Two days after being referred to as an "idiot" by the IndyCar Series' two-most popular drivers, Cheever Racing driver/owner Eddie Cheever, Jr. came back today with some rebuttals of what transpired at Watkins Glen this past Sunday. The first of these incidents occurred on lap 18, when Cheever supposedly hit the #16 Argent/PEAK car of Danica Patrick, sending her into the turn 11 tirewalls; according to Cheever,
She did that all by herself.
Unfortunately, Cheever's in the wrong; spotters on the pitstraight were asked by series officials about it, and they all said the #51 hit the #16, which corresponds with what fans saw from the grandstands along the pitstraight. The second incident, when Cheever ran the #26 NYSE Group car of rookie Marco Andretti off-course at turn 9, has apparently reignited a long-dormant rivalry btwn. Cheever and the Andrettis'(more on that later.) When asked about the second incident, Cheever explained,
To think I would intentionally take anyone out is ludicrous. It's beyond words. It was a racing accident, pure and simple. There wasn't any intent, so I find the accusations incomprehensible.
Cheever added, in what some are saying was a cheap-shot towards Marco,
No single team is the center of the racing universe, no matter how much they seem to think they are. Nobody took them out intentionally, so their accusations look ridiculous.
As to the long-dormant feud btwn. Cheever and the Andrettis'........it began at Long Beach in 1992, when Cheever was involved in an accident with Mario Andretti. Ever since then, it's lain dormant.....until April in St. Pete, when both Mario
and Michael verbally trashed Cheever following an on-track incident btwn. Marco and Cheever(as mentioned in the 2006 St. Pete thread in the IRL forum). Ironically, Cheever used his greatest racing victory as a comical foil towards Patrick and Andretti.....
The last time I checked, my name was on the Borg-Warner Trophy; those lobbing accusations at me aren't. I'm not perfect, and neither are they. Let's get back to racing.
Like I said in the Watkins Glen thread......and to think, we're headed to Texas next.
