House Bill 9129

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HR 9129

        By Representative Posey






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution designating April 27, 1999, as

  3         Eddie Cheever Day.

  4

  5         WHEREAS, the sport of auto racing is one of the world's

  6  most popular spectator sports and is the fastest growing

  7  spectator sport in the United States, and

  8         WHEREAS, Florida is fortunate to be the home of several

  9  renowned speedways, such as Daytona, Orlando, Sebring, and

10  Homestead, as well as numerous short tracks throughout the

11  state, and

12         WHEREAS, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is known as the

13  greatest spectacle in auto racing and, since its inception in

14  1911, has clearly been recognized as the most prestigious

15  event in the history of the sport, and

16         WHEREAS, the crowd gathered in the world's largest

17  sporting facility at Indianapolis watched the 82nd running of

18  the Indianapolis 500 in 1998, and

19         WHEREAS, the 1998 Indianapolis 500 was won by Eddie

20  Cheever, a resident of Lake Nona in Orange County, and

21         WHEREAS, this year, the 1999 Indianapolis 200 at the

22  Walt Disney World Speedway in Lake Buena Vista was also won by

23  Eddie Cheever, and

24         WHEREAS, introduced to racing at an early age, Eddie

25  Cheever had, by the age of twenty, already driven go-karts,

26  Formula Fords, Formula Three cars, Formula Two cars, and

27  Formula One cars, and

28         WHEREAS, Eddie Cheever drove Formula One cars for 12

29  years with numerous podium finishes to his credit before

30  coming to America to begin racing Indy cars in 1990, and

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HR 9129

    532-221B-99






  1         WHEREAS, after 26 years of racing throughout Europe and

  2  the United States, Eddie Cheever needed a new challenge, and

  3         WHEREAS, in 1996, with the formation of the Indy Racing

  4  League, Cheever decided it was time to take the next step to

  5  further his racing career and became the Indy Racing League's

  6  first owner/driver, and

  7         WHEREAS, Eddie Cheever formed the Team Cheever racing

  8  team and based it in Indianapolis, the heart of Indy racing,

  9  and

10         WHEREAS, at the beginning of the 1998 season, Cheever

11  established a partnership with Clyde Perlee, publisher and

12  editor-in-chief of West Publishing for 25 years, who brought a

13  strong sense of business strategy and organization to the

14  Cheever racing team, and

15         WHEREAS, in its brief three-year Indy Racing League

16  history, Team Cheever has won the 1999 Indy 200, the 1998 Indy

17  500, and the 1997 Indy 200, garnered the Rookie of the Year

18  title at the 1997 Indy 500 with Jeff Ward, and Rookie of the

19  Year honors for the 1998 Indy Racing League season with Robby

20  Unser, and

21         WHEREAS, with the 1998 Indianapolis win, Eddie Cheever

22  became the first owner/driver to win the Indy 500 since A.J.

23  Foyt won in 1977, and

24         WHEREAS, Team Cheever has an overall team record of

25  eight Top Five finishes and thirteen Top Ten finishes in 3l

26  starts, and

27         WHEREAS, Eddie Cheever has become one of the first bona

28  fide marquee stars in the Indy Racing League, and

29         WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate that the Florida

30  House of Representatives recognize Eddie Cheever for his

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HR 9129

    532-221B-99






  1  numerous accomplishments in the sport of auto racing, NOW,

  2  THEREFORE,

  3

  4  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

  5  Florida:

  6

  7         That the House of Representatives of the State of

  8  Florida hereby designates April 27, 1999, as Eddie Cheever Day

  9  in Florida, in recognition of Eddie Cheever, winner of the

10  1998 Indy 500 and two-time winner of the Indy 200, for his

11  many accomplishments in the sport of auto racing.

12         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution

13  be presented to Eddie Cheever as a tangible token of the

14  sentiments expressed herein.

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