Jody Scheckter

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Jody David Scheckter (Template:IPAc-en; born 29 January 1950) is a South African former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from Template:Ifnumber to Template:Ifnumber. Scheckter won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in Template:Ifnumber with Ferrari, and remains the only African driver to have won a Formula One Grand Prix or the World Drivers' Championship; he won 10 Grands Prix across nine seasons.

Born and raised in East London, Cape Province, Scheckter rapidly ascended through the ranks of motor racing upon moving to the United Kingdom in 1970. His Formula One debut came two years later at the 1972 United States Grand Prix, driving for McLaren, whom he had raced for that year in British and European Formula Two. Amongst winning the SCCA Continental Championship in Formula 5000, Scheckter entered a further five Grands Prix in Template:Ifnumber with McLaren. Scheckter earned a full-time drive with Tyrrell the following season, taking his maiden win at the Template:F1GP and finishing third in the championship. Scheckter won his home Grand Prix in South Africa in Template:Ifnumber and placed third in the standings again in Template:Ifnumber, driving the six-wheeled P34; he remains the only driver to win a Grand Prix on six wheels.

Moving to Wolf in Template:Ifnumber, Scheckter took several race wins—including the Template:F1GP—as he finished runner-up to Niki Lauda in the standings. After a winless season for Wolf in Template:Ifnumber, Scheckter moved to Ferrari to partner Gilles Villeneuve. Winning three Grands Prix in his first season for Ferrari, Scheckter clinched the title with his victory at the Template:F1GP, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from Africa. He was unable to defend his title in Template:Ifnumber as Ferrari struggled with the 312T5, retiring at the end of the season having achieved 10 race wins, three pole positions, five fastest laps and 33 podiums in Formula One.

Upon retiring from motor racing, Scheckter worked as a broadcaster for CBS, ABC and ITV. He founded a weapons simulation business in 1984 called Firearms Training Systems, whose revenue eclipsed £100 million by the early 1990s. Scheckter then moved into organic farming, owning Laverstoke Park Farm in England. His sons Toby and Tomas are both racing drivers.

Career

Jody David Scheckter was born on 29 January 1950 in East London, Cape Province, Union of South Africa,^[1] and educated at Vincent Primary School (East London) and Selborne College.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Formula One

File:Scheckter Britain 1974.jpg

Scheckter in a Tyrrell 007 at the 1974 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch.

He rapidly ascended to the ranks of Formula One after moving to Britain in 1970. His Formula 1 debut occurred at the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 1972 with McLaren, where he ran as high as third place before spinning and finishing ninth. Immediately becoming a name to watch, he continued his development the following year, winning the 1973 SCCA L&M Championship and racing five times in F1. In France, he almost won in only his third start in F1 before crashing into Emerson Fittipaldi, the reigning World Champion, who said after the crash about Scheckter: "This madman is a menace to himself and everybody else and does not belong in Formula 1."^[2] In his next start, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Scheckter's spin triggered a major accident which took nearly a dozen cars out of the race. The Grand Prix Drivers Association demanded his immediate banishment, which was only put off when McLaren agreed to rest their driver for four races.^[2] Scheckter's McLaren M23 bore the number zero during the Canadian and American Grands Prix of 1973. Scheckter is one of only two F1 drivers to compete under this number, the other being Damon Hill. During the practice for the American event at the Watkins Glen circuit, Frenchman François Cevert, who was due to be Scheckter's Tyrrell teammate for 1974, was killed in an appalling accident at the fast uphill Esses corners. Scheckter was behind Cevert when he crashed, and he stopped his McLaren, got out of his car and attempted to help Cevert out of his destroyed Tyrrell, but the 29-year-old Frenchman had been cut in half by the circuit's poorly installed Armco barriers and was already dead. Witnessing Cevert's dreadful accident left an indelible mark on the South African and caused him to abandon his reckless ways, becoming a more mature and calculating driver as a result.^[3]

File:ScheckterJody1976-07-31Tyrrell-FordP34.jpg

Scheckter in the iconic six-wheel Tyrrell P34 at the Nürburgring in 1976.

Tyrrell in 1974 gave Scheckter his first full-time drive in F1 and he rewarded them with a third-place finish in the Drivers' Championship and a pair of wins in Sweden and Britain. During the year, he scored points in eight consecutive races, one of the longer scoring streaks of the time. A slight off-year followed, although he did become the only South African to win the South African Grand Prix, but his third year with the team in 1976 gave him another third-place finish in the Drivers' Championship. In that season, Tyrrell introduced the most radical car in F1 history, the innovative six-wheeled Tyrrell P34. Although he later went on record as saying the car was "a piece of junk", Scheckter gave the six-wheeler its only win on Sweden's Anderstorp circuit and in his twelve races with the car, he scored points ten times. This included a thrilling race-long battle for the lead in the American Grand Prix between himself and his great friend James Hunt.

Scheckter left for Walter Wolf's new team in 1977 and Scheckter gave the team a win in its maiden race. He won twice more with the team and was often on the podium, but finished second on points behind a more dominant Niki Lauda. A seventh-place finish with the team in 1978 followed and he left the team after the season to join Ferrari to partner Gilles Villeneuve in the team's ground effect 312T4 car.

File:Jody Scheckter 1979 Monaco.jpg

Scheckter driving for Ferrari at the 1979 Monaco Grand Prix.

Critics felt he would not get along well with the domineering management at Ferrari, but he far surpassed expectations and helped give F1's most recognisable team another Constructors' Championship, while Scheckter's consistent finishes, with three wins among them, gave him the Drivers' Championship in 1979.^[2] However, he struggled badly in his 1980 title defence, even failing to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix. After managing only two points, Scheckter announced his retirement from the team and the sport. Scheckter was the last driver to win a Drivers' Championship for Ferrari until Michael Schumacher twenty-one years later in Template:Ifnumber.

Other ventures

Broadcasting

Template:BLP unsourced section In 1981, CBS Sports hired Scheckter as a Pit reporter for its F1 coverage. Scheckter was brought in by ABC's Wide World of Sports as a Pit reporter for the 1983 Monaco Grand Prix. Scheckter was a guest commentator for ITV during the 1999 San Marino Grand Prix, replacing Martin Brundle.

Scheckter won the World Superstars competition in 1981, taking place in Key Biscayne, Florida. He defeated athletes such as Russ Francis, Renaldo Nehemiah, Peter Müller, Rick Barry, Gaétan Boucher and Andy Ripley.

Business

After his retirement, Scheckter founded a weapons simulation business in 1984 called Firearms Training Systems (FATS), whose revenue eclipsed £100 million by the early 1990s.^[4] The company built firearms training simulators for military, law enforcement and security organisations.^[4]

Farming

Scheckter spent his time as a biodynamic farmer,^[5] having bought the Template:Convert^[1] Laverstoke Park Farm, near Overton, Hampshire, Template:Convert south west of London. As an organic farming expert, Scheckter was featured in 2005 on the Visionhealth DVD and TV documentaries "Asthma: An Integrated Approach", "Arthritis: An Integrated Approach" and "Diabetes: An Integrated Approach". On 20 November 2011, he also appeared on the Countryfile television show to make a case for organic food. Laverstoke Park Farm was also featured on BBC's Escape To the Country where Scheckter showed viewers how Buffalo Mozzarella was made. In December 2009, Scheckter announced his intention to produce a biodynamic sparkling wine by 2012.^[6] In 2015, the farm was the setting for ITV's Sugar Free Farm where a group of celebrities had to go sugar free for two weeks whilst working on the farm. In 2024, the farm ceased dairy production and buffalo farming with operations at the compost plant not affected and the farm would continue to host carfest.^[7]

Charity

In 2004, Scheckter was reunited with his championship-winning Ferrari at the South African two-seater F1x2 Charity Grand Prix at Kyalami in South Africa.

Personal life

Scheckter is married and has had six children: two, Toby and Tomas, from his previous wife Pamela; and four, Hugo, Freddie, Ila and Poppy, from his current marriage to Clare.

His daughter Ila died on 17 October 2019, at age 21.^[8] The sale of his firearms simulation company provided funds to allow Scheckter to help the racing careers of his sons Tomas and Toby. Tomas raced in the Indy Racing League where he won two races. Scheckter's elder brother Ian also raced in Formula One.

Awards and honours

In 1983, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1972	European Formula Two	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing	8	1	0	1	1	15	8th
	British Formula Two	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing	5	1	0	0	1	12	4th
	Formula One	Yardley Team McLaren	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1973	SCCA Continental Championship	Taylor-Entin	9	4	2	2	8	144	1st
	Formula One	Yardley Team McLaren	5	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	European Formula Two	Motul Rondel Racing	2	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	European Formula 5000	Sid Taylor Racing	2	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	World Sportscar Championship	Herb Wetanson	0	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1974	Formula One	Elf Team Tyrrell	15	2	0	2	6	45	3rd
1974	World Sportscar Championship	BMW Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1975	Formula One	Elf Team Tyrrell	14	1	0	0	3	20	7th
	World Sportscar Championship	Willi Kauhsen Racing Team	3	0	1	1	0	6	NC
	SCCA Continental Championship	Hogan Racing	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	SCCA Continental Championship	Shadow Racing Team	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1976	Formula One	Elf Team Tyrrell	16	1	1	1	5	49	3rd
1976	World Sportscar Championship	Automobiles Alpine	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1977	Formula One	Walter Wolf Racing	17	3	1	2	9	55	2nd
1978	Formula One	Walter Wolf Racing	16	0	0	0	4	24	7th
1979	Formula One	SEFAC Ferrari	15	3	1	0	6	51	1st
1980	Formula One	SEFAC Ferrari	13	0	0	0	0	2	19th
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Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	WDC	Points Template:Efn
Template:Ifnumber	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M19A	Cosworth V8	ARG	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA 9Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".						NC	0
Template:Ifnumber	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M19A	Cosworth V8	ARG	BRA	RSA 9Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE											NC	0
Template:Ifnumber	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M23	Cosworth V8								FRA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GBR RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	NED	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".			NC	0
Template:Ifnumber	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 006	Cosworth V8	ARG RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BRA 13Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	RSA 8Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".															3rd	45
Template:Ifnumber	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8				ESP 5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BEL 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	MON 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	SWE 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	NED 5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	FRA 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GBR 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GER 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	AUT RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ITA 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	CAN RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".			3rd	45
Template:Ifnumber	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8	ARG 11Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BRA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	RSA 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ESP RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	MON 7Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BEL 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	SWE 7Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	NED 16Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	FRA 9Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GBR 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GER RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	AUT 8Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ITA 8Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USA 6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".				7th	20
Template:Ifnumber	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8	BRA 5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	RSA 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USW RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ESP RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".														3rd	49
Template:Ifnumber	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell P34	Cosworth V8					BEL 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	MON 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	SWE 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	FRA 6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GBR 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GER 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	AUT RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	NED 5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ITA 5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	CAN 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USA 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	JPN RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		3rd	49
Template:Ifnumber	Walter Wolf Racing	Wolf WR1	Cosworth V8	ARG 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BRA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	RSA 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USW 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		MON 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		SWE RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		GBR RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".				ITA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		CAN 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		2nd	55
		Wolf WR2						ESP 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".						GER 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		NED 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		USA 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
		Wolf WR3								BEL RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		FRA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".			AUT RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".					JPN 10Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Ifnumber	Walter Wolf Racing	Wolf WR4	Cosworth V8	ARG 10Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".																	7th	24
		Wolf WR1			BRA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	RSA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		MON 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BEL RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
		Wolf WR3					USW RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
		Wolf WR5								ESP 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	SWE RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	FRA 6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GBR RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GER 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	AUT RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		ITA 12Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
		Wolf WR6														NED 12Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		USA 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	CAN 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Ifnumber	SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari 312T3	Ferrari Flat-12	ARG RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BRA 6Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".																1st	51 (60)
Template:Ifnumber	SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari 312T4	Ferrari Flat-12			RSA 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USW 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ESP 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BEL 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	MON 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	FRA 7Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GBR 5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GER 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	AUT 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	NED 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ITA 1Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	CAN 4Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".			1st	51 (60)
Template:Ifnumber	SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari 312T5	Ferrari Flat-12	ARG RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BRA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	RSA RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USW 5Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	BEL 8Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	MON RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	FRA 12Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GBR 10Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	GER 13Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	AUT 13Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	NED 9Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ITA 8Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	CAN DNQScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	USA 11Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".				19th	2
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Formula One non-championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6
1972	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M19A	Cosworth V8	ROC	BRA	INT	OUL	REP	VIC NCScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
1973	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M19C	Cosworth V8	ROC RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	INT
1974	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 006	Cosworth V8	PRE 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	ROC	INT
1975	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8	ROC RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	INT	SUI
1976	Elf Team Tyrrell	Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8	ROC RetScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	INT 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
1977	Walter Wolf Racing	Wolf WR1	Ford V8	ROC 2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
1979	SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari 312T4	Ferrari Flat-12	ROC	GNM	DIN 3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
1980	SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari 312T5	Ferrari Flat-12	ESP WDScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Source:^[12]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Template:S-sports Template:S-end Template:Formula One World Drivers' Champions Template:Tyrrell Template:Wolf Racing Template:Scuderia Ferrari Template:World Superstars Champions Template:Authority control

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↑ Lawrence, James, Decanter.com (14 December 2009). Jody Scheckter announces Hampshire winery plans Template:Webarchive
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Jody Scheckter

Contents

Career

Formula One

Other ventures

Broadcasting

Business

Farming

Charity

Personal life

Awards and honours

Racing record

Career summary

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Formula One non-championship results

See also

Notes

References

Navigation menu

Jody Scheckter

Career

Formula One

Other ventures

Broadcasting

Business

Farming

Charity

Personal life

Awards and honours

Racing record

Career summary

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Formula One non-championship results

See also

Notes

References

Navigation menu

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