Gono knocks on the championship door

LUIS Gono’s car No. 17 riddled with sponsor logos

I’ve known the Autoplus crew for well over a decade. I started visiting their second shop in West Avenue when I was a college student back in the late ’90s, simply drooling over the parts I could not—and still for the most part, cannot—afford. It’s an exciting place to hang out because it is where some of the fastest cars in the country, whether on the road, strip or circuit, are being tuned, maintained or simply parked, awaiting the next opportunity to run wild.

In the midst of all the parts displayed on their shelves, a single picture of racing legend Jody Coseteng driving a gray Honda Civic EK race car as it took a corner well ahead of everyone else in the field was ingrained in my mind. This was what Autoplus stood for: Winning at the top.

I had asked Carlos Gono about that picture and he mused about it, saying racing was fun, very unforgettable and very intense, but right then, it’s not the best of times to get back. This was during the time right after the Asian financial crisis. The peso was weak versus the dollar, motorsports had seen better days, and people were simply tightening their belts. I had often wondered if Autoplus would ever go back to their winning ways on the circuit. Sure, on the drag strip, Autoplus was always competing at the top level. But circuit racing had its own allure.

Fast forward to almost two decades later, and it looks like my thoughts had been answered. This time, it wasn’t just Carlos and the rest of the Autoplus team competing. Nope, what makes this special is the father-and-son combination of Carlos and Luis. And boy, did this combination impress everyone endlessly.

If you’ve ever had the chance to deal with Carlos, his brother Raymond (himself a legend in drag racing circles), chief tuner Francisco “Pacho” Blanco (the mad drag lord of Autoplus), and the rest of their group, you will know immediately how competitive these guys are, how intense and serious they are about cars and racing, and how they became the first, fastest and quickest in their grids.

They take their cars and driving very seriously. It was no surprise then that when the proud father Carlos  decided to fully support Luis, already an accomplished karter and drifter at the young age of 15, he would throw his entire weight behind it, along with all the help the entire Autoplus family could give.

Best of everything at disposal

Leading up to the race, Luis was practicing almost everyday at Clark International Speedway, with cool dad Carlos watching patiently in the pits. Autoplus stalwarts and racing veterans Mike Anton and Jody Coseteng, among others, also gave valuable tips and tuition to Luis, who was consistently in the fastest bracket of the group, often posting fastest times during unofficial practice. Luis had the best of everything at his disposal, namely of course the support of Toyota Motors Philippines, Toyota North Edsa-Autoplus-Motul Team, and all the tools and tricks of the trade.

A LIFE on the fast lane for the young Gono

Thus it is not surprising that Luis, in car No. 17, qualified in top spot, taking pole position with a time of 2:27.511, only 0.0702 seconds faster than second-placer Jason Choachuy. In hindsight, Luis’ time wasn’t far off the pace of Toyota-TRD Japan Super GT driver Daisuke Ito, piloting the Lexus Team TOM’s RC-F in the GT500 category, when he visited the Philippines last year to shake down and tune the Vios Cup Cars around Clark International Speedway. To put things in perspective, Ito is a full-fledged works driver, having been racing longer than Luis has been alive. Impressive indeed for the young racing prodigy.

Fair, professional despite setback

Race day however had its own plans, which saw Luis dropping a few places back. Despite a blocking incident which resulted in a minor contact, Luis finished third, though he was relegated to 12th due to the contact. Infuriating indeed, as many of the spectators felt that the said blocking incident wasn’t properly resolved.

Yet despite this setback, the young Luis was fair and, crucially, very mature and  professional in accepting the ruling of the stewards of the race. Starting in 12th at Race Two, Luis quickly overtook five positions within the first lap, and eventually settling for a solid third place. And for anyone who has been in professional-level racing, overcoming those odds in a race barely 30 minutes long is like climbing up Mt. Everest in shorts and a light windbreaker.

For a father to devote so much attention to his son and at the same time impart the values of hard work and maturity while rising above the setbacks that came, that deserves applause indeed. In a world that’s slowly becoming more materialistic, more self-centered and more “me first,” and focusing less on family values, teamwork, integrity and hard work, it’s heartwarming to hear about the unbeatable teamwork of the Gonos.

Knowing the Gonos, the guys at Toyota North Edsa-Autoplus-Motul still have some tricks up their sleeves. We have to remember that it’s a family effort, with Carlos (incidentally the Philippines’ fastest man at 330.7 kilometers per hour in his signature red Ford GT supercar) making sure Luis comes out quicker and faster in the next scheduled race this coming July.