Eddie Cheever

Cheever in his Arrows overalls (1987)

**Edward McKay Cheever Jr.** (known as **Eddie Cheever**; born 17 April 1954) is an American racing driver, currently competing in the Indy Car series. Cheever previously competed in Formula One, last driving for Arrows.

## Early life and career

Cheever was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but spent his childhood in Rome, Italy, where he attended St. George's British International School and then The New School of Rome. He was introduced to motorsports at the age of eight, when his father took him to a Monza sports car race. He soon began racing go-karts, winning both the Italian and European Karting Championships at the age of fifteen. He progressed through the levels of European Formula racing, eventually teaming up with fellow American Danny Sullivan in Formula Three in 1975. He won a significant race against Gunnar Nilsson and Rupert Keegan at the end of 1975 before driving for Ron Dennis' Project Four team in Formula Two in 1976, 1977, and 1978, finishing second to René Arnoux in the 1977 championship. By the end of 1977, he was regarded as the world's most promising driver outside of Formula One, having won F2 races at the Nürburgring and Rouen.

## Formula One

Cheever made his Formula One début in 1978, shortly after turning 20. After failing to qualify for the first two races of the year in Argentina and Brazil in a Theodore, he made the grid in South Africa in a Hesketh but retired prematurely. He then focused on Formula Two for the remainder of 1978 and 1979. Cheever left Project Four to join the Italian Osella team for the 1979 Formula Two championship, where he won three races and finished fourth overall in their BMW-powered FA2. In 1980, Osella moved up to Formula One, with Cheever driving the team's Cosworth-powered FA1. However, the car was unreliable, and Cheever finished only twelfth overall, at the team's home race in Italy. Cheever switched teams several times as he attempted to climb the grid, scoring five points for Tyrrell in 1981 and three podiums for Ligier the following year, including a second-place finish at the 1982 Detroit Grand Prix.

Cheever's Formula One career peaked during the 1983 season. He joined the factory Équipe Renault team alongside Frenchman Alain Prost, both of whom were among the season's championship favourites. Cheever earned four more podiums and 22 Championship points in the first two races while driving the Renault RE30C, before switching to the much better RE40 for the rest of the season. However, the team's disappointment at losing both the Drivers' (Prost) and Constructors' titles late in the season resulted in the replacement of both Cheever and Prost. His best finish for Renault was second in the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, and earlier in the season, he achieved his best career qualifying position by finishing second to teammate Prost at the French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard. It was widely suggested at the time that Renault would sign Cheever because the French manufacturer wanted to sell more cars in North America, and having an American driver on the factory-backed Formula One team would help that cause.

In six additional seasons, he never drove another truly competitive F1 car. After leaving Renault, Cheever spent two unsuccessful seasons as Alfa Romeo's teammate to Italian Riccardo Patrese. The Alfas' thirsty and underpowered *890T* V8 turbo engine produced few results, but it was widely believed that Cheever outperformed his teammate despite failing to qualify for the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix. Patrese, however, scored the team's only podium finish in those two years, finishing third in the 1984 Italian Grand Prix. Cheever was third with six laps remaining when his Alfa ran out of fuel, handing the position to Patrese. 1985 was not helped by the team's car, the Alfa Romeo 185T, which proved to be extremely uncompetitive, forcing the team to upgrade its 1984 car, the 184T, to 1985 specifications and use it for the final half of the season, though the old car did not improve results despite being slightly faster because the fuel issue persisted. Late in the 1985 season, Alfa announced that they would exit F1 at the end of the year, leaving Cheever without an F1 drive, while Patrese returned to Brabham in place of Nelson Piquet, who was moving to Williams.

Cheever competed in only one Formula One Grand Prix in 1986 while racing for Tom Walkinshaw Racing's Jaguar team in the World Sportscar Championship. This was for the American-owned and sponsored Haas Lola team in Detroit, to replace the injured Patrick Tambay. Cheever qualified the unfamiliar Lola THL2 with a turbocharged Ford V6 engine in tenth place. Alan Jones, the regular team driver and 1980 World Champion, qualified 21st. Both Lolas retired with steering damage during the race, Jones on lap 33 and Cheever four laps later. Cheever was the third choice to replace Tambay in the race. Team owner Carl Haas had originally asked his CART team's lead driver, 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti, to drive. Mario declined, but recommended his son Michael as a replacement. However, when Michael was unable to obtain an FIA Super Licence for the race, Haas turned to the experienced Cheever, who quickly agreed to make his F1 return.

Arrows team boss Jackie Oliver signed him in 1987 to partner British driver Derek Warwick (Cheever's appointment coincided with the team's new major sponsor, the USF&G financial group). Cheever and Warwick (who had been teammates at TWR the previous year) were evenly matched and would have numerous on-track battles in 1987 and 1988.

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## Personal life

His younger brother, Ross (b. 1964), is also a racing driver, winning the 1987 Japanese Formula 3 Championship.

## Notes

1. ↑ Winner's Circle United States Grand Prix, John Blakemore Photograph Collection, Revs Institute, Revs Digital Library.