Check out a short list of favorites for Sunday's Michigan Indy 400.

Alex Barron
Earned his first career IRL victory July 20 at the Nashville Superspeedway; became the fourth first-time IRL winner in 10 races this year; climbed to fifth in the IRL standings with 243 points; raced three times at Michigan Speedway in Indy-style competition; "Even though it's the inaugural race for the IRL at Michigan, I've raced there three different times, and I like the track," he said. "It is very simialr to Fontana, California. The Michigan event is one of the biggest races of the IRL season."

Robbie Buhl
Perhaps no driver would like to win more at the inaugural IRL race at Michigan Speedway than the Detroit native; not a particularly strong season, with a 12th-place finish at the season opener in Miami as his best; started second at the Indianapolis 500 but finished just 16th; an avid fan of the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.

Helio Castroneves
The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner is one of two drivers with more than one victory this year; winning at Indianapolis; engaged in a tight race for the championship - 10 points behind Team Penske teammate Gil de Ferran and just four points in front of Sam Hornish Jr.; winless in previous CART starts at Michigan, but owner Roger Penske has recorded nine victories at the track since 1971; along with de Ferran, they are the only drivers to be running at the finish of each race this year. "Championship points are what we're after, so we have to bring the car home," he said. "We need to be patient and make sure we're there at the end."

Airton Dare
The 2000 IRL Rookie of the Year won the Ameristar Casino 200 on July 7 at Kansas Speedway by 0.1741 seconds over Sam Hornish Jr. for his first career victory and the fourth race in 2002 to have a victory margin of less than a second; the victory also was the first for A.J. Foyt Racing since Kenny Brack won the 1999 Indianapolis 500; sits sixth in the standings with 239 points.

Gil de Ferran
Moved to the top of the IRL standings ahead of Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves with his second-place finish at the Firestone 200 at Nashville; has 347 points, 10 more than Castroneves and 14 more than Sam Hornish Jr.; has experience at the superspeedway, but winless at Michigan in the CART series; "Michigan is the superspeedway that I have the most experience with, as I have been running there since 1995," de Ferran said. "This will be the first time I will compete there in the Indy Racing League, so it will provide a whole new challenge." Earned his first IRL victory at the Radisson 225 on June 16 at Pikes Peak International Raceway; one of only two drivers to be running at the finish in all 10 races this year (teammate Castroneves is the other); finished in the top five in eight events, including the last four.

Felipe Giaffone
The 2001 IRL Rookie of the Year is without a victory this season but has used consistency to climb to fourth in the series standings with 295 points, 52 behind leader Gil de Ferran; finished in the top seven of the last eight races, a stretch that dates to late March; has winning experience at Michigan Speedway from his days on the Indy Lights circuit; captured the 2000 event from the pole.

Sam Hornish Jr.
Defending IRL champion also will race for the first time at Michigan Speedway; his first race on a 2-mile superspeedway was in March at California Speedway, where he edged Jaques Lazier for victory by 0.0281 seconds in the third-closest finish in IRL history; averaged a circuit-record 179.345 miles per hour in that event; regained his winning form in the last month after an uncharacteristic three-race slide from April to June; has been on the podium in his last four races after three straight finishes of 17th or lower; also was on the podium in the first three events of the year; remained third in the standings for the sixth straight race, just 14 points behind leader Gil de Ferran and four behind Helio Castroneves; third on the all-time IRL list with six victories behind Buddy Lazier (8) and Scott Sharp (7); quickest to six wins, doing so in 29 races.

Arie Luyendyk
Will be making just his fourth start since 1998 and first during that span outside the Indianapolis 500, which he has won twice; finished on the podium three times in Indy-style races at Michigan Speedway, placing second in 1991 and 1994 and third in 1993; has 17 career starts at Michigan in CART, True Value IROC and Super Vee since 1981.

Scott Sharp
Posted five top-eight finishes this year, including a win at the Firestone 225 at Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania; last two results of eighth at Nashville and sixth in Kansas give him 208 points, good for eighth place; winner of at least one race in six straight IRL seasons.