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IRL: Cheever Looks To Up His Ante At Season Finale

14 October 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Fort Worth, Texas - The Pep Boys Indy Racing League's season finale promises to be a thriller as six drivers go head to head for the Championship Title. Locked in his own points battle, Eddie Cheever, Jr., will be driving his #51 Children's Beverage Group Dallara/Goodyear/Infiniti against as many as twelve other drivers in hopes of securing a Top Three Finish for the year. As the lone Infiniti, Cheever also hopes to become the first driver to roll the Infiniti into Victory Circle.

"Texas is the second most successful venue we go to every season. It is quickly becoming our most exciting show after Indy," said Cheever of the 1.5-mile paved quad oval. "Because of the rich oval racing history and the Texan drivers and companies that come from here...Foyt, Rutherford, and Pennzoil...Texans have really embraced our style of racing. I think it is perfect that Texas will get to experience this close points battle from a front row seat!"

At June's Texas event, Cheever, who qualified 5th, gave Infiniti their highest qualifying position to date when he lapped the circuit in 213.430 mph. On race day, however, the gremlins showed themselves in the Team Cheever stall, taking Cheever out early with electrical problems.

"June was certainly bittersweet," reminisced Cheever. "Though we are still focusing on issues of reliability, I believe we have shown in a limited amount of time, and especially in the last few races, that the Infiniti engine is one strong engine."

In addition to the race competition, Cheever will also battle Robbie Buhl for the $50,000 MCI WorldCom Long Distance Bonus, which is presented to the driver who gains the most positions from the green to the checkered flag. Both drivers are tied having each won the award at two races this season and a strong showing in Texas would push Cheever into the win column.

"Being in the running for this award is a true testament to this team and our strategy this year," commented Cheever. "We are at a point in our company where 100 percent of our focus must be on race set up and race set up only. Naturally, we would love to qualify higher on Saturday, but getting to the front of the pack on Sunday is what really matters."

The 208-lap/312-mile Mall.com 500 race will air on ABC Sports at 4pm EDT on October 17th with the PPG Qualifier being broadcast live at 1pm EDT the day before, October 16th.

Primary sponsorship of Team Cheever comes from The Children's Beverage Group. The Children's Beverage Group (TCBG) is the designer of the unique and patented 'rip-it-sip-it'(tm) no-spillage packaging system. Distributed nationwide since 1997, the company's products are being marketed by national retailers like Wal-Mart (r). For more information, call TCBG's corporate headquarters at 847-562-4040 or visit their website at http://www.tcbginc.com. Associate sponsors of Team Cheever include netoy.com, Menards, Ceramiche Ragno, Goodyear, Infiniti, STP, TruGreen*Chemlawn, Bosch, Pennzoil, GO-RACHELS.COM and Invincible Sportswear.

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