The 92nd running of the Indy 500 is this Sunday on ABC, and for the first time in quite a while there's  some excitement before the race. This is due to the unification of American open wheel, Helio Castroneves's success on Dancing with the Stars, and Danica Patrick's first win earlier this year. Still, the reality of the situation is for most everyone, the Indy 500 will be the only IndyCar race that they will watch this season (as 100% so obviously put it).

The first obvious question is who are the favorites to win? The easy answer is to look at the front of starting grid and look for the red and white cars. The Target cars of Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon have dominated the month of May, and thus are the co-favorites for the race. The season as a whole has been good to them so far as well. Both have won a race, and Dixon could easily have won all three ovals so far.

After those two are the Penske cars, specially two time champ Helio Castroneves. No one has a better record at Indy this decade than Helio, and on the cusp of a historic 3rd 500 victory, he can not be counted out. His teammate Ryan Briscoe certainly can't be counted out from the front row, but he's struggled a bit this year and first has to prove he can finish the 500 miles.

The final main contender is Tony Kanaan in the 7-Eleven machine. Kanaan has come close to winning this race before, and like Dixon, Helio, and Wheldon, is one of the big dogs of the series. Simply put, those four are the favorites because they are the favorites for every IndyCar race. Other things one needs to know.

Can Danica or Marco Andretti win?

Absolutely, but don't expect it. They're on one of the top teams, but experience at Indy matters, and the big four have a lot more of it. Plus, as ESPN.com's John Oreovicz points out, Indy hasn't bitten Danica yet. She could be due for a DNF this year. Still, both her and Marco should be at the front most of the day, and with a little luck, could easily win it. They have the best chance after the big four.

Any other darkhorses?

Vitor Meira, in the National Guard car, was the only driver not from Penske, Ganassi, or Andretti Green to crack the first three rows on the grid. Meira's also the pre-2004 Phil Mickelson of IndyCar, with almost 80 starts, including seven 2nd place finishes, without a win. The other possibility is  Tomas Scheckter, who has the advantage of being very talented and the disadvantage of being an insane crash magnet.

How big an impact will the new drivers from unification make?

This year, probably not much, although the better teams did out qualify some established IndyCar regulars. We could see top tens from Graham Rahal (yes,  Bobby's son), Justin Wilson (the McDonalds car), and Will Power (yes, that's his name). Also keep in mind the two most experienced former Champ Car drivers, Oriol Servia and Bruno Junqueira. In general,  the 2009 race is when we should see more competition thanks to these new drivers.

Any other stories to watch for?

It's been a wild month for Sarah Fisher. She has started her own team, making her the first female owner/driver. There's been a big snag though, her sponsors never paid up. As a result, Fisher, her husband, and her father have all essentially gone broke to fund the team. People have even donated money to her (unsolicited). Despite the struggles with money, Fisher qualified 22nd for the race. A lot of people would love to see Sarah do well. It helps that in many ways she's a better role model than Danica, since Sarah doesn't pose for magazines half naked.

Will there be hot women on camera who aren't wearing driver's suits and helmets?

Julianne Hough is singing the national anthem, and most of the male drivers have hot wives or girlfriends, who will likely be shown if a male driver wins the race.

So, who's gonna win?

My pick has been Dixon for a while now, and the only thing giving me pause is how easy the month of May has been for both him and his team. Still, all year Dixon's been the one to beat, and he can certainly be considered "due" for a win at Indy.

Finally, why should we watch (Sunday, 12:00, ABC)?

Because this year's Indy 500 will be a combination of the traditions that make the race what it is and an early look of what the race will be like in the future with open wheel finally all together again. They'll be the four big dogs that dominate the current series, but also the future stars with the famous names, and of course that Danica person. I'm not describing it well, but Indy is always something special, and recent events have made it more special.

Plus, what else is on Sunday afternoon?