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INDY 500: Infiniti Indy Fourth Fastest in Monday Practice

16 May 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Infiniti was fourth quickest in practice today, having logged over 220 miles in the cars of the Team Cheever brothers, Eddie and Ross Cheever.

Eddie Cheever Jr., who led the track times in Sunday's practice with the Infiniti-powered Excite@Home Dallara, continued to run among the pacesetters by turning a lap of 221.506 mph in the final minutes of practice, making him the fourth fastest driver of the day in an extremely competitive field, where a one second time difference separates the top 24 cars.

In Team Cheever's 1999 Dallara, Ross Cheever went on track for the first time during the event, completing 37 laps with a quick lap of 216.786 mph, which placed him 29th fastest of the day. He ended his day with a breathtaking brush of the wall between turns one and two, but managed to avoid any serious damage.

QUOTES

Eddie Cheever Jr., No. 51 Excite@Home Infiniti: "We didn't quite get the balance right at the end, but we think we've found something that should give us some speed tomorrow. It was a good qualifying run. We did a bunch of laps above 221 (mph) by ourselves so it's a good indication of what we can do in qualifying. If I can repeat that in qualifying I'll be very happy, but it's not quite as fast as we can go. We still have a little more work to do."

Ross Cheever, No. 52 Team Cheever Infiniti: (About brush with the wall)"I'd had a pushing car from the front of the corner to the exit. We tried to soften it. We had a strong understeer. I tried to drive through it and just ran out of road."

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS

1. Robby Gordon, 223.120, #32 Dallara-Oldsmobile
2. Al Unser Jr., 221.853, #3 G Force-Oldsmobile
3. Greg Ray, 221.735, #32 Dallara-Oldsmobile
*4. Eddie Cheever Jr., 221.504, #51 Dallara-Infiniti
5. Scott Harrington, 221.399, #17 Dallara-Oldsmobile
6. Buddy Lazier, 221.250, #91 Dallara-Oldsmobile
7. Jimmy Kite, 221.218, #27 G Force-Oldsmobile
8. Donnie Beechler, 220.701, #98 Dallara-Oldsmobile
9. Jason Leffler, 220.447, #50 G Force-Oldsmobile
10. Robby McGehee, 220.386, #5 G Force-Oldsmobile
*29. Ross Cheever, 216.786, #52 Dallara-Infiniti

Text provided by Heather Handley

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