Osvaldo Morresi & Jorge R. Marceca's Fatal Crash @ La Plata 1994
- 7 months ago
The accident that claimed the lives of Osvaldo Morresi and his co-driver Jorge R. Marceca occurred during the Vuelta de Los Hornos, held at the "19 de Noviembre" 9.200-kilometer semi-permanent track in La Plata, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
While leading the race, having opened an advantage of almost ten seconds over the 1993 Turismo Carretera champion Walter Antonio Hernández in a Ford, Osvaldo Morresi suddenly lost control of his Chevrolet which slid on an oil patch dropped by another competitor. The car crashed into an earth embankment. Morresi, 41-year-old from San Pedro, Buenos Aires, was killed at the scene. Seriously injured, Jorge R. Marceca was taken to La Plata hospital where four days later he succumbed to his injuries.
After the accident Osvaldo Morresi was declared winner post mortem of the race. Nicknamed "Pato" by family and friends, Morresi was one of the top Turismo Carretera drivers in the 1980s and 90s. He had his debut at the age of 20 in go-kart races. Then he moved to the National Touring Car Championship, winning the title in 1978 at the wheel of a Fiat 128 IAVA. In 1984 he progressed to Turismo Carretera, driving a Chevrolet for team Equipo Supertap de Chivilcoy. Morresi finished 2nd in his first outing at the Autódromo de Buenos Aires. He obtained his first outright win at Tandil in 1986. In 1988 he drove another Chevrolet, tuned by Jorge Pedersoli, having Roberto Mouras, three-time Turismo Carretera Champion, as team mate. 1991 proved to be his best season, when he finished 3rd in the final standings of the series, with three victories driving for Omar Wilke's team. After Mouras' untimely death during the Vuelta de Lobos on 22 November 1992, Morresi came back to Jorge Pedersoli's team, being considered one of the favorites for the 1993 title. In more than ten years he participated in 157 Turismo Carretera races, with 8 wins, 27 times on the podium.
In 1993 Osvaldo Morresi had his international debut, driving the Oldsmobile Cutlass #23 entered by Team Argentina/K.R.E. in the 24 Hours of Daytona, with Oscar Aventín, Osvaldo "Cocho" López and Juan Manuel Landa as co-drivers. They finished the race 11th in class, 35th place overall.
The fatal accident of Osvaldo Morresi and Jorge R. Marceca forced the authorities of the ACTC to stop definitively the traditional public roads courses and to organize races only in closed automobile circuits. The "19 de Noviembre" semi-permanent track in La Plata was abandoned and a new, permanent location for racing was created. On 20 October 1996 the 4.300-kilometer La Plata circuit was opened.
R.I.P
While leading the race, having opened an advantage of almost ten seconds over the 1993 Turismo Carretera champion Walter Antonio Hernández in a Ford, Osvaldo Morresi suddenly lost control of his Chevrolet which slid on an oil patch dropped by another competitor. The car crashed into an earth embankment. Morresi, 41-year-old from San Pedro, Buenos Aires, was killed at the scene. Seriously injured, Jorge R. Marceca was taken to La Plata hospital where four days later he succumbed to his injuries.
After the accident Osvaldo Morresi was declared winner post mortem of the race. Nicknamed "Pato" by family and friends, Morresi was one of the top Turismo Carretera drivers in the 1980s and 90s. He had his debut at the age of 20 in go-kart races. Then he moved to the National Touring Car Championship, winning the title in 1978 at the wheel of a Fiat 128 IAVA. In 1984 he progressed to Turismo Carretera, driving a Chevrolet for team Equipo Supertap de Chivilcoy. Morresi finished 2nd in his first outing at the Autódromo de Buenos Aires. He obtained his first outright win at Tandil in 1986. In 1988 he drove another Chevrolet, tuned by Jorge Pedersoli, having Roberto Mouras, three-time Turismo Carretera Champion, as team mate. 1991 proved to be his best season, when he finished 3rd in the final standings of the series, with three victories driving for Omar Wilke's team. After Mouras' untimely death during the Vuelta de Lobos on 22 November 1992, Morresi came back to Jorge Pedersoli's team, being considered one of the favorites for the 1993 title. In more than ten years he participated in 157 Turismo Carretera races, with 8 wins, 27 times on the podium.
In 1993 Osvaldo Morresi had his international debut, driving the Oldsmobile Cutlass #23 entered by Team Argentina/K.R.E. in the 24 Hours of Daytona, with Oscar Aventín, Osvaldo "Cocho" López and Juan Manuel Landa as co-drivers. They finished the race 11th in class, 35th place overall.
The fatal accident of Osvaldo Morresi and Jorge R. Marceca forced the authorities of the ACTC to stop definitively the traditional public roads courses and to organize races only in closed automobile circuits. The "19 de Noviembre" semi-permanent track in La Plata was abandoned and a new, permanent location for racing was created. On 20 October 1996 the 4.300-kilometer La Plata circuit was opened.
R.I.P