Pocholo Ramirez

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Pocholo Ramírez
Born
José del Rosario Ramírez de Arellano

(1933-01-19)January 19, 1933
Manila, Philippine Islands
DiedMarch 18, 2009(2009-03-18) (aged 76)
Philippines
Other namesPocholo, Tito Poch
OccupationRacing driver

José "Pocholo" del Rosario Ramírez de Arellano (January 19, 1933 – March 18, 2009), better known as Pocholo Ramírez, was a Filipino race car driver and television host. Also known as "Tito Poch", Ramirez was hailed as a racing legend in the Philippines, with a career in racing that spanned 45 years.[1]

Racing career[]

Ramirez was born in Manila, Philippines.[2] He began his racing career at the age of 30,[1] beginning as a kart racer, then as a rally car driver starting in 1964.[2] He won the Shell Car Rally Championship in 1966 and 1970, and was named Slalom Driver of the Year in 1967 and 1968.[2]

Ramirez began circuit racing in 1969 and formula racing in 1974.[2] Between 1973 and 1986, Ramirez participated in several prominent Grand Prix races in Southeast Asia, including the Macau Grand Prix, the Malaysian Grand Prix, the and the Indonesian Grand Prix.[2] He placed second overall at the 1972 Macau Grand Prix (saloon car), and third overall the following year.[2] Ramirez was named Best Southeast Asian driver during the 1978 and 1979 runs of the Macau Grand Prix.[2]

In 1995, Ramirez established the Subic International Raceway at Zambales.[3] The racetrack at Subic soon became the haven of hundreds of race car drivers who would train there, and would eventually host several international and local racing events.[3]

Ramirez raced competitively until around 2008, when he was 75 and already battling cancer.[1] In 2000, he was the Blaze Super Saloon Champion.[1] Shortly before his death, Ramirez was inducted by the Automobile Association Philippines into its Hall of Fame.[3]

Personal life[]

He is survived by his wife, Ellen, and children José André "Kookie"†, Georges, Louis, Michelle and Miguel.

In media[]

Ramirez was the long-time co-anchor (together with Butch Gamboa) of the racing show Motoring Today, which aired on the People's Television Network.

In 2005, Ramirez gained renewed popularity when he appeared in a popular advertisement for Petron, taking on a driving challenge that required him to traverse 1,114 kilometers across the Philippines on one full tank of gas.[3] His tag line, "Traffic? Bring it on!" became popular and was widely imitated.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Tessa Salazar (2009-03-18). "RP racing legend Pocholo Ramirez dead, 76". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2009-03-20. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Power Run 2005 Driver Profiles: Pocholo Ramirez". Petron. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  3. ^ a b c d Pinky Concha Colmenares (2009-03-20). "Pocholo Ramirez, the Racing Legend". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
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