23 Facts About Eddie Cheever

In 1996, he formed his own IRL team, Team Eddie Cheever, and won the 1998 Indianapolis 500 as both owner and driver.

Eddie Cheever was introduced to motorsports at age eight when his father took him to a sports car race in Monza.

Eddie Cheever soon began racing go-karts and won both the Italian and European Karting Championships at age 15.

Eddie Cheever worked his way up through the levels of European Formula racing, teaming with fellow American Danny Sullivan in Formula Three in 1975.

Eddie Cheever scored a significant win against Gunnar Nilsson and Rupert Keegan at the end of 1975 and then driving for Ron Dennis' Project Four team in Formula Two in 1976,1977, and 1978, finishing runner-up to Rene Arnoux in the 1977 championship.

Eddie Cheever first entered Formula One in 1978, shortly after his 20th birthday.

Eddie Cheever then concentrated on Formula Two for the rest of 1978 and 1979.

In 1980 Osella moved up to Formula One, Eddie Cheever piloting the team's Cosworth-powered FA1.

However, the car was unreliable and Eddie Cheever managed just one finish all year, twelfth place at the team's home race in Italy.

Eddie Cheever signed with the factory Equipe Renault team alongside Frenchman Alain Prost, both of whom were among the year's Championship favorites.

Eddie Cheever earned four more podiums and 22 Championship points driving the Renault RE30C for the first two races before driving its much better replacement, the RE40, for the remainder of the season.

The thirsty and underpowered 890T V8 turbo engine used in the Alfas generally saw results few and far between, though it was generally believed Eddie Cheever outperformed his teammate despite failing to qualify for the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix.

Eddie Cheever had been third with six laps remaining but his Alfa ran out of fuel, handing the place to Patrese.

Eddie Cheever was only the third choice to replace Tambay for the race.

Eddie Cheever secured third place at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix at Monza; at one stage, he was almost disqualified when his Arrows A10B's 150-liter fuel tank was found to actually contain 151 liters.

From 1986 to 1988, while still driving in Formula One, Eddie Cheever won ten sports car races for Jaguar.

Foyt's team, Eddie Cheever came closest to victory at Nazareth in 1995: he was leading the race on the last lap when he ran out of fuel.

In 1996 the Indy Racing League began, and Eddie Cheever moved there from CART.

Eddie Cheever started from 17th position and led 76 of 200 laps to win the 82nd Indianapolis 500, despite sliding in the first turn of the race's first lap, helping bring out the race's first caution period.

Eddie Cheever shut his team down after the eighth race of the season due to lack of sponsorship.

Eddie Cheever provided television commentary on ABC for the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 from 2008 to 2018 with Allen Bestwick and Scott Goodyear, a former three-time runner-up in the Indy 500 who drove for Team Eddie Cheever in 2001.

In 2005 Eddie Cheever competed in the GP Masters series which is open to former Formula One drivers over the age of 45.

Eddie Cheever finished fourth in the second GP Masters race on April 29,2006, at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.