Eddie to ALMS

[spinner26]

I just was told that Eddie Cheever himself is going to be driving a RED BULL sponored ALMS car next season. Has this already been posted?

[coolhand]

It has been going around other forums, its just a web rumour but it sounds very plausable.

[FCYTravis]

There's a rumor that Cheeeeeeever is going to take his team over there next year.

Then again, we hear that Bobby Rahal is going to join the ALMS every month... usually with a different car attached. I'll believe it when I see it.

[nissan gtp]

eddie -> :gomer:

[Classic Apex]

Eddie...

http://www.jaboobie.com/pic/blogpic/cousin_eddie.jpg

[RichK]

***tter's full! :laugh:

[extramundane]

There's a rumor that Cheeeeeeever is going to take his team over there next year.

Well, it goes without saying that they need all the cars they can get at this point. And if Eddie's driving...well that second J3 rent-a-Porsche will finally have some competition. :gomer:


Then again, we hear that Bobby Rahal is going to join the ALMS every month... usually with a different car attached. I'll believe it when I see it.

PFOC.

[pchall]

Cheeser used to do OK in the Silk Cut Jags, but that only required that he be slow and predictable. ;) They had other guys to do the real racing. :rolleyes:

[Fio1]

How does a guy go from being America's best hope in F1 to be considered a complete hack by some people in 20 years? In the late 70's he was one of the best in F3 & F2. In 1979 he test drove a Ferrari. In 81 he did extremely well with Tyrell. In 82 almost won a race in the Ligier. In 1983 he was hired by Renault to team Prost, then moved to Alfa for 84-85. What the heck happened? :rolleyes:

[Ziggy]

Do you actually think his talent merited a Formula One drive? Or do you think he was at the right place at the right time?

de Angellis's Dad had a huge influence ($$$$$$$$$$) on Eddie's aspirations. He's about as American as Schell

Lets review

118 starts
wins 0
pole's 0
fastest laps 0
points 64 (!)

Now, lets compare him to some other Americans of the era. Mears and Ongias come to mind. Rick got hooked up with Penske, even though both he and Cheeser had a connection with Teddy Yip. What would have happened if Rick got some seed money from someplace, and had aspirations of running F1? Think he would have waxed Eddie's butt? Now Danny was hooked with Ted Field by the hip. Lets say they got real serious about running F1 and took the Field Interscope money in total (no Champcar, no Porsche 935's) to McLarens or someother top running team (Brabham) do you think we would even know Eddie Cheevers name?

Cheever had the luxury of moving to Europe with wealthy parents at an early age. He raced with a crop of Italians who made a mark in the sport.

Food for thought, here is Elio's records

108 starts
Wins 2
Poles 3
Fast laps 0
Points 122
RIP, killed testing low line Brabham at Paul Riccard if I remember correctly.

Cheever was and is, a mid packer as well as being an ******* :thumdown:

[chop456]

This is great news.

My heckling opportunies just increased from zero to three!

Eddie "I'm really Italian" Cheever. :laugh:

100% tool.

[NismoZ]

So, that's a "welcome!", then? Hell, bring 'em all! (I think there's room)

[Al Czervik]

How does a guy go from being America's best hope in F1 to be considered a complete hack by some people in 20 years? In the late 70's he was one of the best in F3 & F2. In 1979 he test drove a Ferrari. In 81 he did extremely well with Tyrell. In 82 almost won a race in the Ligier. In 1983 he was hired by Renault to team Prost, then moved to Alfa for 84-85. What the heck happened? :rolleyes:

Massive Kool-Aid ingestion, for one thing.

Also note lack of F1 wins in the above quote.

Not mentioned, but significant: Lack of CART wins after F1 days were over.

[pchall]

In the late 70's he [Cheever] was one of the best in F3 & F2. :rolleyes:

Mike Thackwell was the real deal in F2 then. Cheever was just a poser.

[nrc]

Do you actually think his talent merited a Formula One drive? Or do you think he was at the right place at the right time?

No an yes.

Good post, Ziggy.

[Fio1]

Ziggy: Good points. But, what about the March F2 deal thanks to BMW? Right place at the right time. But, then again not in F1. What if he would have stayed at Renault in 84 instead of going to Alfa? Or would have gone to Alfa in 83 instead of going to Renault, would he have won a GP then? Maybe, maybe not. Also, I don't think Ongais was good enough to win an F1. Rick Mears, no doubt he would have done very well and won in the right car! Too bad, he didn't get the Ferrari deal in 82....

PCHall: Mike Tackwell was great in F2, I agree. But if I recall correctly, he was more Boutsen, Danner, Palmer, Cecotto, Gabbiani era then Cheever. Cheever was more with Surer, Winkelhock, Giacomelli, Henton, Warwick, Rosberg, etc. But, then again I could be wrong. I wasn't even ten years old in 79, 80, 81...

[pchall]

PCHall: Mike Tackwell was great in F2, I agree. But if I recall correctly, he was more Boutsen, Danner, Palmer, Cecotto, Gabbiani era then Cheever. Cheever was more with Surer, Winkelhock, Giacomelli, Henton, Warwick, Rosberg, etc. But, then again I could be wrong. I wasn't even ten years old in 79, 80, 81...

5 wins in Brit F3 in 1979. F2 in 1980 with impressive speed leading to his first F1 drives with Arrows and Tyrrel during that season. Very quick and a winner in 81 and on in F2, despite messing his legs up in an F2 crash. Labeled as "damaged goods", but still impressive enough to get a phone call from Roger Penske in 1984 and drive at Laguna Seca to replace Rick Mears. He was one of the reasons to go to the newstand downtown and buy a copy of Autocar each week just to read the race reports for F3 and F2.

Thackwell was the real deal. His F2 record shows it. Cheever's F1 seat time was just a waste of aluminum and carbon fibre.

Cheever was the poser in that era. Even Desiré Wilson was better than Eddie in a single-seater during that period.

[devilmaster]

How does a guy go from being America's best hope to be considered a complete hack by some people in 20 years? What the heck happened?

It happens. See Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr.



Good to see ya back, Zig! :thumbup:

[NismoZ]

They USED carbon fibre back then?

[pchall]

They USED carbon fibre back then?

Yes. By 1984 F1 tech had even advanced enough to use matches instead of rubbing two sticks together to make fire. ;)

[fourrunner]

I remember a Panel discussion comprising the Americans that had participated in Formula 1 ... It was about 2 years ago on SPEED ( maybe longer )
it was hosted by Bob Varsha & the panel members were Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Danny Sullivan, and Eddie Cheever

Mario Andretti could not appear ( I don't think Michael counted, he was not there either

I distinctly remember Eddie Cheever hogging the conversation to the point that the others were rolling there eyes ! Even Varsha was trying to direct the questions to the others but after one sentence, Eddie would jump in and talk over the others ... I believe he thought he was more significant than the others !

This was at a time when Eddie was the "UnOfficial Spokesman" for the IRL, and sharp critic of CART ... which he also got in the conversation ... I remember Gurney holding his tongue !

A Complete and utter Jerk !!

[pchall]

A Complete and utter Jerk !!

But at least Eddie had a great F1 career in his own mind.

[formulaben]

I remember a Panel discussion comprising the Americans that had participated in Formula 1 ... It was about 2 years ago on SPEED ( maybe longer )
it was hosted by Bob Varsha & the panel members were Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Danny Sullivan, and Eddie Cheever

Mario Andretti could not appear ( I don't think Michael counted, he was not there either

I distinctly remember Eddie Cheever hogging the conversation to the point that the others were rolling there eyes ! Even Varsha was trying to direct the questions to the others but after one sentence, Eddie would jump in and talk over the others ... I believe he thought he was more significant than the others !

This was at a time when Eddie was the "UnOfficial Spokesman" for the IRL, and sharp critic of CART ... which he also got in the conversation ... I remember Gurney holding his tongue !

A Complete and utter Jerk !!


Yeah, I remember being embarrased for him and felt sorry for Hill and Gurney that day, having to be grouped with that knob.