Sprint Cup cars hit the track today at Chicagoland Speedway, beginning the quest for 16 teams for the series title.
Four drivers will be eliminated after each three-race round, leaving only four drivers to vie for the title in Miami in November.
Here’s a look at those drivers and teams going for the championship.
KYLE BUSCH
Points: 2012
Wins: 4 (Martinsville I, Texas I, Kansas I, Indianapolis)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 10.0
Recent Chase history: 2015 champion. Eliminated in 2nd round in 2014
Notable: Has led more laps (1,244) than any other driver this season.
Crew chief: Adam Stevens (2nd Chase)
Pit crew: Josh Leslie (front tire changer), Brad Donaghy (front tire carrier), TJ Ford (jackman), Jake Seminara (rear tire changer), Kenny Barber (rear tire carrier), Tom Lampe (gas man).
BRAD KESELOWSKI
Points: 2012
Wins: 4 (Las Vegas, Talladega I, Daytona II, Kentucky)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 11.1
Recent Chase history: Missed championship round by 13 points in 2015. Missed championship round by eight points in 2014.
Notable: Has completed 99.32 percent of the 7,375 laps run this season, best among all drivers this season.
Crew chief: Paul Wolfe (5th Chase)
Pit crew: Hunter Masling (front tire changer), Jeremy Ogles (front tire carrier), Braxton Brannon (jackman), Kyle Power (rear tire changer), Tyler Mitchell (rear tire carrier), Nick Hensley (gas man)
DENNY HAMLIN
Points: 2009
Wins: 3 (Daytona 500, Watkins Glen, Richmond II)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 17.8
Recent Chase history: Eliminated in second round in 2015. Made it to championship round in 2014.
Notable: Has eight consecutive top-10 finishes, the longest streak in his career.
Crew chief: Mike Wheeler (1st Chase)
Pit crew: Dustin Necaise (front tire changer), Brandon Pegram (front tire carrier), Nate Bolling (jackman), Mike Hicks (rear tire changer), Heath Cherry (rear tire carrier), Caleb Hurd (gas man)
KEVIN HARVICK
Points: 2006
Wins: 2 Phoenix I, Bristol II)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 8.3
Recent Chase history: Reached championship race in 2015, finishing second. Won 2014 series title.
Notable: Has won twice in Chase when he had to do so to advance (Phoenix 2014 to make the final and Dover 2015 to advance to second round).
Crew chief: Rodney Childers (3rd Chase)
Pit crew: Eric Maycroft (front tire changer), Matt Holzbaur (front tire carrier), Stan Doolittle (jackman), Daniel Smith (rear tire changer), Mike Morneau (rear tire carrier), Justin White (gas man)
CARL EDWARDS
Points: 2006
Wins: 2 (Bristol I, Richmond I)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 15.9
Recent Chase history: Eliminated in the third round in 2015, missing championship round by five points. Eliminated in third round in 2014.
Notable: Last win in the Chase when he was eligible for the title was in 2010.
Crew chief: Dave Rogers (6th Chase)
Pit crew: Clay Robinson (front tire changer), Kevin Harris (front tire carrier), Trey Burklin (jackman), Kip Wolfmeir (rear tire changer), Matt Ver Meer (rear tire carrier), Kenneth Purcell (gas man)
MARTIN TRUEX JR.
Points: 2006
Wins: 2 (Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 11.4
Recent Chase history: Made it to the final round in 2015, finishing fourth.
Notable: Homestead-Miami Speedway is his best track with an average finish of 10.2.
Crew chief: Cole Pearn (2nd Chase)
Pit crew: Chris Taylor (front tire changer), Chris Hall (front tire carrier), Bailey Walker (jackman), Lee Cunningham (rear tire changer), Adam Mosher (rear tire carrier), Brian Dheel (gas man)
MATT KENSETH
Points: 2006
Wins: 2 (Dover I, New Hampshire I)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 8.6
Recent Chase history: Eliminated in second round of 2015 Chase and later suspended two races for wrecking Joey Logano at Martinsville. Eliminated in the third round in 2014.
Notable: Scored 271 points this season at the eight tracks that host Chase races, second only to Kevin Harvick’s total of 272 points.
Crew chief: Jason Ratcliff (4th Chase)
Pit crew: David Mayo (front tire changer), Joe Crossen (front tire carrier), David O’Dell (jackman), Adam Hartman (rear tire changer), Blake Haugland (rear tire carrier), John Eicher (gas man)
JIMMIE JOHNSON
Points: 2006
Wins: 2 (Atlanta, Auto Club Speedway)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 12.9
Recent Chase history: Eliminated in the first round of 2015 Chase. Eliminated in the second round of the 2014 Chase.
Notable: Has won 22.0 percent of the Chase races when he was eligible for the championship. His last such Chase win, though, came in 2013. He had a win each in the 2014 and ’15 playoffs after he had been eliminated from title contention.
Crew chief: Chad Knaus (13th Chase)
Pit crew: Kevin Novak (front tire changer), R.J. Barnette (front tire carrier), Kyle Tudor (jackman), Calvin Teague (rear tire changer), Ryan Patton (rear tire carrier), Brandon Harder (gas man)
JOEY LOGANO
Points: 2003
Wins: 1 (Michigan I)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 16.1
Recent Chase history: Eliminated in third round in 2015 Chase, unable to recover after being wrecked by Matt Kenseth at Martinsville. Made the championship round in 2014.
Notable: Has top-10 finishes in 12 of the last 14 races.
Crew chief: Todd Gordon (4th Chase)
Pit crew: Thomas Hatcher (front tire changer), Dylan Dowell (front tire carrier), Ray Gallahan (jackman), Zach Price (rear tire changer), Josh Chaney (rear tire carrier), Kellen Mills (gas man)
KYLE LARSON
Points: 2003
Wins: 1 (Michigan II)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 15.6
Recent Chase history: First Chase appearance
Notable: In five of the last seven races, he’s finished better than his average running position throughout the event, showing an ability to gain positions late in a race.
Crew chief: Chad Johnston (2nd Chase)
Pit crew: Steven Price (front tire changer), Aaron Schields (front tire carrier), Graham Molatch (jackman), Steven Tautges (rear tire changer), Art Simmons (rear tire carrier), Ed Watkins (gas man)
TONY STEWART
Points: 2003
Wins: 1 (Sonoma)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 15.6
Recent Chase history: First time competing in elimination-style Chase.
Notable: Ranks second on all-time Chase wins list with 11.
Crew chief: Mike Bugarewicz (1st Chase)
Pit crew: Ira Jo Hussey (front tire changer), Brett Morrell (front tire carrier), Getty Cavitt (jackman), Chris McMullen (rear tire changer), Josh Sobecki (rear tire carrier), James Keener (gas man)
KURT BUSCH
Points: 2003
Wins: 1 (Pocono I)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 9.0
Recent Chase history: Eliminated in the third round of 2015 Chase. Eliminated in the first round of the 2014 Chase.
Notable: Has the best average finish at the 1.5-mile tracks this season — 5.8 with three top-five finishes. Half of the 10 Chase races are at 1.5-mile tracks.
Crew chief: Tony Gibson (4th Chase)
Pit crew: Shane Pipala (front tire changer), Jon Bernal (front tire carrier), Sean Cotten (jackman), Coleman Dollarhide (rear tire changer), Dwayne Moore (rear tire carrier), Rick Pigeon (gas man)
CHRIS BUESCHER
Points: 2003
Wins: 1 (Pocono II)
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 29.5
Recent Chase history: First Chase appearance
Notable: First Chase appearance for Front Row Motorsports.
Crew chief: Bob Osborne (7th Chase)
Pit crew: Justin Rolfe (front tire changer), Kevin Richardson (front tire carrier), Richie Williams (jackman), Raphael Diaz (rear tire changer), Justin Kirby (rear tire carrier), Brett Reckert (gas man)
CHASE ELLIOTT
Points: 2000
Wins: 0
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 11.5
Recent Chase history: First Chase appearance
Notable: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has gone to the Chase with four different drivers. He had five Chase appearances with Jeff Gordon, two with Kyle Busch, one with Mark Martin and now one with Chase Elliott.
Crew chief: Alan Gustafson (9th Chase)
Pit crew: Nick O’Dell (front tire changer), Dion Williams (front tire carrier), John Gianninoto (jackman), Chad Avrit (rear tire changer), Jared Erspamer (rear tire carrier), Travis Gordon (gas man)
AUSTIN DILLON
Points: 2000
Wins: 0
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 12.4
Recent Chase history: First Chase appearance
Notable: This is crew chief Slugger Labbe’s second Chase appearance. His first was in 2005 with Jeremy Mayfield.
Crew chief: Slugger Labbe (2nd Chase)
Pit crew: Jason Pulver (front tire changer), Josh Shipplett (front tire carrier), Adam Lewis (jackman), Brian Bottlemy (rear tire changer), Brad Robison (rear tire carrier), Tyler Rader (gas man)
JAMIE McMURRAY
Points: 2000
Wins: 0
Avg. finish at Chase tracks this year: 16.0
Recent Chase history: Eliminated in the first round of the 2015 Chase on a tiebreaker.
Notable: Has three wins during the Chase (none when he was eligible for the championship) and those wins came at tracks in the second round, Charlotte and Talladega.
Crew chief: Matt McCall (2nd Chase)
Pit crew: Danny Kincaid (front tire changer), Ben Fetzer (front tire carrier), Shane Wilson (jackman), Mike Roberts (rear tire changer), PJ Briody (rear tire carrier), Mike Metcalf (gas man)