IRL: Phoenix: Infiniti Motorsports preview

Bombardier ATV Copper World Indy 200
Round 2 of the 15-race Indy Racing League series
Phoenix International Raceway, one-mile oval, Avondale, Ariz.

INFINITI DRIVERS:

*Robbie Buhl, No. 24 Team Purex Dreyer & Reinbold Racing GForce-Infiniti-Firestone

*Eddie Cheever Jr., No. 51 Red Bull Cheever Racing Dallara-Infiniti-Firestone

*Tomas Scheckter, No. 52 Red Bull Cheever Racing Dallara-Infiniti-Firestone

*Laurent Redon, No. 34 Mi-Jack/Conquest Racing Dallara-Infiniti-Firestone

INFINITI NOTES:

*Infiniti debuted an all new engine, the Infiniti Indy 35A, at last year's Phoenix race. One year later, the engineers at Infiniti Motorsports have refined and improved the engine for the 2002 championship. At the Miami race all four Infiniti-powered drivers qualified in the top ten, with rookie Tomas Scheckter leading the Infiniti gang by starting third. Scheckter went on to finish sixth in the season opener.

*Robbie Buhl on the Phoenix race: "Coming off of Homestead, I'm very happy with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team from the standpoint that we picked up where we left off last year - running up front. The synergy of the team is amazing, and we're proud to have all of our sponsors back - Purex, Aventis, Infiniti and Firestone - so there are no new variables for the team."

*Eddie Cheever Jr. on the Bombardier ATV Copper World Indy 200: "We have gone west to Phoenix two times since the end of last season. We have improved with each test. There are two tracks that (Sam) Hornish performed impeccably on last year, Homestead and Phoenix. The No. 4 car is going to be tough to beat. Penske has proved to be well prepared and consistent, but the car and the team to beat now is the one with the Pennzoil colors. If we execute better than we did last weekend, I see both of our cars being a threat for a podium finish."

PAST INFINITI RESULTS AT PHOENIX

*2001: Robbie Buhl started 8th and finished 11th. Eddie Cheever started 12th and finished 19th.

*2000: Eddie Cheever started 6th and finished 10th.

*1999: Robbie Buhl started 17th and finished 3rd. Scott Harrington started 8th and finished 5th. Roberto Guerrero started 11th and fnished 16th.

*1998: No qualifyiers

*1997: Mike Groff started 16th and finished 6th. Roberto Guerrero started 10th and finished 7th. Buddy Lazier started 13th and finished 21st.

2002 INFINITI RESULTS

Miami: Tomas Scheckter started 3rd and finished 6th. Robbie Buhl started 7th and finished 12th. Laurent Redon started 9th and finished 15th. Eddie Cheever Jr. started 4th and finished 25th (crash).

INFINITI MILESTONES

*Infiniti has won two victories in the Indy Racing League both with driver Eddie Cheever Jr. at Pikes Peak International Raceway in 2000 and Kansas Speedway in 2001.

*Best qualifying result for Infiniti is second place, scored by Robbie Buhl at Pikes Peak International Raceway in 2000, and Eddie Cheever at Kansas Speeedway and Chicagoland in 2001.

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