Arsenio Laurel, more commonly known as "Dodjie" (or "Dodgie") Laurel, was one of the Philippines pioneering drivers, with Pocholo Ramírez, Dodo Ayuyao, Dante Silverio and a few others. Widely considered the father of Philippine motorsport, he had been responsible for organizing most of the early races in the 1950s and 60s. Most of his adulthood years were spent promoting motor sports.
Although he raced motorcycles, cars, boats and even airplanes, above all he was a successful single-seater driver. Laurel achieved the greatest and still unsurpassed accomplishment of a Philippine racecar driver by winning two times the prestigious Macau Grand Prix, the most important car racing event in Asia in the 1960s and still considered one of the toughest racing events today. His first victory occurred in 1962, at the wheel of a Formula Junior Lotus 22-Ford, setting a new lap record of 3min10,1 on the Guia street circuit. In 1963 Laurel won his second consecutive Macau Grand Prix.
On 19 November 1967, Arsenio Laurel was the favorite at the start of the 14th edition of the Macau Grand Prix. Unfortunately he became the first fatality in the history of the event. He was chasing for his third victory in the race, when on third lap he lost control of his Lotus 41 and slammed into the Macau seawall at the Yacht Club bend - now known as the Mandarin Bend, the fastest right hander corner of the Circuito da Guia. The car caught fire and he was killed at the scene. He was only 35 years old when he died.
R.I.P
Although he raced motorcycles, cars, boats and even airplanes, above all he was a successful single-seater driver. Laurel achieved the greatest and still unsurpassed accomplishment of a Philippine racecar driver by winning two times the prestigious Macau Grand Prix, the most important car racing event in Asia in the 1960s and still considered one of the toughest racing events today. His first victory occurred in 1962, at the wheel of a Formula Junior Lotus 22-Ford, setting a new lap record of 3min10,1 on the Guia street circuit. In 1963 Laurel won his second consecutive Macau Grand Prix.
On 19 November 1967, Arsenio Laurel was the favorite at the start of the 14th edition of the Macau Grand Prix. Unfortunately he became the first fatality in the history of the event. He was chasing for his third victory in the race, when on third lap he lost control of his Lotus 41 and slammed into the Macau seawall at the Yacht Club bend - now known as the Mandarin Bend, the fastest right hander corner of the Circuito da Guia. The car caught fire and he was killed at the scene. He was only 35 years old when he died.
R.I.P
Category
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Motor