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IRL: Cheever has Dissapointing Qualifying Run

1 May 1999

Eddie Cheever, Jr. qualified his #51 Team Cheever/Children's Beverage Group Dallara Infiniti 18th in this evening's PPG Pole Qualifier at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. In round three of the Pep Boys Indy Racing League 11-race series, Cheever time of 24.928 seconds covered the 1.5-mile track at 216.624 mph and will have him starting his #51 TCBG Dallara from the 9th row.

Much of the practice time normally typical of a race weekend has been lost to inclement weather consisting of heavy rains and 30-mile an hour gusts. Twenty-six cars will compete in tomorrow evening's 208-lap, 312-mile race under the Charlotte lights.

On the Qualifier

"Given the fact that we were 10th fastest in qualifying, this is disappointing. We had a faulty rev limiter in practice and we fixed it before Qualifying. We also chose to go 1 gear longer. Looks like we over geared it. I just wasn't able to get the speeds up to snuff. In the end, though, the race is always more important than Qualifying."

On the car

"The car is unbelievable. The guys in front of me during practice were using 100 more yards over the bumps. I just went over them as if it was flat. The car is really good and I can't wait to be running on full tanks."

On the race

"I love this place. Always have. The track is just like I left it-my two friends, the bumps in Turn 4, are still here."

"I wish we weren't starting from so far back, but we've been here before, and like in Phoenix, been able to work our way to the front (Cheever started 17th and by lap the mid-point was running 1st). However, I might have to put to use some of the tricks I learned from the NASCAR boys down in Talladega last weekend to good use!"

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