Kammala wannan jumla: Cheever ya fara shiga Formula One a, jim kadan bayan ranar haihuwarsa ta 20. Bayan da aka kasa samun cancantar shiga gasar biyu ta farko a shekarar a
Argentina da Brazil a cikin Theodore, ya yi grid a Afirka ta Kudu a cikin Hesketh, amma ya yi ritaya da wuri. Daga nan sai ya mai da hankali kan Formula Two don sauran 1978 da 1979.