Indy 500: Way-too-early look at the 2024 entry list (plus a clear path to bumping)

With Christmas behind us, the focus is officially beginning to turn to 2024 -- and with that, the 2024 IndyCar season. The 108th running of the Indy 500 is now less than five months away, and the entry list is filling up.

There are already 27 drivers confirmed for the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Speedway, Indiana oval, and there are several other confirmed entries without drivers.

All things considered, there is a relatively clear path to more than 33 cars -- and thus more bumping for the third time in four years.

Let's have a look at the confirmed drivers for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing".

Way-too-early 2024 Indy 500 entry list

A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet
No. 41 - Sting Ray Robb

Andretti Global, Honda
No. 26 - Colton Herta
No. 27 - Kyle Kirkwood
No. 28 - Marcus Ericsson

Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet
No. 5 - Pato O'Ward
No. 6 - David Malukas
No. 7 - Alexander Rossi
No. 17 - Kyle Larson (R) (McLaren-Hendrick)

Chip Ganassi Racing, Honda
No. 8 - Linus Lundqvist (R)
No. 9 - Scott Dixon
No. 10 - Alex Palou
No. 11 - Marcus Armstrong (R)
No. TBD - Kyffin Simpson (R)

Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet
No. 20 - Ed Carpenter
No. 21 - Rinus VeeKay
No. TBD - Christian Rasmussen (R)

Juncos Hollinger Racing, Chevrolet
No. 77 - Romain Grosjean
No. 78 - Agustin Canapino

Meyer Shank Racing, Honda
No. 06 - Helio Castroneves
No. 60 - Felix Rosenqvist
No. 66 - Tom Blomqvist (R)

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Honda
No. 15 - Graham Rahal
No. 30 - Pietro Fittipaldi
No. 45 - Christian Lundgaard

Team Penske, Chevrolet
No. 2 - Josef Newgarden
No. 3 - Scott McLaughlin
No. 12 - Will Power

Then you have a small collection of confirmed entries that don't yet have confirmed drivers. Officially, three cars meet this criteria.

A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Chevrolet
No. 14 - Driver TBD

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Chevrolet
No. 23 - Driver TBD
No. 24 - Driver TBD

That brings the entry total to 30. Beyond that, you have Andretti Global likely adding a car for Marco Andretti again. Plus, there is still a two-car full-time team without any confirmed plans yet for 2024.

Andretti Global, Honda
No. 98 - Marco Andretti

Dale Coyne Racing, Honda
No. 18 - Driver TBD
No. 51 - Driver TBD

That alone brings the entry total to 33, and that's without speculating about any additional entries (which we could do day in and day out until May).

Even without Tony Kanaan coming out of retirement for a fifth straight farewell tour, the 108th running looks poised to see bumping.

We have already heard talks that Takuma Sato could be heading back to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, the team with which he won the race for a second time in 2020. They expanded to four cars in 2023, and it actually ended up costing Graham Rahal his spot, but they came on strong late in the season.

There is also a chance that Abel Motorsports will return for a second Indy 500 attempt, and you can't count out the possibility of a team such as A.J. Foyt Enterprises or Dale Coyne Racing running an extra car. Andretti Global at "only" four cars even seems somewhat modest.

Speaking of A.J. Foyt Enterprises, how can anybody justify not signing Santino Ferrucci -- even if for only this race? If Benjamin Pedersen ends up back at the team in 2024, that could leave last year's third place finisher without a ride.

Heck, maybe Team Penske should even run four cars for the first time since 2021 -- and an extra non-full-time entry for the first time since 2020. They are known to be high on Ferrucci, and for good reason.