Silly Season update: Feb. 23

The short version
Confirmed/likely IRL returnees (16 full-time cars)
AGR (4): 7-Danica Patrick, 11-Tony Kanaan, 26-Marco Andretti, 27-Hideki Mutoh
D&R (1): 15-TBA, although Buddy Rice is the likely entry
Foyt (1): 14-Darren Manning
Ganassi (2): 9-Scott Dixon, 10-Dan Wheldon.
Panther (1): 4-Vitor Meira
Penske (2): 3-Helio Castroneves, 6-Ryan Briscoe
RLR (1): 17-Ryan Hunter-Reay
Roth (2): 25-Marty Roth, 76?-Jay Howard
Vision (2): 20-Ed Carpenter, 22-A.J. Foyt IV?
Champ Car teams (9 full-time cars)
Conquest (2): Franck Perera/Simon Pagenaud?
Newman/Haas/Lanigan (2): Justin Wilson, Graham Rahal
Pacific Coast (2): Alex Figge, David Martinez?
PKV (2): Alex Tagliani?, Oriol Servia?
Walker (1): Will Power?
Rumored/possible/potential entries (up to 7)
D&R (1): Second car
RLR (1): Second car (#8 car vacated by Scott Sharp)
Samax (1): 23-Mario Dominguez?
Coyne (1): Bruno Junqueira?
Forsythe (2): Paul Tracy, Franck Montagny?
Minardi USA (1): Robert Doornboos?
Part-time/Indy-only (listed in order of likelihood of happening)
Fisher (1): Sarah Fisher (officially trying to put sponsorship together, but at this late date, appears likely to be Indy-only or part-time)
Ganassi (1): Alex Lloyd (may be farmed out to another team)
Luczo Dragon (1): Tomas Scheckter (Indy/Kansas/Sonoma)
Rubicon (1): Max Papis?
Playa Del Racing (1-2): Al Unser III?
PDM Racing (1): Usually fields a car for Jimmy Kite at the 500. Plans to field an Indy entry this year. Is attempting to secure sponsorship.
Racing Professionals (1): Jon Herb
Greg Beck (1)
Additional cars from major teams for Indy: AGR (1); Vision (1)-possibly Davey Hamilton or John Andretti; Panther (1)-possibly John Andretti if no NASCAR conflicts.
Kingdom (1) (haven't heard anything from them)
D.B. Mann (1) (ditto)

Future teams
Cheever Racing ... the Aug. 28 IRL press release quotes Eddie's nephew Richard Antinucci as looking to get into the ICS (and get the team back into the ICS) long-term, if, of course, the $$ comes together.

Future races
The schedule will expand to 20+ races in 2009 most likely. Here are some candidates to be added to the docket.
Michigan International Speedway has mentioned they'd be interested in a return for 2009.
We've had speculation on New Hampshire Motor Speedway returning to the IRL for 2009 if it loses a Cup date, coming from NHMS themselves.
Several reports out of Toronto have stated the city's street race at Exhibition Place is a potential go for 2009.
The Mexico City race has been mentioned as a possible addition for either 2008 or 2009
NHL co-owner Mike Lanigan promotes street/airport events in Houston and Cleveland. Lanigan is hoping to get one or both races on the 2009 schedule.
Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama hosted an IRL test in the fall and its owner expressed hope of hosting an IRL race someday. With unification, it's unlikely to happen.
Other North American CC races that are not in the proposed 2008 schedule, but were on the CC docket: Mont-Tremblant (a 50/50 shot for '09, perhaps), Portland (goner, almost didn't make it in '08), Road America (track rental, but they seem to be interested in having another event), Laguna Seca (track rental, could make a merged schedule if Infineon ever drops off the list).