Indianapolis ? Bump Day is designed to solidify the Indianapolis 500’s starting grid, not fill it. This year, it might be different.

Twenty-four drivers qualified last weekend, and only nine more are expected to make attempts in the final round today. If all complete four laps, questions about bumping might be appropriate.

“Actually, I don’t think it will be as bad as people say,” Sarah Fisher predicted. “This year, we’re not as likely to have much bumping in the field.”

Fisher would be the first driver knocked out of the lineup if she remains the slowest qualifier once the starting grid is full. The four-lap average of the only woman in the field is 224.170 mph.

The addition of drivers Robby McGehee and Richie Hearn Friday appeared to keep at least one tradition intact. No race has been run with a short field since 1947.

“They start 33 cars here and I wanted to see a full field,” McGehee said. “I’m very, very lucky.”

The biggest names yet to make the race are Jimmy Vasser, who drives full-time in CART; Alex Barron, last year’s Indy 500 co-rookie of the year; Airton Dare, who finished eighth at Indy in 2001; and former polesitter Billy Boat.

If there are no other entries, the usually frantic charge to qualify won’t occur. But four-time Indy winner and team owner A.J. Foyt doesn’t expect it to be that simple.

Foyt’s grandson, A.J. Foyt IV, was the second-slowest qualifier last weekend. Two other Foyt drivers, Japan’s Shigeaki Hattori and Brazil’s Airton Dare, also will try to make the lineup today.

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see 40 cars try to make this race,” the elder Foyt said.

But if he’s wrong and any non-qualifiers have mechanical problems or crash, IRL officials could again face the prospect of fewer than 33 starters.

Two-time Indy winner Arie Luyendyk doesn’t believe a short field would necessarily be bad, however.

“I’ve been here when there were 15 good cars and the rest were not such good cars,” he said. “You could fill the spots with mom-and-pop type operations, but we don’t want that out here.”

Luyendyk was trying to make his 18th Indy start before back pain and lingering headaches from a crash in practice May 9 forced him to reconsider. Mo Nunn Racing then hired Barron.

One potential problem is a shortage of practice time.

McGehee and Hearn have yet to drive their cars this month, and Fisher has yet to drive her backup, which she would be forced to use if she has to requalify.

They were expected to be on the track Saturday, but were not among the only three to run before practice was canceled because of rain.

Barron ran five laps, the most of any driver.

Non-qualified cars will have 45 minutes to practice today before qualifying begins.