IndyCar Offseason Fix

It has been nearly two months since the last round of the 2012 Izod IndyCar season and a lot has already happened. But this is not another look at Randy Bernard's departure, it is a look at the drivers, teams and schedule and any other developments heading into 2013.

Silly Season
We already know the following:

• Andretti is keeping his three drivers, adding Carlos Munoz for Indianapolis.
• Dixon, Franchitti and Kimball are returning to Ganassi.
• Dragon is bringing back Legge and Bourdais.
• KV added Simona de Silvestro, who will team with Tony Kanaan.
• Panther is keeping Hildebrand, Fisher-Hartman is keeping Newgarden.
• Ed Carpenter is returning to Ed Carpenter Racing, which may add a second car.
• Schmidt-Hamilton and Pagenaud have a deal for 2013, with rumors of a second entry.
• Penske will have at least Castroneves and Power for 2013, third car will most likely be Briscoe or not happen at all.
• Foyt will enter Chase Austin for the Indianapolis, no news on the full-time entry

Listed above is 16 full-time entries, with two additional for Indianapolis. Other things we expect to happen:

• We expected Graham Rahal to join his father's team and RLL being a two car team with most likely Takuma Sato. 
• It appears Justin Wilson will return for Dale Coyne, no solid news yet on that second entry.
• Dreyer & Reinbold have not announced Oriol Servia is returning yet but he is expected to returned to the team.
• Rubens Barrichello is rumored to be heading to the second Schmidt-Hamilton entry. EJ Viso wants to start his own team in 2013. 
• HVM's future is hazy. They are reportedly stuck in their Lotus deal and cannot get a deal with another manufacture. Simona has left the team, taking the funding with her. The team announced to be competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship and American Le Mans Series in 2013.
• Bryan Herta Autosport has not announced their driver for 2013. They are expected to keep Alex Tagliani. 
• Mike Shank is still pursuing an IndyCar for 2013, after being shut out for 2012.

If we add two RLL, two DCR, a DRR, a second Schmidt-Hamilton, Viso's team and BHA, the number stands at twenty-four full-time entries, down one-two cars from last year. Other abstract rumors include Scuderia Coloni, an Italian GP2 team, leaving that series to run an IndyCar in 2013 and Newman-Haas Racing returning with two cars.

Schedule
While it appears to be set in stone, the 2013 schedule has been rumored to have a few additions. Before the departure of Randy Bernard their were constant reports of a race in Italy, at either Mugello, Imola or Monza, sometime in mid-September. The deal was also reported to be bringing Fiat into IndyCar.

There is a rumor of a group trying to save the Edmonton race.

Boward County, Florida is voting today, Tuesday November 13, to approve hotel-tax funds to help promote an IndyCar race on the streets of Fort Lauderdale. The race could happen as early as autumn 2013 and be an IndyCar-ALMS doubleheader. IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay resides in the Fort Lauderdale area.