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NorthernLight Indy Racing: Infiniti Indy Qualifying Report, Friday

22 April 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Infiniti Indy driver Eddie Cheever Jr. will start the Vegas Indy 300 from the fourth row tomorrow. His seventh place qualifying position was set with a 205.667 mph lap in the No. 51 Excite@Home Infiniti-Dallara. Infiniti and Team Cheever have started every race this season from the top-eight (sixth at Orlando, and eighth at Phoenix.)

The Indy Racing Northern Light Series has a final practice session later this afternoon. The Vegas Indy 300 starts at 3:30 p.m.(EDT) and will be televised live on ABC on Saturday, April 22.

QUOTES

Eddie Cheever Jr., No. 51 Excite@Home Infiniti: "We weren't comfortable with the setup that we had on the No. 51 Excite@Home Indy Race Car in the morning, so we tossed that in the garbage and changed everything for qualifying. I had a bit too much push, but the guys on the crew did a great job sorting the car out for our qualifying run. I think we could have been a little faster, but it was still the fastest lap that I've run by myself.

"I was very happy with the performance of the Infiniti engine. We weren't using a qualifying engine--this is the engine that we will race tomorrow--so to be in the top ten is very satisfying."

RACE COVERAGE

Indy Racing 2Day, Saturday, April 22, 3:00-3:30 p.m. (EDT), ESPN2 Vegas Indy 300, Saturday, April 22, 3:30-5:30 p.m. (EDT, Check local times), ABC Live Timing & Scoring Feed available on www.indyracing.com

QUALIFYING HIGHLIGHTS

1. Mark Dismore, #28 Dallara-Oldsmobile, 208.502
2. Greg Ray, #1 Dallara-Oldsmobile, 207.932
3. Scott Sharp, #8 Dallara-Oldsmobile, 207.437
4. Eliseo Salazar, #11 GForce-Oldsmobile, 207.405
5. Billy Boat, #81 Dallara-Oldsmobile, 206.225
6. Jeff Ward, #14 GForce-Oldsmobile, 205.699
*7. Eddie Cheever Jr., #51 Dallara-Infiniti, 205.667
8. Jeret Schroeder, #6 Dallara-Oldsmobile, 205.409
9. Tyce Carlson, #20 Dallara-Oldsmobile, 205.339
10. Jason Leffler, #55 GForce-Oldsmobile, 205.237

Text provided by Heather Handley

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.