Bill Cheesbourg

Bill Cheesbourg was one of Arizona’s most colourful racing characters — a driver whose career stretched from dusty post-war jalopy tracks to the high-speed spectacle of the Indianapolis 500. Born William Bernard Cheesbourg on 12 June 1927 in Tucson, he built a reputation as a hard-nosed racer who never stopped competing and never lost his love for grassroots motorsport.

Driver Bio

Nationality	American
Birthplace	Tucson, Arizona, USA
Born	12 June 1927
Died	6 November 1995
First Grand Prix	1956 Indianapolis 500
Last Grand Prix	1959 Indianapolis 500
Years Active	1956–1959
Teams	Kuzma, Kurtis Kraft, Lesovsky

Cheesbourg first discovered racing on the local dirt circuits of Tucson, competing in jalopies shortly after the Second World War. Like many American racers of the era, he learned his craft the tough way — sliding battered machines around unforgiving dirt ovals before graduating into the fiercely competitive world of midget racing across Arizona. His aggressive style and natural car control quickly made him a standout performer.

That success eventually carried him into the USAC Championship Car ranks, where he competed from 1956 to 1962 before returning for further campaigns from 1964 through 1966. Across 31 Championship Car starts, Cheesbourg became a familiar face in American open-wheel racing and earned six starts at Indianapolis, competing in the 500-mile classic in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964 and 1965.

His Indianapolis story became the stuff of racing folklore. Cheesbourg famously fought his way into the Indy 500 starting field after being bumped from qualifying three separate times — a record still regarded as a race record. Rather than walking away defeated, he kept returning, improving and battling back until he secured his place on the grid, perfectly capturing the determination and resilience that defined his career.

Away from Indy, Cheesbourg also enjoyed success in stock car racing, recording eight top-ten finishes during his career. Among his strongest results were seventh-place finishes at Daytona International Speedway in 1959 and at Fuji Speedway in 1966 — impressive achievements against highly competitive fields.

Once his Championship Car days came to an end, Cheesbourg returned to the short-track dirt racing world where he had first made his name. Far from slowing down, he became one of the best-known competitors on Arizona’s local racing scene, winning multiple Late Model Stock Car championships at venues including Corona Speedway and Manzanita Speedway.

Cheesbourg earned a reputation as both a fiercely competitive racer and a generous supporter of fellow drivers. He was famous for his willingness to help younger competitors with cars, setups and advice — though rivals also knew he wasn’t afraid to lean on the front bumper when the situation demanded it. Fans loved him for precisely that mix of toughness, talent and old-school racing spirit.

Even after stepping away from mainstream stock car racing, Cheesbourg remained deeply involved in motorsport at the community level. He helped local racers develop their cars, supported grassroots projects and even assisted a nearby high school in building and racing an electric car at Phoenix International Raceway. True to form, he also spent time competing in local figure-eight racing purely for the enjoyment of being behind the wheel.

Death

Bill Cheesbourg died from cancer on 6 November 1995 in his hometown of Tucson at the age of 68.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WDC	Points
1956	Cecil McDonald	Lesovsky	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 DNQ	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA				NC	0
1957	Schildmeier Seal / Donaldson	Kurtis Kraft 500G	Offenhauser L4	ARG	MON	500 26	FRA	GBR	GER	PES	ITA				NC	0
1958	Novi Racing	Kurtis Kraft 500G	Novi V8	ARG	MON	NED	500 10	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	MOR	NC	0
1959	Greenman – Casale	Kuzma Indy Roadster	Offenhauser L4	MON	500 21	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	POR	ITA	USA			NC	0

Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head

Teammate	Years	Races	Qualifying H2H
Paul Russo	1958	1	0-1