Jovy Marcelo
Encyclopedia
Edward Jovy Marcelo was a Filipino
race car driver from Quezon City
, Philippines
, who was killed in practice for the 1992 Indianapolis 500
.
Jovy Marcelo came from a racing family, with his father Edward ("Eddie") racing dragsters, motorcycles and speedboats in Southeast Asia (mainly in Malaysia, the Philippines and Macau). Jovy Marcelo began his racing career at the age of 11 in go-karts.
Marcelo studied in the United States, at St. Mary's and at Armstrong University (Berkeley, California). Bitten with the racing bug, he pursue racing full-time right after graduating with a business degree. With the financial support of his father, Marcelo raced in junior formulas in the United Kingdom before moving to the New Zealand series.
In 1990, Marcelo returned to the United States and competed in the Toyota Atlantic Championship with Duane Anderson's team. Marcelo finished second in the championship behind Mark Dismore
and earned the Rookie of the Year title.
In 1991, Marcelo continued in the Toyota Atlantic series, succeeding in Dismore's seat with the P-1 Racing Team owned by Bill Fickling. Marcelo won races in Lime Rock Park
and Nazareth Speedway
. Marcelo won the season championship, beating Jimmy Vasser
by four points.
In 1992, Marcelo graduated to the CART PPG Cup
. Marcelo had a pre-season test with Derrick Walker
's Walker Motorsports, and earned a seat with the Euromotorsport
team owned by Antonio Ferrari. Marcelo competed in three CART
PPG Cup events, finishing 14th in Surfers Paradise (Australia), 19th in Phoenix and 19th in Long Beach. (He did not score points in these events; CART points only awarded to 12th, plus pole and most laps awards.) In May, Marcelo was entered in the Indianapolis 500
driving a Lola T91/00-Cosworth DFS and participated in rookie orientation and practice for the event.
On May 15, 1992, during warmups, Marcelo’s car snapped around at warmup speed and impacted on the right side entering turn 1 at 172 mph. To this day, speculation runs over the cause of the basal skull fracture under the right ear which killed Jovy instantly at such a pace. Some blame the sheer force of the rapid deceleration that occurred. Others fault the helmet Jovy wore, saying it was not the proper size or he only had an anti-rotational tether strap on the left side of his head, leaving his head and neck vulnerably exposed on the right (whereupon drivers subsequently wore them on both sides as a preventative measure; the HANS Device
was not mandatory until 2001). Jovy was 26 at the time of his death, left behind his wife Irene, son Karsten and with an unborn son at the time who was given the name Jovy Nicolai.
Following his passing, the Toyota Atlantic Championship created the Jovy Marcelo Sportsmanship Award, which is given annually to the driver who best exemplifies the sportsmanship of Marcelo. The First Jovy Marcelo sportsmanship award was presented to Bert Hart for the 1992-1993 season. He named his first son Jovy Kakoa Hart. Frankie Muniz
won the 2008 IMSA Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Jovy Marcelo Sportsmanship Award.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
race car driver from Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, who was killed in practice for the 1992 Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
.
Jovy Marcelo came from a racing family, with his father Edward ("Eddie") racing dragsters, motorcycles and speedboats in Southeast Asia (mainly in Malaysia, the Philippines and Macau). Jovy Marcelo began his racing career at the age of 11 in go-karts.
Marcelo studied in the United States, at St. Mary's and at Armstrong University (Berkeley, California). Bitten with the racing bug, he pursue racing full-time right after graduating with a business degree. With the financial support of his father, Marcelo raced in junior formulas in the United Kingdom before moving to the New Zealand series.
In 1990, Marcelo returned to the United States and competed in the Toyota Atlantic Championship with Duane Anderson's team. Marcelo finished second in the championship behind Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones...
and earned the Rookie of the Year title.
In 1991, Marcelo continued in the Toyota Atlantic series, succeeding in Dismore's seat with the P-1 Racing Team owned by Bill Fickling. Marcelo won races in Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park is a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lime Rock, Connecticut, United States, a hamlet in the village of Lakeville, Connecticut, in the state’s northwest corner...
and Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing track in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004. The track is often associated with local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history....
. Marcelo won the season championship, beating Jimmy Vasser
Jimmy Vasser
Jimmy Vasser is a retired American racing driver and current co-owner of KV Racing Technology. Vasser won the 1996 IndyCar season championship with Chip Ganassi Racing, and scored ten victories in the series...
by four points.
In 1992, Marcelo graduated to the CART PPG Cup
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
. Marcelo had a pre-season test with Derrick Walker
Derrick Walker
Derrick Walker is a British auto racing team owner.-Formula One:He started in auto racing as a chief mechanic for the Brabham Formula One team from 1970 to 1975...
's Walker Motorsports, and earned a seat with the Euromotorsport
Euromotorsport
EuroInternational is a racing team owned by Antonio Ferrari, formerly known as Euromotorsport.-History:It was formerly known as Euromotorsport when it competed in the CART Indy Car World Series, often fielding a number of European pay drivers, from 1989 to 1994. The team's best finish was 4th...
team owned by Antonio Ferrari. Marcelo competed in three CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
PPG Cup events, finishing 14th in Surfers Paradise (Australia), 19th in Phoenix and 19th in Long Beach. (He did not score points in these events; CART points only awarded to 12th, plus pole and most laps awards.) In May, Marcelo was entered in the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
driving a Lola T91/00-Cosworth DFS and participated in rookie orientation and practice for the event.
On May 15, 1992, during warmups, Marcelo’s car snapped around at warmup speed and impacted on the right side entering turn 1 at 172 mph. To this day, speculation runs over the cause of the basal skull fracture under the right ear which killed Jovy instantly at such a pace. Some blame the sheer force of the rapid deceleration that occurred. Others fault the helmet Jovy wore, saying it was not the proper size or he only had an anti-rotational tether strap on the left side of his head, leaving his head and neck vulnerably exposed on the right (whereupon drivers subsequently wore them on both sides as a preventative measure; the HANS Device
HANS device
The HANS device is a safety item compulsory in many car racing sports...
was not mandatory until 2001). Jovy was 26 at the time of his death, left behind his wife Irene, son Karsten and with an unborn son at the time who was given the name Jovy Nicolai.
Following his passing, the Toyota Atlantic Championship created the Jovy Marcelo Sportsmanship Award, which is given annually to the driver who best exemplifies the sportsmanship of Marcelo. The First Jovy Marcelo sportsmanship award was presented to Bert Hart for the 1992-1993 season. He named his first son Jovy Kakoa Hart. Frankie Muniz
Frankie Muniz
Francisco "Frankie" Muniz IV is an American actor, musician, writer, producer, and racecar driver. He is known primarily as the star of the FOX television family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. In 2003, he was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens". In 2008, he put his acting career...
won the 2008 IMSA Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Jovy Marcelo Sportsmanship Award.