Not many elite race car drivers get to compete in the Indianapolis 500, yet alone win it. Eddie Cheever Jr. visited the winner's
circle at the 1998 Indy 500. Cheever seems to have been born ready to race. He first raced in the 1970's as a teenager in
European Go-karting and his many victories would portend a bright future in motorsport. Cheever then progressed to Formula 3
and finally to Formula 1, racing for various teams across Europe including: Arrows, Alfa Romeo, and Renault.
In 1990 he returned to America to compete in CART. Ever since the IRL/CART split, he's campaigned relentlessly as an IRL
driver and team co-owner. During the 1998 Indy 500, he started off in the 17th position but managed to climb his way up through
the ranks, in the end beating Buddy Lazier by 3.191 second margin for victory.
In May 1999 he switched over from Oldsmobile's Indy engine program to Nissan's Infiniti Indy. So far he's had a season with
a lot of leading laps, but victory has so far eluded him. Now the Indy 500 is a just few weeks away and we get to ask him
some questions...
You've been racing since you were a
teenager on the karting circuit in Italy. What got you started
in motor sports over there?
My mother bought me a go-kart so my father and I could spend
more time together.I
started racing go-karts in Italy when I was thirteen, and
that’s how it all started.
Do you think growing up in a different
part of the world (Europe) has given you a unique perspective
on the world of racing?
I have been very fortunate to be able to race
professionally all over the world, and it has certainly given
me a different perspective than someone who grew up in the
United States.I
didn’t even know ovals existed until I started racing over
here.I had no concept of what they were.I came with a different point of view since I was driving Grand
Prix cars.But really,
growing up and racing in different parts of the world has
given me a unique perspective on life in general.Racing is only a small part of what I do.
In 1990, you left Arrows after
3 years with them, and departed F1
altogether to join Chip Ganassi's operation here in the
States.Was it the lure of Indy?
It was partly the lure of Indy, but it was also the fact
that Formula One cars were shrinking and I wasn’t.It was very difficult to fit into them.The cars were changing aerodynamically, and it was
making it a series for smaller drivers.I’m six feet tall.Also,
I was looking for a change.I
was very unhappy racing in Formula One, and I wanted to come
to the States to race at Indy.
Now that you're Infiniti's only
driver, does that put any more pressure on you to finish in
the top three?
I don’t
race for Infiniti alone, I race for Team Cheever, Excite@Home,
Firestone, and all our other performance partners.Pressure is what you make of something.I could sit and easily tie myself in all sorts of knots
as the only driver racing with the Infiniti Indy engine.Racing is an extremely egocentric sport.When I’m in the car, I don’t even think about
anything or anyone else.When I’m in the cockpit, the only thing I’m
thinking about is how to beat the other drivers.
You've had many highlights with the
Infiniti Indy engine but no first
place finishes. How does this year's Indy 500 shape up for
you?
The Indianapolis 500 is the hardest race of the year for
everybody, no matter how good their equipment is.We have worked hard on engine reliability since last year’s Indy.Changing from a 4.0 L to a 3.5 L engine seems to have
helped us a lot in that regard.There is no more grueling test for a team, driver, or engine
than the Indianapolis 500.You are never totally satisfied that you have the right
package, but I think we are in very good shape.As a driver I am extremely confident for this year’s
Indy 500.
Would you consider yourself a "car
guy?"
Yes
and no.I like new
things and new technology, and cars are always on the leading
edge of technology.I
like seeing the way engineers solve problems.I love new cars and new gadgets.
What
are some of your favorite street cars?
I
used to have a lot of cars – old Ferraris and Porsches –
but I don’t anymore.Certainly,
I enjoy driving Infiniti vehicles, and especially the Q45
performance luxury sedan.When
you look at a car like the new Q45, it’s just tremendous.It’s unbelievable that Infiniti can offer the
consumer such advanced technology at such an excellent price.
What's
the number one thing that as a race driver really bothers you about drivers on public roads?
I
don’t think anybody understands how easy it is to get hurt
in a street car, even if you are going only 30 or 40 miles an
hour.There are so many
distractions – people talking on cell phones, kids in the
back seat, etc. – that I actually pay more attention in a
street car than I do in a racecar.
What's
a car that you haven't driven but would love to?
I like to drive the cars that the public is going to be
getting a year from now.That’s a lot of fun.
What
do you think of new 2002 Infiniti Q45?
From what I’ve seen of the drawings and the technical
sheets, the new Infiniti Q45 should set the standard for
performance luxury sedans.I’m
looking forward to driving it very soon.
