Jovy Marcelo's performances in lower formulae hinted at a considerable talent, but he did not live long enough to fulfil it.
Jovy Marcelo appears as little more than a footnote in motor racing history. The Filipino driver started just three CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) races but his performances in other classes suggest he may have achieved much more. Tragically, he was killed during practice for the 1992 Indianapolis 500, aged just 27.
It was hardly surprising that Marcelo chose motor racing as a career. His father Edward was a familiar face on the racing scene in the Philippines, competing on land and water. Dragsters, motorcycles and powerboats were all part of his repertoire.
Marcelo's appetite for racing was whetted at age 11 when he competed in his first kart races. He moved to the US to study, eventually gaining a business degree, but his heart lay in racing. After his graduation he competed in the UK and then New Zealand driving single-seaters before returning to the US to drive in the Toyota Atlantic Championship.
1990 was Marcelo's first year in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. In a remarkable season he finished second in the title race, claiming the Rookie of the Year award. The following year he went one better, beating Jimmy Vasser to the championship.
Marcelo's efforts in Toyota Atlantic were rewarded by the Walker Racing team, who invited him to test one of their CART cars. Eventually he secured a race seat for the 1992 CART Championship with the Euromotorsport team. Driving an old Lola T91/00 he failed to score points in the first three races recording a 14th place finish and two 19ths.
At Indianapolis Marcelo was using the practice days to build up speed and gain experience of the famous track when, on May 15th, the worst happened. On a warm-up lap the Lola broke away in turn one and spun into the retaining wall. Although the impact was at the relatively slow speed of 172 mph Marcelo suffered a basilar skull fracture and was pronounced dead a short time later. He left behind his pregnant wife and one son. His death was the first fatality in CART since Jim Hickman at Milwaukee a decade earlier. In his memory a Jovy Marcelo Sportsmanship Award was created, given to a Toyota Atlantic Championship driver each year.
Marcelo was one of many drivers to die from a basilar skull fracture. Other victims of included Dale Earnhardt, Gonzalo Rodriguez and Roland Ratzenberger. The introduction of the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device has virtually eliminated the injury among racing drivers.
