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Eddie CheeverAmerican racing driver, participant of 11 seasons of the Formula 1 World Auto Racing Championships.
Date of Birth: 10.01.1958
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Eddie Cheever
Eddie McKay Cheever, Jr., born on January 10, 1958, in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, is an American racing driver who participated in 11 seasons of the Formula One World Championship. He also competed in CART, Indianapolis, and owned an IndyCar team.
Early Life and Career
Cheever was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but he lived in Rome, Italy. His passion for motorsports developed at a young age when he attended a sports car race in Monza with his father at the age of eight. This experience sparked his interest in racing, and he began karting. At the age of 15, he won the Italian and European Karting Championships before joining a Formula 3 team with fellow American driver Danny Sullivan. He later partnered with Ron Dennis in Formula 2.
Formula One Career
Cheever made his Formula One debut at the age of 20 in 1978 with the Hesketh-Ford team. After two years, he moved to the Osella team before transferring to Tyrrell in 1981. He then joined Ligier, where he achieved three podium finishes. In 1983, he scored the highest number of points in a season alongside Alain Prost for the Renault team. Despite earning 22 points that season as the second driver, he was not retained for the following year since the team did not win the Constructors' Cup.
Over the next six seasons, Cheever raced for various teams, with his final podium finish occurring at his home Grand Prix in Phoenix while racing for Arrows.
IndyCar and Team Ownership
After leaving Formula One, Cheever transitioned to the IndyCar series in the United States. In 1998, he achieved success as both a driver and team owner, winning the Indianapolis 500 with his own team. This victory made him the first driver-owner to win the prestigious race since A.J. Foyt in 1977.
Cheever's team continued to compete in the IndyCar series, with him driving occasionally, until its closure in 2006.
In addition to his racing career, Cheever has served as a television commentator and analyst for Formula One races in the United States.
Legacy
Eddie Cheever is remembered as a talented and versatile racing driver who achieved success in multiple disciplines, including Formula One, CART, and IndyCar. His victory in the Indianapolis 500 as a driver-owner solidified his place as one of the esteemed names in American motorsport.
