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Larry Mendiola
Off-Road Hero
Long before becoming Goodyear's Bayani ng Kalsada for 2006, Larry Mendiola had already earned the respect of his motoring peers. Many remain in awe of this friendly man with extraordinary four-wheel-drive skills
Interview by Dinzo Tabamo and Paulo Subido; Photography by Chino Acosta
There is no doubt about it. Larry Mendiola can drive anything that has wheels, and expertly at that. He makes tackling the most difficult off-road trails look easy. And even when behind the wheel of a stock Nissan Cefiro, he can hold a drift longer than so-called experts who drive souped-up rides. His stunt driving has also been seen in numerous commercials, and the man is the go-to guy of a motoring TV show when they need someone to perform an extreme test drive.
Does Larry gloat?
Never. Not even if he has competed in the most grueling off-road race this side of the planet—the Malaysian Rainforest Challenge, twice. In 2005, he led the Philippine Team to a fifth-place showing in this event, as well as the Team Spirit award. They would have placed higher if they didn't stop to help a team that was stranded in the middle of a very difficult section. Mendiola again piloted the RP team to a respectable sixth spot in 2006.
Despite these achievements, he prefers to remain behind the scenes, and even his stint as Goodyear's Bayani ng Kalsada doesn't have any head-expanding effects on him. If anything, he is just pleased to be honored, and points out that any man with his head on his shoulders would go out of his way to rescue someone who is in harm's way.
Even the P30,000 worth of gasoline that he won from Goodyear was gone in two months. "Pinamigay ko eh," he says.
In fact, instead of the award, Larry would rather talk about the cars that he is building in his shop in Pampanga. He is an expert when it comes to engines, as well as modifying four-wheel-drive vehicles to competition spec. He is also very proud that he maintains a fleet of Land Rovers for a telecommunications company.
Larry came to be known for his off-road prowess when he went to the mountains to help erect cell sites. No one could take the 4x4s through the inhospitable terrain, but he managed to do it. His techniques remained a mystery for a while, until he admitted that he built mini bridges from the steel girders used for road construction. Ingenuity, ability and presence of mind are traits that Larry is famous for. No wonder he has been the lead driver and mechanic of the Philippine team to Malaysia.
Larry was only 10 years old when he learned how to drive, but he has a deeper philosophy than just going out there and roughing it up in the mud and dirt. "Natuto kaming gumamit ng four-wheel drive para may paraan kaming mag-rescue," he asserts. With the Mount Pinatubo disaster, Pampanga and nearby provinces were ravaged by lahar. "Dapat matuto kang gumamit ng four-wheel drive. Kailangan ito para mag-rescue ng buong baryo na lumulubog. Ang purpose talaga ng four-wheel drive ay para pang-rescue ng mga nangangailangan ng tulong na hindi maabot ng ordinaryong sasakyan."
This the primary reason off-road drivers exist. The races are just for fun.
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Top Gear Philippines - December 2007
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