American racing driver Eddie Cheever had a nearly thirty-year career across various motorsport series, including Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League, eventually transitioning to team ownership in the IRL. Cheever competed in 132 Formula 1 Grand Prix races from 1978 to 1989, the most of any American, driving for nine different teams. In 1997, he established his own IRL team and achieved a memorable victory in the 1998 Indianapolis 500, both as an owner and a driver.
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Born | Edward McKay Cheever Jr. January 10, 1958 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Cheever moved to Rome during his childhood, where he was first exposed to motorsports at the age of eight during a visit to a race in Monza, Italy. His early start in go-kart racing led to winning Italian and European Karting championships by age 15. He climbed through the ranks of European Formula racing, partnering with fellow American Danny Sullivan in Formula Three and driving for Ron Dennis in Formula Two.
Cheever’s Formula One debut came at the age of 20 in 1978. Despite a challenging start, including a failure to qualify in Argentina and an early retirement in South Africa, he eventually secured a regular spot with the Osella team in 1980. Over the seasons, he achieved nine podium finishes and scored a total of 70 championship points. His peak in Formula One was during the 1983 season with the Renault alongside Alain Prost, where he was a consistent podium finisher.
Parallel to his Formula One career, from 1986 to 1988, Cheever also claimed ten sports car race victories driving for Jaguar. In 1990, he transitioned to racing in the United States, competing in the Indy Car series and at the Indianapolis 500, where he made a significant mark, including a second-place qualifying finish in 1992.
With the inception of the Indy Racing League in 1996, Cheever embraced the new series, establishing his own racing team. His crowning achievement came in 1998 when he won the Indianapolis 500 as both a driver and a team owner. Although he retired from driving in 2002, his team continued to compete, fielding cars for drivers like Alex Barron and Patrick Carpentier as late as 2005.
Eddie Cheever Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1978, 1980–1989 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Theodore, Hesketh, Osella, Tyrrell, Ligier, Renault, Alfa Romeo, Haas Lola, Arrows |
| Entries | 143 (132 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 9 |
| Career points | 70 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1978 Argentine Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1989 Australian Grand Prix |
Sources: Wikipedia.com and historicracing.com
