Infection keeps Festa out of car

Saturday, July 22, 2006
By indycar.com staff

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Cheever Racing withdrew the No. 51 Cheever Racing Formtek car from the Milwaukee 100 when it became apparent driver Chris Festa couldn't compete.

Festa is being treated for an infection in his lower back and did not climb into the car at The Milwaukee Mile this weekend.

"The pain is right in the center of my lower back where I can't sit down, put any pressure on it, which is exactly where most pressure would be on my body if I were in the car," he said. "It's just a very sharp pain. We felt if I couldn't be at 100 percent and we were having to start last anyway, we had less to gain and more to lose, so it would be a wiser decision to sit it out and let me get over it."

Festa, who has four top-10 finishes in seven races, started 11th and finished ninth at Nashville Superspeedway a week earlier. The next Indy Pro Series race is Aug. 13 at Kentucky Speedway.