IndyCar: 2021 Indy 500 entry list – The remaining unknowns

There are 31 confirmed entries with 30 confirmed drivers for this year’s Indy 500. What do we still not know about IndyCar’s greatest race?

Assuming the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” does end up taking place on its traditional Memorial Day Sunday May date this year, unlike last year when it was held in August for the first time ever due to coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions, the Indy 500 is under two and a half months away.

The entry list is already filling up, with 31 confirmed cars and 30 confirmed drivers thus far, including quite a few which have been confirmed since last month.

But what do we still not know about the 105th running of the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana?

Will there be bumping for the first time since 2019?

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Let’s speak briefly about what we don’t know yet. Everything beyond the current 31 confirmations is speculation, but it does look like we will see slightly more than 33 entries. As for the one confirmed cars without a confirmed driver, that is one of the two Dale Coyne Racing cars which is set to be fielded through their partnership with Rick Ware Racing.

The #51 Honda, which is a full-time car, is set to be driven by former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean, but only in the 13 road and street course races on the schedule and perhaps the oval race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, not the Indy 500 or either of the superspeedway races at Texas Motor Speedway. Pietro Fittipaldi is set to drive it in the four oval races, including the Indy 500.

The #52 Honda, which is a part-time car, is set to run the Indy 500 and perhaps a few other races throughout the year, but no drivers have been confirmed for this entry yet.

Now let’s get to the potential cars that haven’t yet been confirmed.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing should field their two usual entries as well, so that would make 33 entries.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing also usually run a third Indy 500 entry, so that would bring the entry list total to 34, which would mean a return to bumping for the first time since 2019 when Fernando Alonso and McLaren dramatically missed the race thanks to an epic Hail Mary effort from Kyle Kaiser and Juncos Racing.

Top Gun Racing, which have never competed in an IndyCar race, also plan to field a car in 2021 after backing out of last year’s race due to a lack of spectators, which would bring the entry list total to 35. RC Enerson would be their driver.

There was speculation about a fifth Team Penske car, but that has quieted down now that they are set to assist in the preparation of Paretta Autosport’s entry for Simona de Silvestro.

The speculation about a sixth Andretti Autosport entry has also quieted down as well, given the fact that they are running four full-time cars instead of five this year and Marco Andretti has been confirmed as their fifth driver whenever that entry is run.

NBC is set to broadcast the 105th running of the Indy 500 live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 30.