Motorsport: Helio driving for spot in elite club

Helio Castroneves arrived at the Indianapolis 500 last year trying to put legal troubles behind him but this weekend, the charismatic Brazilian comes to the Brickyard looking to join an elite group.

In nearly a century of racing at the famed speedway, only three men - AJ Foyt, Al Unser snr and Rick Mears - have finished the 500 on Victory Lane four times. A win tonight for Castroneves would make him the first non-American to join that exclusive club.

"For me, Rick and AJ, they're the gods of racing, the legends. I'm so honoured to have this opportunity," said Castroneves, who will launch his bid for a fourth 500 title from the pole position.

"To be compared with those guys, if I'm able to accomplish what I want, it will be a dream come true."

A year ago, the Brazilian's career appeared in jeopardy. He had been forced to step out of the cockpit and turn over his seat in the Penske Dallara to Australian Will Power while he battled tax evasion charges that could have landed him in prison for six years, if convicted.

But just weeks before the Indy, Castroneves was cleared of the charges and he celebrated his return to the Brickyard with a third 500 win, thanking his team for "giving my life back" as he chugged from the traditional bottle of milk.

With the darkest chapter in Castroneves' life closed, the bubbly Brazilian - known to race fans as 'Spiderman' for scaling the fences surrounding the track after a victory - is now focused on the task at hand.

The 35-year-old driver's biggest challenges tomorrow morning are likely to come from team-mate and Indy Car series leader Power, who will line up alongside him in row one, and Briton Dario Franchitti, who will try to give his team owner Chip Ganassi a special place in the motor-racing record books.

The always dangerous Scott Dixon, who won two years ago, will also be a threat.

Roger Penske and Ganassi are the only two owners to win America's two biggest motor sports races but no one has claimed the Daytona and Indianapolis 500 double in the same year.

"I don't look at it in terms of winning the two races in one year," said Ganassi, who won the Daytona 500 in February with Jamie McMurray. "It would be a huge thing but right now, my focus is to beat this guy [Penske] next to me."

The 94th running of the Indy 500 will include a record four women among the 33-car field. Brazil's Ana Beatriz produced the best qualifying effort among the women putting her car on the outside of row seven.

She was followed closely by 21-year-old Swiss rookie Simona de Silvestro, who will start on the inside of row eight just ahead of American Danica Patrick, the only woman to ever win an Indy Car race.

Meanwhile, Australian IndyCar stars Ryan Briscoe and Power believe Penske power will be the key to a successful Indy500.

Both drivers pilot cars for the powerful Penske Racing outfit, which has won 15 times at the famed Brickyard in Indianapolis, a record total for wins in the race by an owner.

Power will start second on the grid behind Castroneves, while Sydney-raised Briscoe starts fourth. Both drivers feel they've never had a better opportunity to deliver Australia its first win in the historic event.

Power concedes it will take a massive effort to dislodge pole-sitter Castroneves, who is the most successful driver at Indianapolis in modern times.

"If he has a good day and nothing goes wrong, he'll be tough to beat," Power said.

Personal glory aside, Power has another added incentive going into the race given he currently leads the IndyCar championship standings by 26 points from New Zealand's Dixon.

"I'm very focused on the championship," Power said. "I really want to win it, this is the best position I've been in and I need to take the most advantage of this opportunity."

The Indianapolis 500 starts at 5am tomorrow.