If you just look at finishes, rookie Tomas Scheckter has suffered through a miserable first season in IRL competition. But, the fact is, the second-generation racer from South Africa has shown a remarkable affinity for Indy Cars.

Scheckter has led 321 laps, including 85 at the Indianapolis 500, showing that he and his Red Bull Infiniti team have the stuff to win. But, Scheckter has also failed to finish six of the nine races run so far this season.

	Tomas Scheckter has led many laps during his rookie season, but has yet to break into Victory Lane.

Eddie Cheever Jr., Scheckter's owner and teammate, bristles publicly when asked about Scheckter's penchant for encounters with walls. Although the former Formula One driver never met Scheckter prior to testing him for his team's second seat this season, Cheever knew his bloodlines.

Scheckter is the son of 1979 F1 world champion Jody Scheckter and was groomed in karts, Formula 3, Formula 3000 and a stint as Jaguar's F1 test driver.

"There is no science to hiring a driver," Cheever said when he hired the 21-year-old. "Whatever decision you make is a gamble."

The determining factor for Cheever was Scheckter's focus.

"He is single-minded and determined to do everything necessary to be successful in racing," Cheever said.

That single-mindedness has been a liability as much as an asset.

"No question," Scheckter said. "I go home after a day at the track and toss and turn trying to figure out how to make the car batter and drive better."

There were bumps in Scheckter's road early. He crashed into Cheever at the first race of the season in Miami knocking his boss out of the race. Scheckter continued and finished sixth, but braced himself for a tongue lashing from his owner. If one came, it was never made public. All that Cheever would say was that he had continued faith in his protégé.

"There was a lot of stuff," Scheckter said. "The team was set back quite a bit. It was an unbelievable job getting everything back together.

"And I think it has helped Eddie's and my relationship. We're really a lot closer. We have a lot better understanding. I think on the track as teammates we work unbelievably well together, as we did at Fontana."

At Fontana, Calif., Scheckter showed everyone that he was adapting to Indy Cars in quick fashion. He led 28 laps until he and Hideki Noda collided with less than 40 laps left.

"I was going along by myself trying to take a high line," Scheckter said. "It felt like someone came along and hit me with a baseball bat. I didn't expect it at all. I just kept my head down and opened my eyes when everything stopped moving."

Then, at Nazareth, Pa., Scheckter reminded us he was indeed still a rookie. Impatience cost him a finish and resulted in Jaques Lazier's broken back. League officials suspended Scheckter for a couple of days, but the youngster rebounded by dominating the Indianapolis 500.

The Indianapolis 500 was Scheckter's. No one could keep up with him until he hurtled into the wall -- alone -- on lap 172.

"I don't want to say anything broke because I'm not certain," Scheckter said. "I had no control over the car. It just went straight. It wouldn't turn. The thing is, we could have won that. The thing was on cruise control."

At Texas, again it was Scheckter leading -- and seemingly on cruise control -- until a clutch failed.

"We worked very hard on that clutch problem between Texas and Pikes Peak," Scheckter said.

Pikes Peak and Richmond, Va., were an education for Scheckter. Never in the hunt in Colorado, he rebounded at Richmond and logged a respectable fourth-place finish -- his IRL career best.

"I learned that to finish first you must first finish," Scheckter said. "My crew did an incredible job at both races."

Bad karma may be the biggest problem for Scheckter. At Kansas, He took his second pole of the season and had the race well in hand until a cut tire knocked him out of competition.

"We just can't seem to get a break," Scheckter said after the race. "It was a perfect race up to the last 10 laps. We improved our pit stops over the course of the race. I thought it was mine as soon as I took the lead after the last stop. We had a good car the whole race. With 10 laps to go, I had low tire pressure in the right rear. It deflated, and there was no way I could control the car."

Through all of this season's peaks and valleys, Scheckter has remained optimistic. He grades his performance thus far as "an F" because he has yet to cash in with a trip to Victory Lane.

The troubles have brought him closer to his crew and Scheckter says he wants to win just as much for them as he does for himself.

"You can't just step in an just drive," he said. "It's important that you remember how hard the crew works. That's why I want to know as much about them and their families, like how their little girl did in her softball game."

Jody Scheckter steered his son away from racing, thinking it too dangerous. Tomas' mom, Pam, was the one who interceded, allowing him to start in karts when he was 11. Since then, things came easily for young Scheckter.

"I seemed to get in it and drive," Scheckter said. "I can't explain what I do or how I do it. It just comes naturally."

Once he breaks through, going to Victory Lane repeatedly should come naturally as well.