NorhternLight IRL: Infiniti Busy Logging Miles in Practice in Hot Atlanta
15 July 2000
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Hampton, Ga. -- With the thermometer showing 90 degrees
in
the evening hours of practice at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Infiniti Indy V8
engines logged nearly 200 miles around the 1.5-mile speedway in
preparation
for the Midas 500 on Saturday evening July 15. Indy Racing points leader
Eddie Cheever recorded 59 laps and the 14th fastest speed of the day in
the
No. 51 Excite@Home Infiniti after suffering from a number of mechanical
woes. Robbie Buhl's Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team had a trouble-free day,
turning in 67 laps and the 16th fastest time of the day with a 210.395 mph
lap.
Television coverage of the Midas 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway includes a live broadcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. (EDT) on July 15, and a pre-race show on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. (EDT). ESPN2 will televise MBNA Pole qualifying at 8 p.m. (EDT) on Friday, June 14.
QUOTES
Mitch Davis, Team Manager, Team Purex/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: "We concentrated our efforts on the second session today, since that is the same time as the race. We were working on race setups and Robbie went 210.3 (mph) without a tow, which is quick. I think we will be as strong as we were in Pikes Peak."
Robbie Buhl, No. 24 Team Purex/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing G Force-Infiniti: (About battle for the championship)"Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has not finished the last few races for one reason or another so we really plan on being around at the end here in Atlanta. Mathematically, we still have a chance to win the Northern Light Cup, it's going to be tough, but it is possible. Our goal here is to get as many points as possible."
Eddie Cheever Jr., No. 51 Excite@Home Dallara-Infiniti: "We had a terrible day. We had two problems that would have taken us out of the race. In the first practice we had a clutch problem and lost ten minutes, and in our second session the fuel pump developed a leak with twenty-five minutes remaining. We worked on some qualifying stuff, but we never really had a chance to get up to speed. Hopefully we're getting all of our bugaboos out of the way before the race on Saturday."
(About having the lead in the series championship)""It just so happens that we're leading the championship, but it's not going to change the way I drive. If a car is in front of me, I want to pass it. I try to get the most out of race car every time I'm on the track, and I leave the other decisions up to the guys in the pits. I drive instinctively, but I've reached a point in my life where my testosterone level is just about equal to my talent level. In the past, I was too combative - if a driver looked at me the wrong way, I'd focus on him in the race. I'm not going to change the way I drive - why should I, when it's working well? - but I've learned a lot in twenty-five years of racing. Right now, I believe that what's ahead of me is going to be even better than what's behind me. With the support of Excite@Home and Infiniti, we have the assets to make a very strong run for the championship."
PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS
1. Greg Ray, 213.616
2. Stephan Gregoire, 212.573
3. Sarah Fisher, 212.064
4. Donnie Beechler, 211.973
5. Greg Ray, 211.906
6. Jeret Schroeder, 211.889
7. Jimmy Kite, 211.823
8. Davey Hamilton, 211.748
9. Buddy Lazier, 211.682
10. Mark Dismore, 211.599
*14. Eddie Cheever Jr., 211.152
*16. Robbie Buhl, 210.395
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.