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Full Name | Eddie McKay Cheever, Jr. |
Nationality | American | ||
Born | 10 January 1958, Phoenix (USA) | ||
Died | |||
Website | |||
@eddiecheeverf1 | |||
First Grand Prix | 1978 South African Grand Prix | Last Grand Prix | 1989 Australian Grand Prix |
Grands Prix | 132 | Non-starts | 11 (all DNQ) |
Wins | 0 | Podiums | 9 |
Best Finish | 2nd (x2) | Points | 70 |
Fastest Laps | 0 | Best Qualifying | 2nd, 1983 French Grand Prix |
Retirements | 84 | Laps Led | 0 |
Career Highlights
1977 | European Formula 2, Project Four Racing RALT BMW RT1, 12 races, 2 wins, 2nd overall |
1978 | European Formula 2, Project Four Racing March BMW 782, 12 races, 3 podiums, 4th overall |
Formula 1, Theodore Racing Ford V8 TR1, 2 entries, 2 DNQ | |
Formula 1, Hesketh Racing Ford V8 308E, 1 race, 0 points Not Classified | |
1979 | European Formula 2, Osella BMW FA2/79, 12 races, 3 wins, 4th overall |
1980 | Formula 1, Osella Ford V8 FA1 / FA1B, 14 entries, 4 DNQ, 0 points, Not Classified |
Le Mans 24 Hours, Lancia Beta Monte Carlo, 2nd in GR5 Class with Carlo Facetti & Martino Finotto | |
1981 | Formula 1, Tyrrell Ford V8 010 / 011, 15 entries, 1 DNQ, 10 points, 12th overall |
Le Mans 24 Hours, Lancia Beta Monte Carlo, 2nd in GR5 Class with Michele Alboreto & Carlo Facetti | |
1982 | Formula 1, Talbot Ligier Matra V12 JS17 / JS19, 15 entries, 1 DNQ, 3 podiums, 12 points, 15th overall |
1983 | Formula 1, Elf Renault V6T RE30C / RE40, 15 races, 4 podiums, 22 points, 6th overall |
1984 | Formula 1, Benetton Alfa Romeo V8T 184T, 16 entries, 1 DNQ, 3 points, 16th overall |
1985 | Formula 1, Benetton Alfa Romeo V8T 184TB / 185T, 16 races, 0 points, Not Classified |
1986 | Formula 1, Beatrice Haas Lola Ford V6T TLH-1, 1 race, 0 points, Not Classified |
IndyCar Series, Arcerio Racing March Ford 86C, 1 race, 0 points, Not Classified | |
1987 | Formula 1, Arrows Megatron S4T A10, 16 races, 8 points, 10th overall |
Le Mans 24 Hours, Silk Cut TWR Jaguar XJR-JLM, 5th overall with Raul Boesel & Jan Lammers | |
1988 | Formula 1, Arrows Megatron S4T A10B / A11, 16 races, 1 podium, 6 points, 12th overall |
1989 | Formula 1, Arrows Ford V8 A11, 16 entries, 2 DNQ, 1 podium, 6 points, 11th overall |
1990 | IndyCar Series, Chip Ganassi Penske Chevrolet PC-18, 16 races, 2 podiums, 9th overall |
1991 | IndyCar Series, Chip Ganassi Lola Chevrolet T91, 17 races, 1 podium, 9th overall |
1992 | IndyCar Series, Chip Ganassi Lola Ford T91 / T92, 16 races, 1 podium, 10th overall |
1993 | IndyCar Series, Various Teams, 9 races, 17th overall |
1994 | IndyCar Series, Team Menard / AJ Foyt Lola Ford T94, 8 races, 27th overall |
1995 | IndyCar Series, AJ Foyt Lola Ford T94/T95, 15 races, 18th overall |
1996 | Indy Racing League, Team Menard Lola Ford T95 / T96, 2 races, 16th overall |
1996-7 | Indy Racing League, Team Cheever Lola Menard T95 / G-Force Oldsmobile, 10 races, 1 win, 3rd overall |
1998 | Indy Racing League, Team Cheever Dallara Oldsmobile, 11 races, 9th overall, won Indianapolis 500 |
1999 | Indy Racing League, Team Cheever Dallara Oldsmobile / Infiniti, 10 races, 1 win, 7th overall |
2000 | Indy Racing League, Team Cheever Riley / Dallara Infiniti, 9 races, 1 win, 3rd overall |
2001 | Indy Racing League, Team Cheever Dallara Infiniti, 13 races, 1 win, 8th overall |
2002 | Indy Racing League, Team Cheever Dallara Infiniti, 15 races, 10th overall |
2006 | IndyCar Series, Cheever Racing Dallara Honda, 7 races, 19th overall |
Biography
A popular (but highly-strung) Eddie Cheever first entered motorsport via karting in Italy, where he was raised despite being born in Phoenix.
After a hugely impressive showing in Formula 3 and Formula 2, Eddie caught the eye of Ferrari, who offered him a contract and then signed Gilles Villeneuve. So Eddie joined forced with Theodore, quitting the team after two failed attempts to make the grid, before finally doing so with Hesketh in a one-off outing in 1978.
Two more seasons in Formula 2 saw his stock fall and then rise, and it was when the Osella team took the punt on joining Formula 1 that they took him with them. Not surprisingly, it was a frustrating season spent accruing DNFs and struggling to qualify at the back of the grid.
He joined Tyrrell in 1981 and peaked with fourth place at the British Grand Prix, before jumping ship to the Talbot Ligier outfit in 1982, where his car hung together long enough for him to take a fine second-placed finish at Detroit.
The next year saw his biggest break with a seat alongside Alain Prost at Renault, achieving two more podiums at France and Canada, but generally the flashes of brilliance were mixed with mediocrity and he was off to the unreliable Alfa Romeo in 1984. Always flamboyant behind the wheel, he rarely paid attention to the fuel gauge or the turbo pressure, which often resulted in some spectacular retirements.
Out of a drive for 1986 – save for a one-off appearance in place of the injured Patrick Tambay with Lola – he drove for TWR in sports cars and returned to F1 in 1987 with Arrows, where he stayed for three seasons, achieving some excellent results in a midfield car before the curtain was brought down on a 132-race career, which yielded just 70 points and not a single lap in the lead.
Off to the American open-wheeler scene, Eddie performed well and won the Indy 500 in 1998 from 17th on the grid among his five victories in his IRL/IndyCar championship, career, the latter part of which was spent as an owner/driver.
He now works in team management, and oversees the burgeoning motorsport career of his son, also named Eddie.
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