14/7/1974
Record updated 14-Jul-06
Son of Ian and nephew of Jody, Jaki was hearing-impaired since birth. He won the South African Formula Ford championship in 1992 and the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 1995.
Jaki Scheckter comes from the most eminent of South African racing families. His father Ian and his uncle Jody were both professional F1 drivers.
Hearing-impaired since birth, Jaki won the South African Formula Ford championship in 1992 and the Barber Dodge Pro Series title in 1995. He also won the Barber Dodge Scholarship Shootout and a 100,000 dollar scholarship.
He was looking a likely candidate to follow his father and uncle into Formula One. Voted Motor Sportsman of the Year by the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists in 1995, he made a good impression on the Indy Lights racing circuit with Newport Cigarettes sponsorhip. Jaki did relatively well on street circuits at Detroit, Milwaukee, and Portland, finishing 11th in one race finishing, 7th in another. But the sponsorship dried up and he was forced to return to South Africa and after competing in the Stannic Group N championship in 1997 he faded from the scene.