The initial entry list for the Indianapolis 500 features a total of 40 cars set to fight for the 33 grid positions.
That tally is one more than the initial entry last year, despite the regular IndyCar Series field shrinking from 26 to 22 cars amid the financial downturn.
Several of the full-time teams are adding extra cars for Indy, with the highest-profile being Paul Tracy's return to the 500 with KV Racing. The team has also submitted a third entry for an unidentified driver to join Tracy and regular driver Mario Moraes.
Penske's No. 12 car will make what is currently its last scheduled appearance of 2009 with Will Power, who had to step down from the full-time No. 3 car when Helio Castroneves was acquitted in his tax evasion trial last weekend.
Although it has been unable to fund a full-season program, Rahal Letterman Racing will run one car for Indianapolis, with Roth Racing also making a comeback with a two-car Indy entry.
Former driver Bryan Herta's new Bryan Herta Autosport Indy Lights team is to attempt to make its IndyCar debut at the 500, running a single car in conjunction with Vision Racing.
Also running an additional car in collaboration with a well-known name is Dreyer & Reinbold, which is entering John Andretti in association with Richard Petty Motorsports. The D&R squad is set to bring four entries in total to Indianapolis, with Andretti, Davey Hamilton and one other – possibly Milka Duno – joining team regular Mike Conway.
Ganassi protege Alex Lloyd will make a second attempt at Indy, this time run by 500 regular and Indy Lights front-runner Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
Other teams adding additional cars for Indianapolis are Panther with former 500 pole-winner Scott Sharp, Conquest, A.J. Foyt Enterprises – where A.J. Foyt IV is returning after losing his Vision drive – and Dale Coyne Racing, while Hemelgarn Racing will make its usual Indy run and part-time owner/driver Sarah Fisher will enter a second car alongside her own.
Provisional Indianapolis 500 entry list:No Driver Team
2 Raphael Matos Luczo Dragon Racing
3 Helio Castroneves Team Penske
4 Dan Wheldon Panther Racing
5 Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology
6 Ryan Briscoe Team Penske
7 Danica Patrick Andretti Green Racing
8 TBA KV Racing Technology
9 Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing
10 Dario Franchitti Target Chip Ganassi Racing
11 Tony Kanaan Andretti Green Racing
12 Will Power Penske Racing
13 EJ Viso HVM Racing
14 Vitor Meira AJ Foyt Enterprises
15 Paul Tracy KV Racing Technology
16 Scott Sharp Panther Racing
17 TBA Rahal Letterman Racing
18 Justin Wilson Dale Coyne Racing
19 TBA Dale Coyne Racing
20 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing
21 Ryan Hunter-Reay Vision Racing
22 TBA Bryan Herta Autosport
23 TBA Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
24 Mike Conway Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
25 TBA Roth Racing
26 Marco Andretti Andretti Green Racing
27 Hideki Mutoh Andretti Green Racing
34 TBA Conquest Racing
36 TBA Conquest Racing
41 AJ Foyt IV AJ Foyt Enterprises
43 John Andretti Richard Petty Motorsports/Dreyer & Reinbold
44 Davey Hamilton Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
48 TBA AJ Foyt Enterprises
52 TBA Roth Racing
67 Sarah Fisher Sarah Fisher Racing
68 TBA Sarah Fisher Racing
91 TBA Hemelgarn Johnson
98 Stanton Barrett CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G
99 Alex Lloyd Chip Ganassi Racing/Sam Schmidt Motorsports
02 Graham Rahal Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
06 Robert Doornbos Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing