RACE CAR DRIVER-1998 INDY 500 WINNER
Eddie Cheever is an Overseas School Alumnus. He is a 1975 graduate of the Notre Dame International School of Rome.
He was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but moved to Italy with his family, where at the age of 13, he began his racing career at the Pista d’Oro track in Rome. There he became interested in the speed of Formula 1 racing, and by the age of 18, he was testing for Enzo Ferrari at the world famous Ferrari Works.
Subsequently, Cheever became a driver in the Formula 1 circuit, participating in races all over Europe. Cheever has had over 130 Formula 1 starts. He has raced for teams like Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, and Renault.
In 1990, he moved with his wife and family back to the United States and began competing in the Indy Racing League.
During his first year back in the US, Eddie Cheever not only qualified for his first “500” race, but earned the honor of Indy’s 1990 “Rookie of the Year.” In May of 1996, Cheever set the record for the fastest lap ever recorded in “Indy 500” history, with a speed of 236.103 mph
In 1998 he won the Indy 500.