INDY 500: Infiniti and Team Cheever Qualify Tenth for Indy 500
21 May 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
It was a smooth day of qualifying for Infiniti driver Eddie Cheever Jr., who ended up on the fourth row of the Indianapolis 500 starting grid in 10th position.
The No. 51T Excite@Home Dallara-Infiniti-Firestone entry was the second car to complete its four-lap, ten-mile qualifying run, just 20 minutes after the track opened for the run for the pole. 1998 Indy 500 champion, Eddie Cheever Jr., turned four consistent laps of 221.032, 221.413, 221.370, and 221.270 mph, for a four-lap average speed of 221.261 mph.
Pole Day ended with 23 drivers earning a spot in the 33-car starting field for the Indianapolis 500 on May 28. Pole-winner Greg Ray set the pace with a 223.471 mph average speed.
Bump Day qualifying gets underway at noon tomorrow, with qualifications ending at 6 p.m. Practice from 10 to 11:15 a.m. will precede bump day qualifying.
Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold, plans to take their Infiniti-powered G Force on track for the first time during practice tomorrow at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Steve Knapp, the 1998 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, will attempt to qualify the No. 24T Infiniti entry. Meanwhile, Team Cheever will use Sunday's practice time to fine tune the race setup on the Excite@Home Infiniti.
QUOTES
Eddie Cheever Jr., No. 51 Excite@Home Infiniti: "The conditions have been very strange yesterday and today, with a lot cooler temperatures, so we had to make a choice on the aerodynamics of the car. Nothing is worse than going out there and being really loose on the first lap. We probably were a bit conservative, but I would rather be conservative and have a good car. What you see out there is what we have for the race. That is the same spec engine I'll be racing with. I don't think the same could be said about some of the other teams. I admire the effort that they put into qualifying. Hopefully, they will come back to us in the race. It was a lot of fun out there today. It was really nice conditions, with no wind. I was driving all four laps with a big smile on my face. I've got to the point in my career where I really enjoy what I am doing. (about the Infiniti engine) I believe that I have the best race engine out there. I say that, not because I have an Infiniti, but because of the performance of the engine in the last three races. I had the best race engine in Orlando, I felt I was stronger than anybody else in Phoenix, and I was very, very close to Mark Dismore when we had electronics problems in Las Vegas. We have worked very closely with Infiniti and Nissan to reach the point where I think we can go head-to-head, every weekend, with every team out there."
Frank Honsowetz, Infiniti/Nissan Motorsports manager: "Ending up in the top ten on the first day of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is a pleasant change for the Infiniti Indy program. Last year, Cheever qualified 16th after three attempts which made the day seem very long. It is comforting to know that the engine we had out there for qualifying is the same spec as our race engine. I think the front-running efforts that you have seen from Team Cheever at the first three races of this season will continue next weekend in the Indianapolis 500."
POLE DAY QUALIFYING RESULTS
1. Greg Ray, 223.471, #1 Dallara-Oldsmobile
2. Juan Montoya, 223.372, #9T G Force-Oldsmobile
3. Eliseo Salazar, 223.231, #11 G Force-Oldsmobile
4. Robby Gordon, 222.885, #32 Dallara-Oldsmobile
5. Scott Sharp, 222.810, #8T Dallara-Oldsmobile
6. Jeff Ward, 222.639, #14 G Force-Oldsmobile
7. Jimmy Vasser, 221.976, #10T G Force-Oldsmobile
8. Stan Wattles, 221.508, #92 Dallara-Oldsmobile
9. Robbie Buhl, 221.357, #24 G Force-Oldsmobile
*10. Eddie Cheever Jr., 221.270, #51T Dallara-Infiniti
11. Mark Dismore, 220.970, #28T Dallara-Oldsmobile
12. Robby McGehee, 222.661, #5 G Force-Oldsmobile
13. Scott Goodyear, 220.629, #4 Dallara-Oldsmobile
14. Sam Hornish Jr., 220.496, #18 Dallara-Oldsmobile
15. Donnie Beechler, 220.482, #98 Dallara-Oldsmobile
16. Buddy Lazier, 220.482, #91 Dallara-Oldsmobile
17. Jason Leffler, 220.417, #50 G Force-Oldsmobile
18. Al Unser Jr., 220.293, #3T G Force-Oldsmobile
19. Sarah Fisher, 220.237, #15 Dallara-Oldsmobile
20. Airton Dare', 219.970, #88T G Force-Oldsmobile
21. Stephan Gregoire, 219.970, #7 G Force-Oldsmobile
22. Buzz Calkins, 219.862, #12 Dallara-Oldsmobile
23. Richie Hearn, 219.816, #75 Dallara-Oldsmobile
Text provided by Heather Handley
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