28 replies to this topic

[SennasCat]

I saw my first Grand Prix live in 1985 at Adelaide. In the support race (for Formula Atlantics from memory) Ross Cheever brained everybody. I never heard about him again, but watching him drive that Ralt on that weekend was second only to seeing Senna's pole lap and Rosberg/Mansells efforts to come even close to it

Thanks

Steve Williams
Sydney Australia

[Darren Galpin]

Cheever, Ross (USA)
b 12/4/1964 (Rome, Italy)

Brother of Eddie

1985 - New Zealand International Champion
1987 - Japanese F3 Champion



http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport

[Zawed]

I think he raced over in Japanese F3000 a lot in the early 90s along with Mauro Martini and those guys. Probably earned quite a bit of dosh, I imagine. I remember Eddie Irvine saying he took a pay cut to go to F1 with Jordan from Japanese F3000.

[LittleChris]

He was very quick in British F3 driving for Valour racing in about 1984 from what I remember. In fact I think he could have won the championship but for some bad luck. I believe John Upton (!?) who ran Valour also supported Johnny Herbert for a while before getting a lengthy jail sentence for drug running at which the aforementioned Romford Imp appeared as a character witness.

Chris

[Rainer Nyberg]

I remember that he raced in Japan for most of the 1990s. (F3000/FNippon).

The last I time I heard about him was when he tested for his brother Eddie in IRL 1999/2000. I think Eddie was trying to find money to run also Ross in his team but the efforts failed.

[Megatron]

Another reason for Ross not getting an IRL ride was because of his deversion to walls...

[clickhappy]

He did four (five but he dnq'd for one) CART races with AJ Foyts Copehagen in '92. I remember seeing him race in Portland that year.

[fines]

1987 - Japanese F3: Funaki Racing (Ralt/Toyota & Reynard/Toyota), four wins, two seconds, one third out of ten races, 1st in championship
1987 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (March/Cosworth & March/Yamaha), 4 starts, best finish: 9th, 17th in championship
1988 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (March/Yamaha & Reynard/Yamaha), best finish: 5th, 10th in championship
1989 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (Reynard/Mugen), two wins and two seconds out of eight races, 2nd in championship
1990 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (Reynard/Mugen & Lola/Mugen), one second in ten races, 8th in championship
1991 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), three wins out of ten races, 2nd in championship
1992 - CART: Foyt Enterprises (Lola/Chevrolet), 4 starts, best finish: 11th, 32nd in championship
1992 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), one win, two seconds and one third out of eleven races, 3rd in championship
1993 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), two wins, one second and one third out of nine races, 3rd in championship
1994 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), two wins, one second and one third out of ten races, 3rd in championship

[Eric McLoughlin]

One of the support races for the 1983 F1 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch was a Formula Ford event. Although BBC did not show the FF race, before the live broadcast of the F1 race, they showed an incident at Paddock Hill Bend which resulted in Ross Cheever ending up upside down in the middle of the track with most of the wheels off the car. I still have ny original recording of the broadcast.

[SennasCat]

Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks very much to all you helpful people

Steve Williams
Sydney Australia:up:

[ghinzani]

1987 - Japanese F3: Funaki Racing (Ralt/Toyota & Reynard/Toyota), four wins, two seconds, one third out of ten races, 1st in championship
1987 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (March/Cosworth & March/Yamaha), 4 starts, best finish: 9th, 17th in championship
1988 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (March/Yamaha & Reynard/Yamaha), best finish: 5th, 10th in championship
1989 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (Reynard/Mugen), two wins and two seconds out of eight races, 2nd in championship
1990 - Japanese F3000: Dome Racing (Reynard/Mugen & Lola/Mugen), one second in ten races, 8th in championship
1991 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), three wins out of ten races, 2nd in championship
1992 - CART: Foyt Enterprises (Lola/Chevrolet), 4 starts, best finish: 11th, 32nd in championship
1992 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), one win, two seconds and one third out of eleven races, 3rd in championship
1993 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), two wins, one second and one third out of nine races, 3rd in championship
1994 - Japanese F3000: Le Mans Company (Reynard/Mugen), two wins, one second and one third out of ten races, 3rd in championship

Given the strength of the fields in those days thats an outstanding record.

[Charles E Taylor]

Ross Cheever.



Ross got married to Elio de Angelis' sister Fabiana and then gave up on racing.


Smart guy.







Charlie

[D-Type]

Ross Cheever.



Ross got married to Elio de Angelis' sister Fabiana and then gave up on racing.


Smart guy.







Charlie

Was this before or after Elio's fatal accident? The question applies to both the marriage and retiring.

[ensign14]

Only man to beat Schumacher in F3000, I think.

[MCS]

Only man to beat Schumacher in F3000, I think.

Good man then.

[arttidesco]

Last time I remember seeing Ross was at Le Mans in 1989, I think he might have lost control of his Toyota at Indianapolis during practice I certainly remember him watching the on track action from behind the barrier on the outside of that corner.

According to oldracingcars.com Ross is now in real estate in California.

[Andretti Fan]

Only man to beat Schumacher in F3000, I think.

Of course that was Schumachers only F3000 race but yes, he did finish second to Cheever.

[rallen]

Given the strength of the fields in those days thats an outstanding record.

Can some one fill me in on the strength of the fields in those days? who were the regulars?

[ReWind]

Can some one fill me in?

It is all there on the WWW.
Searching by yourself should me much more fun than simply asking & hoping to be told by others.

[Frank Verplanken]

It is all there on the WWW. Searching by yourself should me much more fun than simply asking & hoping to be told by others.

How can it be more fun to be answered by Google rather than by a TNFer

Best source for Japan F3000 I know is of course the Formula Nippon Data Center .

[ReWind]

Wow - I've seen a lot of questions asked (and answered) on this forum, some by myself. When did this become a TNF "policy"? I think that some people may actually enjoy helping others.

I shall tell you what my "policy" is:
Make an effort by yourself before asking others.
I.e.: Only ask after you did at least a bit of research (without success).

Of course everyone is free to do whatever he likes regarding Q&A, though.

[bigears]

Credits to Rob Trebble.

He failed to qualify for the 1986 Birmingham Superprix after two separate accidents during the two qualifying sessions, as he crashed at the same corner!

[Frank Verplanken]

Make an effort by yourself before asking others. I.e.: Only ask after you did at least a bit of research (without success).

I still fail to see your point. In which way is asking google more a research thing than asking in TNF ?

[David McKinney]

It's not "more a research thing"

It shows a genuine desire to find answers, rather than just to play games

And it save hundreds of TNFers all over the world scurrying off to search the records to help the enquirer answer a question he could have settled with a couple of clicks of his mouse

[rallen]

Er thanks guy's, didn't realise I was treading on anyones toes or doing anything wrong by asking a question. I should add that at the moment I have very limited access to the internet and the chances I do get, the first thing I do is check my email or come here! also, the formula and indeed the series is not one I am familier with (sadly) so googling names I will not have nessiarily have heard of will not mean a great deal to me, yes there would no doubt have been some future high profile names that would pop up that went into say formula one, but then until this thread I had never heard of Ross or the caliber of driver he was so I assumed there would be drivers I would not have heard of who would be great but I wouldn't nessiarily have know that. Sorry perhaps I should have clarified that a bit more rather than my blunt question that I posted in a hurry.

David I am a bit offended that you think I was playing games, especially as you are a seniour poster who's knowledge I very much enjoy. why would I play games? I feel I have misjudged the ethos of TNF, its starting to seem a bit like a closed club

Edited by rallen, 28 June 2010 - 10:08.

[David McKinney]

Sorry Ral,

I was lumping you in with other posters who start threads just for the sake of it, when they probably know the answer anyway

[alansart]

One of the support races for the 1983 F1 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch was a Formula Ford event. Although BBC did not show the FF race, before the live broadcast of the F1 race, they showed an incident at Paddock Hill Bend which resulted in Ross Cheever ending up upside down in the middle of the track with most of the wheels off the car. I still have ny original recording of the broadcast.

He ended inverted at the same corner after a collision with Maurizio Sandro Sala at the FF Festival as well.

[Phil Rainford]

Here he is the right way up and all four wheels attached up from his days in British F3......




PAR

Edited by Phil Rainford, 28 June 2010 - 17:36.

[arttidesco]

Had a look at some of the competition Ross had in Japan, each driver listed only once in the year he first appeared, and only those drivers I recognise the names of appear in this list so if I have left you out apologies I do not remember you racing here in UK or Le Mans :-

'87

Suzuki, Aguri

Lees, Geoff




Suzuki, Toshio

Hasemi, Masahiro

Lammers, Jan

Elgh, Eje

Wada, Takao

Acheson, Kenneth

'88

[url="http://%5burl="http://www.swsracing.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/_dsc0377.1.jpg"]http://www.swsracing.../_dsc0377.1.jpg[/url]"]Pirro, Emanuele[/url]

Katayama, Ukyou

Scott, Dave

Blundell, Mark

'89

Martini, Mauro

Barilla, Paolo

Apicella, Marco

Barbazza, Fabrizio

Sandro-Sala, Maurizio

Donnelly, Martin

Gilbert-Scott, Andrew

Alesi, Jean

Andskar, Steven

'90

Weidler, Volker

Danielsson Thomas

Bertaggia, Enrico

Danner, Christian

Herbert, Johnny

Favre, Philippe

Ratzenberger, Roland

'91

Irvine, Eddie

Shumacher, Michael

Salo, Mika

Adams, Philip

Chaves, Pedro

'92

Frentzen, Heinz-Harald

Rydell, Rickard

Kristensen, Tom

'93

Reid, Anthony

Noda, Hideki

'94

Krumm, Michael

Dean, Richard

I'll let someone else to a comprehensive analysis, but amazing that a hand full of these drivers went on to get regular F1 rides a few more irregular F1 rides, amazing how many Le Mans victories these drivers have accounted for and a Daytona 24 hour victory too.

Only surprise is that British F3 hot shot Dave Scott's career seems to have come to an end in Japan, he can't have been much over twenty at the time, I do not recall him having an accident, does any one know why he seems to have disappeared almost without trace since ?

Edited by arttidesco, 28 June 2010 - 21:37.