The five drivers who have the best chance of winning

Here's a look at the five drivers who have the best chance to be swigging milk in Victory Lane after winning the Indy 500 on Sunday afternoon at the Brickyard.

1. Sam Hornish Jr.

Sam Hornish Jr. has more than just a passing familiarity with Indy. Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images

While growing up in nearby Defiance, Ohio, Hornish frequently traveled to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He knows the storied history of Indy better than any other driver, which is one reason why he desperately wants to win on Sunday. Hornish, who took the checkered flag in the 500 last year, can become just the sixth driver to win back-to-back Borg-Warner trophies. He qualified fifth -- a good, not great, starting position -- but should be in the hunt late because he's the Jeff Gordon of the IRL in that he makes fewer mistakes than anyone else in the series.

Plus, there's this: Hornish has yet to show his top speed. He begrudgingly told me as much on Thursday and so did his owner Roger Penske, whose drivers have won this race in four of the last six years. Hornish is my pick.

2. Tony Kanaan

In a poll of about 20 drivers that I took on Thursday, Kanaan was the landslide pick to win the race. Last year, his Andretti-Green Racing team was down on speed, but that won't be an issue on Sunday. Kanaan qualified second and he's been consistently near the top of the speed charts during May.

Kanaan has never reached Victory Lane at Indy, but he's been close. He finished second in 2004 and third in '03, which explains why there's a feeling in the paddock that he's due.

One thing to keep an eye on is Kanaan's rift with Helio Castroneves. The two grew up racing together in Brazil and, until recently, were the closest of friends. But after an on-track incident at Chicago last year, they haven't spoken. So don't expect a lot of give-and-take whenever they get close together on Sunday.

3. Helio Castroneves

There are three reasons Castroneves may very well be scaling the fence -- his trademark celebration -- on Sunday: He'll be starting from the pole, he's won this race twice, and he drives for Penske. I sat next to Penske at dinner on Thursday night in downtown Indy, and right now he's on top of the racing world. For the first time in his long career in motorsports, Penske has the pole at both Indy and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, where Ryan Newman snagged it on Thursday. As it is in stick-and-ball sports, momentum is a very powerful force in racing, and no one has more of it than Penske, which should play in Castroneves' and Hornish's favor on Sunday.

4. Dan Wheldon

Heading into May, Wheldon was considered the favorite to win the 500. He's raced to Victory Lane in two of the four IRL events this season and displayed more consistent speed than any other driver. But the 2005 Indy winner hasn't dazzled the field as expected (or he's been holding back in practice). Still, expect him to be in the mix as the laps wind down.

5. Danica Patrick

Danica is the wildcard. I hung out with her on Thursday afternoon in the Andretti-Green Racing hospitality tent, and in her mind -- as well as mine -- it's no longer a matter of if she can win a race, but when. She has a legitimate chance on Sunday. Patrick was at the top of the speed chart as recently as last week and it's clear that she's never had a car this fast at Indy before. Plus, she has one of the best pit crews in the IRL.

"Here's my plan," she said. "I'm going to try to push it early to get in front and then hopefully I can get in the lead group. At that point, I'll be on the same pit cycle with the leaders and I think I'll be able to make up time in the pits. Then, hopefully, I'll be around at the end and in contention for the win. I've certainly pictured myself winning this race a lot."

Could it happen? Absolutely. And, if it does, it won't just be the story of the year in motorsports, it'll be the story of the decade.