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Jomari Yllana may not have raced for 10 years, but watching him return to the tracks Nov. 5 at Subic Bay Freeport was like seeing fish flipping back to water.
The 46-year old actor-politician hit podium finish, winning second runner-up at the Rally Sprint RS Open Category in the recent Paeng Nodalo Memorial Rally.
The race paid tribute to Paeng Nodalo, one of the country’s pillars of motorsports, who was behind the legendary Mabuhay Rally in the 1970s.
In a series of social media posts, Jomari’s partner, Abby Viduya wrote: Congratulations my Baby!!! You did it again! So proud of you! You are amazing
️ I love you baby." #podiumfinish#rscategory#proudofyou#rallysprint.
Jomari himself was amazed at how he pulled off the feat, considering that he hadn’t had practice in so many years.
It was his first time to join the Rally Sprint RS Open Class category which had 26 competitors.
Jomari drove a turbo diesel hatch CRDI.
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He thanked his navigator, Jeremie Lo, whom he fondly calls J-Lo. He also dedicated his win to two fallen comrades, Ed del Rosario and Boy Ochoa.
“I joined the race just to have fun. I missed the sport, I like the adrenaline rush that it provides, especially when one hits podium finish,” he says.
Having proven himself still fit for the run, Jomari now looks forward to racing internationally. “I think I'll be good for another five years.”
He’s looking at entering races in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
The Yllana clan traces its roots to Majorca.
Jomari acknowledged that the presence of his son, Andre, himself an actor and racing enthusiast, inspired him to push himself to the limits.
Jomari, currently a three-term councilor in Paranaque City, is the first Filipino to score podium finish at Yeongam International F-1 circuit in South Korea in 2014. He was one of the top three winners in the Super Race Round 8 Championship, Accent One category that gathered top racers from all over the world. His racing team Yllana GTR is also the first Filipino racing team to win in the said event.