For anybody interested in motor racing and F1.
Jo Ramirez, Memoirs of a Racing Man, published in 2005. I was lucky enough to meet Jo recently, and a mutual friend recommended his autobiography. It landed this morning and I am halfway through having hardly put it down.
A friend of the Rodriguez brothers Pedro and Ricardo, Jo followed them to Europe in 1962 and has worked for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Ford on the GT40, Dan Gurney's Eagle team, and more including Tyrell before spending the last 17 years his career at McLaren including the period when Prost and Senna were there.
I'm going to see Rush tomorrow as well, I'll be well in the mood.
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Pedro Rodriguez was a hero of mine, a very gung-ho driver of the world's hairiest sports racers. I saw him drive a green Ferrari 275LM (the first mid-engined big Ferrari, and it looked a real handful) at Brands Hatch, and twice I think in Gulf Porsche 917s. I think one of the latter did for him in the end.
Could be a good book that.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sat 14 Sep 13 at 16:49
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>>Gulf Porsche 917s. I think one of the latter did for him in the end.
He was indeed driving for JW Gulf Porsche then, and in fact had won his last race two weeks earlier. He was killed in (Jo's words) "an unimportant non-championship Interserie sports car race on the Norisring Street cicuit in Nuremberg..." . He had been planning to have dinner with Ramirez in Maidenhead (Pedro lived at Bray) but was offered the drive in a Ferrari 512. The cause of the accident was unknown, he hit a wall.
Jo was with the same team then, as a mechanic on the Siffert/Bell car, the other being driven by Rodriguez and Jackie Oliver.
Last edited by: Manatee on Sat 14 Sep 13 at 17:14
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>> a Ferrari 512. The cause of the accident was unknown
The Ferrari equivalent of the 917, in the same races... even had the same naked looking back end in racing trim. They usually came off second best to the Porsches... perhaps that was what tempted the great Pedro over the edge...
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Recommended read - Armel Coussine
