KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE SINCE 1999
Eddie Cheever
10/1/1958
Eddie McKay Cheever is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League, and now owns an IRL team. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different teams from 1978 through 1989. In 1997, he formed his own IRL team and won the Indianapolis 500 as both an owner and driver in 1998.
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American racing driver for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League, and now owns an IRL team. Cheever participated in 132 Formula One races, more than any other American, driving for nine different teams from 1978 through 1989. In 1997, he formed his own IRL team and won the Indianapolis 500 as both an owner and driver in 1998. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Cheever lived in Rome as a child and was introduced to motorsports at age eight when his father took him to a sports car race in Monza, Italy. He soon began racing go karts and won both Italian and European Karting championships at age 15. He worked his way up through the levels of European Formula racing, teaming with American Danny Sullivan in Formula Three and driving for Ron Dennis in Formula Two.
He made his F1 debut at age 20 in 1978. After failing to qualify in Argentina, he made the grid at Kyalami for the South African Grand Prix in a Hesketh-Ford. An engine problem forced him to retire after just eight laps. Two seasons later, he became a regular driver for the Osella team, but finished only once in ten races. Switching teams repeatedly as he tried to climb his way up the grid, Cheever had five points-scoring finishes for the Tyrrell team in 1981, and three podiums for Ligier the following year, including a second place at the 1982 United States Grand Prix East in Detroit.
Some times referred to as 'Je suis vert' (I am green), the 1983 season proved to be Cheever's high point in Formula One. He signed with the Renault team alongside Frenchman Alain Prost, both of whom were among the year's Championship favorites. Cheever drove well in support of team number one Prost, earning four more podiums and 22 Championship points, but the team's disappointment after losing both the Driver's and Constructor's titles late in the season brought about the replacement of both Cheever and Prost. In six more seasons, he never drove another truly competitive F1 car. His final podium finish in Formula One came in his hometown of Phoenix at the first USGP event there when he finished third for the Arrows team.
In all, he participated in 143 grands prix, achieved 9 podiums, and scored a total of 70 championship points.
From 1986 to 1988, while still driving in Formula One, Cheever won ten sports car races for Jaguar. In 1990 he moved to the US to drive in the Indy Car series and to race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In his first attempt at the Indianapolis 500, he finished eighth and was named Rookie of the Year. In 1992, he qualified second for the race and finished fourth. In total he scored 4 top-3 finishes in the series, although never winning.
In 1996 the Indy Racing League was formed, and Cheever switched to this, soon setting up his own team. Then in 1998, all the pieces came together for Cheever when he took the biggest win of his career as both a driver and owner. He started from 17th position and led 76 of 200 laps to win the Indianapolis 500. His team is still active today, and he runs cars for Alex Barron and Patrick Carpentier in 2005, having hung up his helmet in 2002.
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Sigurd Olson Haugdahl 1891 - 1970 -
Harry Merkel 1918 - 1995 -
Rodger Ward 1921 - 2004 -
Harry Gant 1940 -
Rory Byrne 1940
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Eddie Cheever 1958
Eddie McKay Cheever is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League, and now owns an IRL team. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different teams from 1978 through 1989. In 1997, he formed his own IRL team and won the Indianapolis 500 as both an owner and driver in 1998. -
Kevin Cogan 1956
Having shown promise in the British F1 series (Aurora AFX F1 Championship) he made two brief forays into the World Championship but after failing to qualify twice he switched back to the USA and made a promissing start to his Indy career and was tipped to become the sport's next star. However after taking out both Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt on the parade lap of the 1982 Indy 500 his prospects diminished. -
Bobby Rahal 1953
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing team owner and former driver, spending most of his driving career in the CART open-wheel series, winning three championships there. Rahal raced in Formula 1 and CART. After retiring as a driver, Rahal held managerial positions with the Jaguar Formula 1 team and also was an interim president of the CART series. -
Michael Andretti 1962
One of the first second-generation open wheel race car drivers, Michael Andretti is the oldest son of racing legend Mario Andretti. Michael is CEO of Andretti Green Racing, a four-car team competing in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. As a team owner, he has won two back-to-back IndyCar championships and an Indy 500 win. -
Danny Sullivan 1950
Sullivan starting racing in Europe, eventually ending up back in the 'States in 1980. He made his CART debut in 1982 and in 1983 he became an F1 driver with Tyrrell however he was back in CART in 1984. In 1985 he won the Indy 500 and the CART title in 1987.