Northern Light IRL: Strong run but few points for Cheever at Phoenix

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

March 19, 2001

Phoenix, AZ - The same determination and passion for performance that powered the #51 Excite@Home Indy Race Team and Infiniti Motorsports to their first Indy Racing victory at Pikes Peak last June was displayed Sunday at the first round of 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series competition at Phoenix International Raceway.

1998 Indianapolis 500 Champion Eddie Cheever Jr. - who qualified a solid 12th with the new Infiniti 35A engine - was challenging eventual second place finisher Eliseo Salazar for eighth position when he was forced to pit on lap 134 due to a throttle linkage problem. The #51 Excite@Home crew worked diligently to repair the car, but Cheever was unable to return to the track. He was classified 19th.

The second round of the 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series - the Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami - is scheduled for April 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Eddie Cheever Jr.: "We got caught out by a few auxiliary pieces that were left over from the old motor. The new Infiniti engine itself ran absolutely fine. I was running right behind Salazar and was in a good position for the rest of the race when something in the throttle linkage broke. We're not quite sure what happened. We just have to keep on testing and we'll be there."

Dick Caron, Team Manager, Cheever Indy Racing: "The guys did a great job. We came here to win, but we never say die. As soon as the throttle started to stick, we knew we wouldn't be able to fix it in the short amount of time we had, but the guys jumped in and did the best they could to get the #51 Excite@Home car back out. You never know what's going to happen towards the end of a race, so we were hoping to run some more and gain some more points."

Text provided by Ashleigh Higgins

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.