Helio can make history at 94th Indy 500

One of the premier events in all of motor sports takes place this weekend with the 94^th One of the premier events in all of motor sports takes place this weekend with the 94^th Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Thirty-three drivers will be ripping it up at the 2.5-mile oval for the 200-lap race on Sunday (1 pm ET, ABC).

Defending champion Helio Castroneves is the favorite at +300 moneyline odds in Motor Racing Betting at betED.com.

Scott Dixon is not far back at +350, followed by Dario Franchitti at +450 and Ryan Briscoe at +600. Will Power rounds out the top five favorites at +700.

Castroneves is not only the favorite at the 2010 Indy 500, he can also make history on two counts. A win would be his record-tying fourth Indy 500 victory and he would become the first driver to win back-to-back Indys twice.

He would be joining an elite group of drivers who have won four times in Indianapolis: A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser. Castroneves won his back-to-back Indys in 2001-02.

The Brazilian won the Indianapolis 500 pole position for the fourth time in his career, setting a smokin' four-lap average speed of 227.970 mph.

Power, the current points leader, and Briscoe are both teammates of Castroneves on Team Penske, while Dixon and Franchitti are both with Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

A Indy 500 win tends to bring good luck in the season championship, as 33 drivers since the first race in 1911 have gone on to win series title.

The Indianapolis 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world, with more than a quarter-million spectators in attendance.

As is tradition, the winner drinks a bottle of milk, and takes home the Borg-Warner Trophy - and a $2.5 million cheque.