Ganassi heads 'late' entries.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing was the biggest name among the first batch of Indianapolis 500 entries to arrive after the annual deadline, with PDM Racing and Playa Del Racing helping to take the confirmed field to 60 cars and 22 drivers.

Entries must have been postmarked by midnight on Wednesday [4 April], and more are expected to arrive in the mail over the next week, but, for now, all of the Indycar Series' major players have confirmed their involvement, with Ganassi joining Penske and Andretti Green on the list. To no-one's great surprise, Ganassi named 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon and Kiwi team-mat Scott Dixon as the drivers for its two entries, while no drivers were assigned to PDM's single entry and Playa Del Racing's two cars.

Wheldon will drive his regular #10 Dallara-Honda, with a similar back-up entered, as he attempts to add to three consecutive top-four finishes, including his victory in 2005. This year will mark the Briton's fifth attempt at the race, where he will be overseen by chief mechanic Dave Higuera. Wheldon is the fourth former winner of the 500 named to an entry this year, joining Helio Castroneves, Buddy Rice and Sam Hornish Jr.

Dixon, like Wheldon a former IRL series champion, will drive the #9 sister car, overseen by Ricky Davis, as he also attempts to make his fifth Indianapolis 500 start.

Veteran Indianapolis team PDM will field the #18 Dallara-Honda, but with a Panoz listed as back-up. Legendary Indycar builder AJ Watson is named as team manager.

Playa Del Racing, meanwhile, became the first team to enter a Panoz as its primary chassis - PDM and AJ Foyt Enterprises have both listed the US-built car as a back-up - for this year's race. The two entries are listed as #21 and #31, with Clark Drake named as chief mechanic for the former. David Morgan is the team manager for both entries.