INDY 500: Cheever to focus on single car effort at Indy 500
20 May 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Indianapolis, IN - 1998 Indianapolis 500 Champion Eddie Cheever Jr. announced today that his team will focus its efforts on fielding a single car, Cheever's #51 Excite@Home Infiniti-powered Dallara, in the 84th running of the Indianapolis 500 scheduled for May 28.
Cheever had hoped to campaign his younger brother Ross Cheever, a veteran of Japanese Formula 3000 competition who has been serving as the team's test driver, in the #52 Team Cheever entry.
"Unfortunately, we didn't find the necessary resources to field a first-class effort for the #52 car," explained Cheever, Indy Racing's premier owner/driver. "This is the Indianapolis 500 - it's serious business. My crash on opening day (caused by a failure of the left rear drive flange) put us a bit behind, and there is too much at stake for all of us not to go into this fully prepared."
"Ross has done an excellent job testing for Team Cheever and Infiniti, and he has contributed a great deal to the success of our engine development program," continued Cheever. "Ross is a racer - I know he'll get over this disappointment."
"I learned a lot through my experience testing for Team Cheever and Infiniti, and I am very grateful for the opportunity," said Ross Cheever, who recorded a top speed of 216.784mph in the team's 1999 Dallara during practice on Monday. "Now it's time for me to make my own way and go racing. I'm disappointed that it won't be with Team Cheever, but I know that there are other opportunities out there that I'll now be able to pursue more aggressively."
Primary Sponsorship of the #51 Indy Car comes from Excite@Home. The company is based in Redwood City, California, at the heart of Silicon Valley. Associate Sponsors of Team Cheever include Infiniti, Firestone, Indy Promotional Products, Menards, Bosch, Pennzoil, Sony Disc Manufacturing, and Nancy Flowers Promotions.
Text provided by Ashleigh Higgins
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