Eddie Cheever

Eddie Cheever as an F1 rookie.
Details
Name	Edward McKay Cheever Jr
Born	10th Jan 1958
Nationality	Template:USA American
F1 Teams
Scuderia Everest Template:FRA Ligier Gitanes

Eddie Cheever (born 10th January 1958 in Phoenix, Arizona) is a Formula One driver who drove for Minardi and Ligier in 1979.

Before Formula One

Despite being born in the United States and later going on to race under the American flag throughout his career, Eddie Cheever was raised in Italy. His first time spectating motorsport was at a 1966 sports car race at Monza with his father, while his racing debut would come a few years later in go-karts. By the age of 15, he had been crowned Italian and European champion and was ready to move into cars. By the end of the 1977 season, in which he was the runner-up in European Formula Two behind René Arnoux aged only nineteen, he was considered a top prospect. However, a disappointing Formula Two campaign in 1978 meant that his stock fell far enough that he was signed by the struggling Scuderia Everest for the 1979 F1 season, as opposed to any of the ten teams that finished 1978 above them.

Formula One Career

Unfortunately for Cheever, by the time he arrived at the Scuderia Everest team, the money had all but run out. Entered alongside Piercarlo Ghinzani for only the European rounds (see: financial difficulties), the pair could not drag their Minardi cars out of prequalifying due to a simple lack of pace. However, Cheever's impressive pace in those prequalifying sessions and at the non-championship events he was entered into (including a tenth place in the BRDC International Trophy and contending for a podium finish at the Tony Brise Memorial Trophy before a late gearbox failure bequeathed it to his teammate instead) were enough to attract the attention of Ligier, who entered him for the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

This was a huge opportunity for Cheever, as there was significant uncertainty over whether he could expect to be resigned to the team once it had been bought out and refurbished as Osella Squadra Corse.

Results

Season	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Pts	Pos
1979	Template:GBR Team Ensign	Ensign-Ford	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	ESP DNPQ	BEL DNPQ	MON DNPQ	EUR DNPQ	SMR DNPQ	FRA DNPQ	GBR DNPQ	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN		0*	-
	Template:FRA Ligier Gitanes	Ligier-Matra																	USA ENT