Cheever

INDIANAPOLIS -- The questions so far are about what I'm not doing this season. I'd like to spin that a bit. Let's talk about what I am doing.

Yes, it's true, I won't be driving a race car this weekend at the IRL IndyCar Series season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That doesn't mean I'm retiring from racing, nor does it mean my role with the team has diminished.

If anything, it's increased.

In case you haven't been following closely, here's the abridged version of what's happening in the IndyCar Series and with Red Bull Cheever Racing. A change in rules brought about a change in players in the series. Toyota and Honda stepped in, and our previous engine manufacturer, Infiniti, stepped out. We chose Chevrolet engines, but that's only the tip of the iceberg as far as changes for our team in 2003.

I decided to back off on the racing to refocus on the business side of Red Bull Cheever Racing. I believe this is a winning operation that -- with just the right management twist -- is capable of major accomplishments. So, during the off-season, we made some rather dramatic changes.

First, a research-and-development team, named Menard Cheever Technologies, was formed with fellow IndyCar owner John Menard. MCT is utilizing the vast resources of General Motors to fine tune a car that will help Chevrolet maintain its status as the best in American open-wheel racing.

Second, we believe we might have found the perfect fit of man and machine. Buddy Rice, a 27-year-old from Phoenix, was raised by a drag-racing dad whose engine of choice was Chevy. In fact, Buddy's favorite car is his 1967 Chevy II hot rod. He cruises to work in a customized Chevy pickup. You couldn't build a better driver for a particular brand. He is made for Chevy, and Chevy is made for him.

Buddy is fully capable of learning what it takes to push a team to the top, especially with the technical work from MCT helping both Red Bull Cheever Racing and Team Menard hone their Dallara-Chevy machines. As you'll recall, Buddy made an immediate splash last year when we hired him just days before the IRL race at Michigan to drive a third car. He qualified on the front row and finished second.

	Cheever will focus more on ownership duties in 2003.

From that race on, he finished among the top 10 in three of four events. He's smooth, steady and fast. More than that, though, he provides excellent feedback for our engineers. I'm confident in Buddy's ability to win races and keep this team moving in a positive direction. He's that good.

In the meantime, we've hired Max Jones to head up the race team. Sports-car fans will remember Max as an accomplished SCCA Trans-Am driver. NASCAR fans will remember him from his management work with Roush Racing. His organizational skills are impeccable, as are his decision-making skills. I'm very pleased to have Max on board.

The pieces of our new puzzle, then, are clear: MCT collects data from both teams (Red Bull Cheever Racing and Team Menard) and works closely with Menard Engine Group to fine tune the Chevrolet engine and Dallara chassis. Once all of those pieces fit together and the drivers -- Buddy and Menard drivers Jaques Lazier and Vitor Meira -- and engineers from both teams build on their relationships, we feel we can take both teams to the front.

And, for those of you still interested, I do plan to get back behind the wheel for the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May. Later in the season, I might race in a few IRL events, but not many. I'm totally comfortable with this decision. Since I started this team, I've tried to manage it and be its driver. I always found the management side of it just as challenging and fulfilling as the racing side of it. So challenging, in fact, that I don't miss racing. To be honest, I haven't had time to miss it.

So, I won't be driving this weekend at Miami, but that's not the full story of what we're accomplishing at Red Bull Cheever Racing. With all of the pieces in place, we're looking forward to reaching our goals this season.

I, for one, am ready as ever.

IRL driver Eddie Cheever Jr. owns and drives the No. 51 Red Bull Cheever Racing Infiniti car. He provides a diary to ESPN.com. Cheever's team Web site can be found at www.cheeverindyracing.com.