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IRL, INDY 500: Team Cheever Indy 500 Notes

16 May 1999

Reigning Indy 500 winner, Eddie Cheever, Jr. and his #51 Team Cheever/The Children's Beverage Group Dallara/Goodyear/Infiniti clocked the 8th fastest time today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a speed of 221.888 mph, covering the 2.5-mile track at a time of 40.561 seconds. Team Cheever's Wim Eyckmans, was the 4th fastest rookie as he drove his #52 EGP/Beaulieu of America Dallara/Goodyear Oldsmobile at a speed of 217.187 mph and a time of 41.439.

Top Ten: Saturday, May 15, 1999
1. Ray 225.887 6. Lazier 222.866
2. Luyendyk 225.163 7. Ward 222.096
3. Goodyear 224.406 8. Cheever 221.888
4. Schmidt 224.394 9. Hollansworth 221.811
5. Brack 222.910 10. Boat 221.724

Eddie Cheever, Jr. #51 Team Cheever/The Children's Beverage Group/Dallara/Goodyear/Infiniti

On being back at Indy

"I always enjoy the first day. This is the most important race of the year. It is very exciting. The fans here have a deep understanding of the history of this race and its participants. They are the most knowledgeable oval open wheel race fans in the world.

On the day

"I'd put my guys against anyone in this paddock and there are some very strong teams here. I just came in from our first run (Cheever's fast time in the first hour of today's practice was 221.888) and told them that they never cease to amaze me. They always give me more each time we go out."

"We are a very good collective. We are a meat and potatoes team. We focus on what needs to be done and we get it done. We're taking on big and well-funded teams and every now and again, we trip them up. We took the first race of the season at Disney, we were in the lead at Phoenix before the accident with Lazier and ran third at Charlotte."

"We come to Indy as an even better team than last year. This is a very difficult circuit. I think the toughest job in Indiana would be to be a guy predicting the weather. We experience that same kind of dilemma every day here because the conditions change constantly. You must always have the highest respect for this place. "

On the car

"The guys have given me a great car as usual. The Infiniti engine ran well. We just put it in the back of a new car. We ran the majority of our laps today in the very hot weather. We're going to avoid cool weather as much as possible in the next few days because we don't think its relevant to the race."

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