Rookie of the Year with Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Notes: The 25-year-old Smith takes over for Joe Nemechek after moving over from the No. 01 DEI car for DEI. He's still looking for his first top-10 in Cup. Team plans to run a limited schedule in 2009.
Web site: www.regansmith.com

REED SORENSON
Car: No. 43 Dodge
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
Sponsors: U.S. Air Force, PVA.org, Valvoline, McDonalds, Super 8
Born: Feb. 5, 1986
Hometown: Peachtree City, Ga.
Crew chief: Mike Shiplett
Career: 13 top-10s in 109 career starts over three full-time seasons.
2008: Two top-10s and a 32nd-place season finish in the No. 41 Ganassi Racing car.
Notes: Sorenson moves to Richard Petty Motorsports after spending the first four years of his career with Chip Ganassi. He is considered one of the young guns on the circuit.
Web site: www.reedsorensononline.com

SCOTT SPEED
Car: No. 82 Toyota
Team: Red Bull Racing
Sponsor: Red Bull
Born: January 4, 1983
Hometown: Manteca, Calif.
Crew chief: Jimmy Elledge
Career: Five career Cup starts
2008: Won one Truck Series race (Dover) in 2008.
Notes: The former Formula One regular has been a darling of Red Bull Racing for years, and the team had no problem letting A.J. Allmendinger go to open up a spot for the brash Speed. Now it's time to see if his open-wheel skills can translate into NASCAR. The 26-year-old says he wants to avoid the drama, but given his temperament — he put an opponent into the wall on purpose during an ARCA race last year — who knows how long that will last?
Web site: www.scottspeed.com

TONY STEWART
Car: No. 14 Chevrolet
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
Sponsors: Office Depot, Old Spice, Burger King
Born: May 20, 1971
Hometown: Columbus, Ind.
Crew chief: Darian Grubb
Career: Two Cup championships (2002 and 2005) and 33 wins in 356 starts. Has made the Chase in four of five seasons.
2008: One win, 16 top-10s and a ninth-place season finish in his final season with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Notes: Stewart will race for his own team this season after taking over what was the Haas CNC team. He hired engineer Darian Grubb away from Hendrick Motorsports and brought Ryan Newman in as his teammate.
Web site: www.tonystewart.com/

DAVID STREMME
Car: No. 12 Dodge
Team: Penske Racing
Sponsor: Verizon
Born: June 19, 1977
Hometown: South Bend, Ind.
Crew chief: Roy McCauley
Career: Three top-10s in 75 starts.
2008: One Cup start; finished 11th overall in the Nationwide Series
Notes: Back in Cup full-time after losing his ride with Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of 2007 season. Replaces longtime Penske driver Ryan Newman after working with the team last year as a test driver.
Web site: www.davidstremme.com

MARTIN TRUEX JR.
Car: No. 1 Chevrolet
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Activision
Born: June 29, 1980
Hometown: Mayetta, N.J.
Crew chief: Kevin "Bono" Manion
Career: 1 win (June 4, 2007 at Dover) in 117 career starts
2008: 11 top-10s and 15th overall for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Notes: Truex Jr. had disappointing season in 2008 after getting first Cup victory and making the field for the Chase the previous year. He had just 3 top-fives, including a fourth-place in the summer race at New Hampshire.
Web site: www.martintruexjr.com

BRIAN VICKERS
Car: No. 83 Toyota
Team: Red Bull Racing
Sponsor: Red Bull Energy Drink
Born: October 24, 1983
Hometown: Thomasville, N.C.
Crew chief: Ryan Pemberton
Career: One Cup win in 172 starts.
2008: 19th overall (6 top-10s)
Notes: Vickers should make for an interesting combination with new teammate Scott Speed, a brash former open-wheel driver. Gets a new crew chief in Pemberton, who comes over from Michael Waltrip Racing.
Web site: www.brianvickers.com

MICHAEL WALTRIP
Car: No. 55 Toyota
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Sponsor: NAPA Auto Parts
Born: April 30, 1963
Hometown: Owensboro, Ky.
Crew chief: Robert "Booty" Barker
Career: Four wins (including the 2001 and 2003 Daytona 500s) in 725 career starts
2008: Two top-10s and 29th overall.
Notes: Is this the year two-time Daytona 500 winner Waltrip finally gets his Toyota program going? While 2008 wasn't nearly as disastrous as 2007 — he climbed from 44th to 29th in the season standings — Waltrip's team couldn't seem to find the formula that Joe Gibbs Racing enjoyed after making the switch to Toyota.
Web site: www.michaelwaltrip.com

Sources: Associated Press, Jayski.com, NASCAR.com, racing-reference.info