Stephen Olvey

Stephen Earl Olvey (born March 24, 1943) is an American neurosurgeon, professor, and former medical director of the United States Auto Club (USAC) Championship Car Series from 1975 to 1978 and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) from 1979 to 2003.

Early life Stephen Olvey was born on March 24, 1943, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Olvey developed an interest in Indy car racing at a young age when he would listen to radio broadcasts of the Indianapolis 500 and Bill Vukovich became his favorite racing driver. Olvey attended his first Indianapolis 500 in 1955 where Vukovich would be fatally injured in a crash on lap 57.

Olvey graduated from Hanover College in 1965 and the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1969.

USAC and CART After graduating from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1969, Olvey volunteered to help the Indianapolis Motor Speedway medical staff at that years' Indianapolis 500. Olvey noticed the lack of adequate equipment to treat potential injured drivers and would quickly build a relationship with track medical director Dr. Tom Hanna to introduce proper medical equipment to the medical building. Olvey worked with Hanna to begin assigning doctors to response vehicles for the first time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In 1975, Olvey was hired by USAC as medical director to implement standards–such as permanent medical buildings and standardized rescue vehicles–that would be used at every USAC Champ Car race for the first time, not solely the Indianapolis 500.

In 1979, when CART was formed and split away from USAC, Olvey was hired to be CART's medical director, a position he would hold until 2004. Under his direction, Olvey advocated for and implemented several rule changes to improve the safety of drivers. Following Johnny Rutherford's crash at Phoenix in 1980, Olvey pushed for a rule change to prevent pit crew members from running on to the race track to assist drivers involved in accidents. — Stephen Olvey — Rapid Response: My Inside Story as a Motor Racing Life-Saver

Olvey was at the scene of Gordon Smiley's fatal accident during qualifying at the 1982 Indianapolis 500.

Olvey played a major role in the recovery of Roberto Guerrero after a crash testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1987. Guerrero suffered a diffuse axonal injury; Olvey placed Guerrero under a coma for 17 days to reduce the swelling of his brain, with the medication used dropping Guerrero's blood pressure dangerously low. Guerrero would recover from his injury and would continue his racing career.

In 1999, Olvey introduced the concept of installing micro-accelerometers in drivers' earplugs to measure the g-forces of a driver at any given time. Development lasted for three years and was implemented for every driver in CART and the Indy Racing League for their respective 2003 seasons.

Following the deaths of Jovy Marcelo in 1992, Gonzalo Rodríguez and Greg Moore in 1999 due to head injuries, Olvey worked with Christian Fittipaldi during off-season testing to introduce the HANS device to CART for the 2000 season.

2001 Texas race cancellation

A race at Texas Motor Speedway was scheduled to take place during the 2001 season for the first time in CART history. After concerns that the cars were too fast for a high-banked oval like Texas, numerous tests had lap speeds between and . On race weekend, top practice lap speeds were in excess of with Kenny Brack qualifying first with a lap speed of .

Concerns of the speeds started after Friday practice. Olvey initially thought that two drivers who had pulled in to the pits during Friday practice were experiencing inner-ear problems after flying. On Saturday afternoon, when Patrick Carpentier visited Olvey for a check up, Carpentier noted that he could not walk or stand for four minutes after exiting his car. The 2001 Firestone Firehawk 600 would be the only race in CART history to be cancelled for safety concerns.

On lap 142 of the 2001 American Memorial, Alex Zanardi lost control of his car exiting the pit lane onto the race track. Zanardi was hit broadside by Alex Tagliani and split Zanardi's car in two. Both of Zanardi's legs were traumatically amputated as a result of the impact.

Olvey, watching from the infield care center, immediately thought he witnessed a double-fatality. Olvey gave an emotional interview during Zanardi's run, crediting the safety team and Zanardi's perseverance.

In 1991, Olvey moved to Miami, Florida to become associate professor of clinical neurosurgery and neurology at University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine as well as director of the neuroscience intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Olvey would hold medical positions in other motorsports after CART. In 2005, Olvey was named medical director of the short-lived Grand Prix Masters. In 2011, Olvey was named Director of Medical Services for the Circuit of the Americas to advise medical services and buildings under construction.

Olvey was a consultant for Dario Franchitti after suffering a concussion on the final lap of the second race of the 2013 Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston, ultimately advising that Franchitti retire from racing.

Personal life and legacy Olvey has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease after first experiencing symptoms in 2020. In 2023, Olvey and his wife Lynne moved from Miami to Indianapolis to be closer to family.

Olvey is credited with saving the lives of Roberto Guerrero Olvey and Trammell were co-inductees into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2023.

List of works