INDY 500: Cheever qualifies T-Car at Indy; Will run race in Sunday qualifying

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

May 13, 2001

Indianapolis, IN (May 12, 2001) - #51 Excite@Home driver Eddie Cheever Jr. qualified 25th in his back-up car during Saturday's MBNA pole qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, posting a four-lap average speed of 220.513 mph. Cheever, the 1998 Indianapolis 500 Champion, will return to the track tomorrow in an effort to improve upon that speed in his #51 Excite@Home Infiniti.

Eddie Cheever Jr: #51 Excite@Home Indy Race Car
Qualified: 25th Speed: 220.513 mph

Cheever (on qualifying): "There's not much to say. We took too long to do four laps. It's been a very long Saturday, but sometimes things like this happen. We had an electrical problem this morning, then we changed the engine and went back out but broke an alternator. Ninety minutes before we qualified, we decided to go to the #51 Excite@Home T-car, which we hadn't run for a couple of days. I don't think we really did justice to our Infiniti engine, but I'm glad to see Robbie Buhl qualify well, and I'm relieved to see Scott (Goodyear) solidly in the field. I know Sunday will be hotter, but we are going to see what we can do. Today everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, but we'll get in the #51 Excite@Home race car tomorrow and start all over."

Text provided by Ashleigh Higgins

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