Indy 500 set to fill the grid

Twenty-five drivers have been named to the 38 entries filed this year for the 33 spots available for the 2007 Indianapolis 500-Mile race, overcoming fears that the traditional 33-car grid won't be filled for the first time since 1928. The other 13 drivers are yet to be confirmed. For the second year in a row, no Champ Car teams entered cars for this year's race.

Of the 69 cars entered (including backup cars), Dallara leads Panoz 61 to 8 in the chassis manufacturers rivalry. All cars run Honda engines and Firestone tires. Andretti Green Racing entered no fewer than 10 cars, more than any other team.

Four past winners of the race are the highlights of the entry list for the 91st running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing". They are defending champion Sam Hornish Jr., Dan Wheldon (winner in 2005), Buddy Rice (2004) and Helio Castroneves (2001 and 2002).

An unprecedented number of three women filed entry forms. Alongside IndyCar regular Danica Patrick and returning veteran Sarah Fisher, glamorous sportscar driver Milka Duno of Venezuela will try to qualify for the 500. Duno is the only rookie confirmed at this moment.

With the IndyCar field averaging 17 cars, almost half of the grid of the Indianapolis 500-Mile race will be comprised of IndyCar non-regulars. Critics say that this year will be one of the weakest Indy 500 fields since the 1996 split between the two North American open-wheel championships. The calendar of rival series Champ Car is not clashing with the 500, but no team expressed its desire to field cars and none of their drivers are among the 25 names confirmed.

The 91st Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 27.