Karting pioneer elevated to Hall of Fame

MANILA, Philippines - He’s one of the racing icons of the 60’s whose vision spurred the growth and development of Philippine Motorsports. At the peak of his racing career, he was crowned karting’s Enduro King.

Ramon Rodriguez earned the distinction as “El Patron” for putting up the very first CIK-FIA approved and sanctioned track – JRC RamRod Kartway which has been the country’s first international standard tracks before Carmona Racetrack, the Batangas Racing Circuit and the Clark International Speedway came along.

For his pioneering efforts, Rodriguez will be named to the elite Philippine Motorsports Hall-of-Fame in the forthcoming 12th Golden Wheel Awards Night set March 14 at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

He’s also a member of the Cam Wreckers Club, the racing team that spawned most of today’s racing legends. He was closely associated with the big guns of racing then including the late Filipino car racing legend Arsenio “Dodjie” Laurel, 2012 Golden Wheel Hall-of-Famer Paquito Ventura, and former Philippine Motor Association chairman Conrado “Dodo” Ayuyao.

At Cam Wreckers Club he played roles as pit crew, race marshall and even as a crowd controller before he got accepted as bonafide member.

Rodriguez began his racing career manning a Volkswagen 1100cc he got as a graduation gift from his father.

He joined races with other Cam Wreckers and later moved to other racing fronts like the Shell Rallyes where he raced for the Mercedes-Benz team and won the title on his debut stint together with co-driver Ray Decena and Fely Francisco as navigator.

Karting came in later. In one of the races organized by the Cam Wreckers in Clark, Rodriguez acquired his first complete go-kart for only P800 from one competing US serviceman who’s leaving for the US for good.

Inspired after winning the Stock race title, he moved up to more competitive races and later figured prominently in Class B and Open category. 

At the prime of his career, he ruled the first four-hour Enduro Karting race held at the Princeton Street in Mandaluyong and followed it up with a bigger triumph in the four-hour Enduro Karting race in Luneta where he turned back his mentor and close friend Laurel with Ventura finishing third.