MOTOR SPORT STARS AND DYNASTIES
IN THE LAST 34 YEARS
Racing cars is a compelling passion that runs through some families like a fever. In the motor sport community, it is a passion that is inherited and bestowed from father to son, resulting in the creation of a racing dynasty.
There was a time when race car drivers in the Philippines were celebrities like basketball stars are today. Drivers like Dodjie Laurel in the 1960s, Pocholo Ramirez and Dante Silverio
in the 1970s and 1980s were household names who inspired youngsters to watch and follow motor sport events, then eventually try their hand at car racing, starting with karts.
But when the Internet and cable TV enabled people to watch Formula One and World Rally Championship races live from the other side of the world in the comfort of their homes instead of traveling all the way to Subic, Clark or Batangas to experience a local race, public interest in Philippine motor sport waned together with sponsorships and media coverage.
Nonetheless, the number of motor sport events sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) increased from 47 in 2017, to 51 in 2018, while the number of competition licenses issued by AAP grew from 142 in 2017, to 169 in 2018 --- proof that car racing is still a thriving local and national sporting activity.
(AAP, as the only Philippine affiliate of the global Federation Internationale de l'automobile or FIA, is authorized to issue car racing licenses and supervise all four-wheel motor sport events in the country.)
The history of motor sport in the Philippines from the 1950s to the mid-1990s was narrated in a coffee table book, "Fast Lane" by Junep Ocampo.
AAP published the book in 2006 when the auto club, formerly known as the Philippine Motor Association, celebrated its 75th anniversary. A sequel is clearly overdue as the growth of motor sport here is a never-ending story, propelled and perpetuated as it is by enthusiastic, young, aspiring race car drivers and emerging racing dynasties.
Here, in brief, with AAP and "Fast Lane" as sources, are the stories of some of the individuals and families who helped to shape the development of car racing in the country in the last 34 years 1985-2019.
Born on January 19, 1933, Jose del Rosario Ramirez de Arellano, better known as Pocholo Ramirez, learned the basics of car racing by racing karts in 1963 at the relatively advanced (for motor sport) age of 30. By 1966, he had graduated to rally car racing and won the Shell Car Rally that year.
In the next two years, he triumphed in many slalom events at the Nichols Airbase and Manila International Airport grounds, earning his first Driver of the Year award from the Philippine Motor Sports Club.
After figuring in a car crash in 1967 on EDSA, Ramirez grew a beard to cover the scars on his face. In 1970, he won the Dodjie Laurel Memorial Race at the Manila Grand Prix in Luneta, and in 1971 earned his third Driver of the Year title from the Automobile Racing Association of the Philippines after winning the Baby Luna Memorial Race at the Greenhills Grand Prix.
When Ramirez and Arthur Tuason collided in a major accident at the BF Resort Village in Las Pinas in 1977, Pocholo called for a complete stop to circuit racing and vowed never to race on makeshift tracks again. He turned to competing in car rallies and in 1979 was the first Asian to finish in the ASEAN IV International Rally.
But Ramirez's most important victories, according to his son Georges, were at the Macau Grand Prix where he was the champion in the 1600 class and finished second overall to a German Works driver in a 3.0-liter BMW.
In the Formula Cars class at the Macau Grand Prix, Georges Ramirez says, his father "had a dicing battle with Japanese driver Misaki for majority of the race. It was so exciting that the museum had the battle on video loop the last time I was there."
Pocholo Ramirez had four sons and one daughter: Jose Andre, a.k.a. Kookie, was the eldest, followed by Georges, Louis, Michelle, and Miguel.
Kookie, the first-born, raced in karting from 19781983, moved on to circuit racing in 1984-1985 and 19962009, Formula Atlantic Asia 1982-1983, the Southeast Asian Touring Car Championship (whole series) and Macau (2000), Southeast Asian Touring Car Championship (Subic rounds) from 2001-2002 and endurance racing (2006-2009).
Georges was also into karting from 1978 to 1983, moved to Formula Atlantic Asia 19841985, Rally, Rally Cross and Slalom 1987-1988, Motox 19751997, Prototype SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) in USA 1993-1994, touring cars in Subic 1994-2001, Southeast Asian Touring Car Championship (whole series) and Macau 2000, Southeast Asian Touring Car Championship (Subic rounds) 2000-2002, endurance racing 2006-2009, Race of Champions 2011.
Louis raced in karting 19821983, touring car 1996-2007, Southeast Asian Touring Car and Macau 2000, Philippine Endurance Championship touring car and prototype 2017-2019.
Michelle was into karting from 1982-1983 while Miguel was active in circuit racing from 1996 to 2007. Menchie, Kookie's wife, participated in various motor sport events, too.
In his 70s, Pocholo Ramirez was afflicted with cancer. He crossed the finish line on March 18, 2009. Kookie followed in October 2010, leaving behind his son Stefan to continue the Ramirez racing dynasty.
Stefan Francisco Ramirez competed in the Philippine National Touring Car series, the Philippine Endurance Championship 8-hour 2017 and 4-hour 2017, the Kalayaan Cup 12-hour, and Formula V1.
Pocholo Ramirez was not only a champion race car driver, he played a major role in converting an area of the former Subic Naval Base into the Subic International Speedway with the support and cooperation of then Olongapo City Mayor Richard Gordon and fellow race car drivers Mandy Eduque, Mike Potenciano, Louie Camus, Ramy Diez, Freddie Masigan and Macky Carapiet.
The Subic race track, managed by Georges Ramirez, hosted numerous circuit racing events after its opening in August 1994, and also various international events like the Southeast Asian Touring Car series, Asian Formula 2000 and Asian Festival of Speed.
According to Georges Ramirez, the Subic International Speedway was last used in 2010. When its lease came to an end, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) no longer wanted it to be a race track.