Indy 500’s better than ever at 100

 
The Indianapolis 500 celebrates 100 years of competition Sunday. From the first winner, American Ray Harroun in something called a Marmon "Wasp," to the latest, Englishman Dario Franchitti, the Indy 500 has become the most famous race in the world.
This year, observers say it boasts the strongest 33-car field it has seen since the CART-Indy split in 1996. It’s a regular stop for the Izod IndyCar Series drivers, but the race also includes former champions and non-IndyCar regulars who are in a ride for one shot at glory at The Brickyard.
Here is a look at some of the storylines, drivers and numbers that could determine the shape of the race:
Five drivers to watch
Dario Franchitti: The defending champion, going for a third Indy 500 victory.
Scott Dixon: The 2008 winner might end up fighting it out with Franchitti, his Chip Ganassi teammate.
Oriol Servia: An underrated driver kept off the track by money issues most of the past two years. But he’s got a good ride with the stability of Newman/Haas.
Dan Wheldon: A former Indy winner with a small team, Panther Racing. But he knows Indy’s corners.
Marco Andretti: The 24-year-old believes he is on the verge of maturing into a strong driver. Right now, he’s Andretti Autosport’s best hope.
Storylines
Leader on the oval: Will Power leads the IndyCar Series points standings, but this is the start of four consecutive oval races, where the Australian has yet to record a victory. He must get it right on ovals to hold off Dario Franchitti, who comes in 14 points behind.
Can an American win? It looks like a long shot. The U.S. driver with the best starting position is Townsend Bell, a Californian who will start fourth. But this is his first race of the year, although he knows Indy. He was fourth in 2009. Former champion Buddy Rice starts seventh. He and Sam Hornish Jr. are the only Americans to win in the past 12 years.
The side-by-side restarts. This could be the story of the race all day. IndyCar put them in this year to highlight excitement, and that’s what the drivers predict as they jockey for position into Turn 1. No one knows better than an open-wheel driver what contact with another open-wheel car can mean.
Danica and the women. Danica Patrick is the only woman to lead a lap at Indy, when she started fourth and finished fourth in 2005. She’s been in the top-10 there five times in six starts. Swiss Simona de Silvestro is going to drive with bandages on her burned hands. Englishwoman Pippa Mann starts 31st, and Brazilian Ana Beatriz starts 32nd.
The power teams. The Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing cars did not qualify well as a whole — three-time champ Helio Castroneves is starting 16th. But it’s a 500-mile race. Over that distance, drivers, equipment and money make a difference.