INDY 500: Indy Ace Scott Goodyear ready to run Sunday's Indy 500
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 24, 2001
Indianapolis, IN (May 24, 2001) - #52 Thermos® Grill2Go™ driver Scott Goodyear logged his final practice laps at the famed Brickyard Thursday in preparation for Sunday's 85th running of the Indianapolis 500. The two-time Indianapolis 500 runner-up will start 16th in his Infiniti-powered Dallara. The Indianapolis 500 will be televised live on ABC at 12:00 noon EDT on Sunday, May 27.
Scott Goodyear: #52 Thermos® Grill2Go™ Cheever Indy Racing Infiniti Practice: 27th Speed: 216.073 mph Time: 41.6526 seconds
Goodyear (on Thursday's final practice): "The guys on the #52 Thermos® Grill2Go™ crew totally rebuilt the car since the last time we used it last week. They crack-checked everything, rebuilt the gearbox, and put in the race engine, so we just wanted to get a few laps in to warm it up. Obviously you need to be cautious with the car because you don't want to hurt it in any way, but this is my eleventh year at Indy so I don't get too nervous on Carb Day. The key thing for us today was to run in traffic, because that is something that we rarely do in practice. I think we're ready. We ran with a lot of fuel today. I have a good race car right now and think we're looking good for Sunday."
On working with Cheever Indy Racing: "The guys at Cheever Indy Racing and Infiniti have been doing a great job and I'm very pleased with the package that we've put together. We had a very steep learning curve with the new Infiniti 35A arriving right before the season opener in March, and everyone has done a tremendous job in the space of two short months. The team has responded very, very well to any issues that have come up, and I'm very pleased with the durability of the Infiniti engine."
On race strategy: "The key is to pace yourself and get the car working the way you want so you can be there for the 10-lap shoot-out at the end. I'm very confident that the #52 Thermos® Grill2Go™ car will be there at the end of the race."
Text provided by Ashleigh Higgins
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