Four past winners and an unprecedented three female entries are among the highlights of the entry for this year's 91st Indianapolis 500, after the final submissions were received this week. source: crash.net The top eleven finishers from last year's close-fought race all return, headed by defending champion Sam Hornish Jr, who joins Dan Wheldon, Buddy Rice and Helio Castroneves among the former winners on the entry list. In all, 25 drivers have been named to the 38 entries filed for the 33 starting spots, but a total of 69 cars - including back-ups - are listed, inviting the usual rush of last-minute deals with drivers keen to get a crack at the blue riband event. Hornish will attempt to become the first repeat winner since current Team Penske team-mate Castroneves achieved the feat in 2001-02, while the Brazilian will be looking to join an elite club - numbering just eight members at present - by earning his third 500 victory. Wheldon and Rice both return aiming to double their number of victories, but with different teams to that with which they took their first - Wheldon now with Target Chip Ganassi racing having won with Andretti Green, and Rice attempting to take the unheralded Dreyer & Reinbold squad to Victory Lane having achieved his success with Rahal Letterman. The number of female entries will also catch the eye - in more ways than one - with 2005 rookie of the year Danica Patrick being joined by the ever-popular Sarah Fisher and Indycar novice Milka Duno. The previous highest female entry came when Fisher and Lyn St James contested in the 2000 Indianapolis 500. Among the late entries, Ryan Briscoe was named to drive the #12 Symantec-backed Dallara-Honda fielded by the little-known Luczo Dragon Racing run by Jay Penske, while Indy veteran Stephan Gregoire will drive the #77 Chastain Motorsports Panoz. Both drivers have back-up entries filed, unlike PJ Jones, who is listed with the #97 Direct/Diversified Team Leader Dallara fielded by Team Leader/Dollander Racing. Unfilled seats were also added to the entry among the submissions received after deadline day a week ago, with two-time IndyCar Series champion Panther Racing posting the #16 Dallara-Honda as its third entry, 1996 500 winner Hemelgarn Racing filing the #91 Dallara-Honda, and Cabbie Motorsports listing the #13 Panoz-Honda. Andretti Green Racing has the biggest entry listed, having entered ten cars, including back-ups for its five filled entries. Vision Racing has entered eight cars in the same manner. Dallara will provide 61 of the 69 listed cars, all of which will use the now ubiquitous Honda engines and Firestone tyres. The entry list is currently as follows: 2. Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing Dallara-Honda* 3. Helio Castroneves Team Penske Dallara-Honda* 4. Vitor Meira Delphi Panther Dallara-Honda* 5. Sarah Fisher Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara-Honda* 6. Sam Hornish Jr Team Penske Dallara-Honda* 7. Danica Patrick Motorola Andretti Green Dallara-Honda* 8. Scott Sharp Patrón Sharp Rahal Letterman Racing Dallara-Honda* 9. Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda* 10. Dan Wheldon Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda* 11. Tony Kanaan Team 7-Eleven Andretti Green Dallara-Honda 12. Ryan Briscoe Symantec Luczo Dragon Racing Dallara-Honda* 13. TBA Cabbie Motorsports Panoz-Honda 14. Darren Manning ABC Supply Co./AJ Foyt Racing Dallara-Honda* 15. Buddy Rice Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara-Honda* 16. TBA Panther Racing Dallara-Honda* 17. Jeff Simmons Rahal Letterman Racing Team Ethanol Dallara-Honda* 18. TBA PDM Racing Dallara-Honda* 19. Jon Herb Racing Professionals Dallara-Honda* 20. Ed Carpenter Vision Racing Dallara-Honda* 21. TBA Playa Del Racing Panoz-Honda* 22. AJ Foyt IV Vision Racing Dallara-Honda* 23. Milka Duno CITGO Racing/SAMAX Motorsport Dallara-Honda* 25. Marty Roth Roth Racing Dallara-Honda 26. Marco Andretti NYSE Group/Andretti Green Dallara-Honda* 27. Dario Franchitti Canadian Club/Andretti Green Dallara-Honda* 31. TBA Playa Del Racing Panoz-Honda 39. Michael Andretti Motorola/Jim Beam/Andretti Green Dallara-Honda* 41. TBA AJ Foyt Racing Dallara-Honda* 43. TBA CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports Dallara-Honda 50. TBA AJ Foyt Racing Dallara-Honda* 55. Kosuke Matsuura Panasonic Super Aguri Panther Dallara-Honda* 77. Stephan Gregoire Chastain Motorsports Panoz-Honda* 91. TBA Hemelgarn Racing Dallara-Honda 97. PJ Jones Direct/Diversified Team Leader 97 Dallara-Honda 98. TBA CURB Records/Beck Motorsports Dallara-Honda 99. TBA Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara-Honda* 02. TBA Vision Racing Dallara-Honda* TBA TBA Team Penske Dallara-Honda* [* denotes entry with back-up listed]
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