IRL: Eddie Cheever Atlanta Pre race Quotes

Eddie Cheever, Jr. #51 The Children's Beverage Group/Team Cheever Dallara/Goodyear/Infiniti

On Chances for Victory and Keys to Victory "I believe we stand a very good chance of making another strong showing here (Cheever finished 3rd in Atlanta in 1998), but, to win in Atlanta, you must have an impeccable race. The car, the team, the engine...all in peak performance. The last two races we made some mistakes that Atlanta will not afford us."

On the quest for the Championship (Team Goals/Status report) "We are currently fourth in the Championship. At this point in the season, and the points as close as they are, we cannot afford a 17th place finish let alone a DNF. Rationally speaking, I guess we could shoot for conservative finishes in the top six or seven and inch our way up to the top of the points. But this team thrives on wins, so, I'd rather see us approach the rest of the season going for broke, laying it all on the line at each race, and accepting no less than first. If that means two more wins this year and no championship title, then it'd be worth it."

On Challenges of racing on 1.54-mile quad oval "You need a lot of horsepower and a lot of patience. The car must work incredibly well in a tow and hope like hell that no one miscues. You better have a lot of faith in the guy in front and the guy behind you. When you run these big tracks at 220mph, one foot from the other guy's wheel, one mistake can be a disaster for three or four cars."

On Memories or Anecdotes of Atlanta "Atlanta is the closest to NASCAR in strategy...you have to have a dancing partner to do well here. It sounds easy, but isn't. Last year's race was the first time I ever ran with someone in a tow. Tony Stewart and I hooked up and helped each other out. It was great fun and successful for both of us. I ended up finishing third and Tony fifth."

On the "Race for Atlanta's Cure" "This is our second year helping out Atlanta's C.U.R.E. for Childhood Cancer and we hope to raise even more money this year. One of the greatest enjoyments I have in racing is watching a little kid's face light up when he recognizes me as "a race car driver." To watch that moment of happiness, that little smile, spread across any child's face, let alone a child who is ill, is an incredible win for me personally and professionally."

On Goodyear Tires "We've been a bit behind the 8-ball the last two or three races and seemed to have lost our advantage over Firestone. Just like the rest of us, Goodyear is in this to win races and there will be no rest for the weary. I am looking forward to the next generation of tires that the guys have in store for us."

On the Infiniti Engine "The engine performed well in Colorado and we seemed to have found a strong formula for the 1-mile ovals. We've made some torque curve changes for these 1.5-mile ovals, so we'll see how those come together for us in Atlanta."