SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1493467
FAELLY LOPEZ SCORE Rookie Of The Year By SCORE Journal Staff Puerto Rico can be a playground for state-side vacationers seeking the Caribbean island experience. While many come to enjoy the lush landscape of mountains and tropical rain forests, Faelly Lopez, a native of Puerto Rico, sought out the harsh, dry, and unforgiving deserts of the U.S. and Mexico to hone his Quad racing skills. Lopez entered the SCORE 2022 World Desert Championship season with some state-side races under his belt, winning one in the Quad Ironman class and riding for almost 500 miles. As a newcomer to Baja racing, he didn’t know if this was preparation enough to compete in four SCORE races, but he believed in himself enough to take on the challenge. Coming to each race from Puerto Rico also presents logistical difficulties. Limited time to travel and break away from work and family make it difficult for some racers to get to Baja for weeks ahead of the race to pre-run. With few racers willing to take on such a grueling class, Lopez found himself at the 2022 SCORE San Felipe 250 as the only racer in the class but still had to make it to the finish line to win. Without pre-running the course, Lopez’s chances were further diminished, but he prevailed and was energized by the SCORE Fans along the course cheering him on. “It was a very tough race and it seemed like I would never make it to the finish line,” said Lopez. “There were a lot of rocks since the beginning and the last miles were brutal. We didn’t pre-run at all and I just got to know the course today. The Mexican people are really special. They kept cheering me on and gave me a lot of energy. I’ll never forget that.” With the shortest race of the SCORE season under his belt, the win gave Lopez the confidence he needed to tackle the SCORE Baja 500. Again, he found himself alone in the class, but this time, issues with his Quad made finishing more difficult. “This course brought a lot of challenges as we didn’t get to pre-run again,” said Lopez. “Unfortunately, we had a lot of issues with the quad and that delayed me a lot, but the team did a good job in keeping me going.” Lopez finished the race with his second-class win of the season. The SCORE Baja 400 would also prove to be as difficult as the Baja 500, but Lopez seemed to breeze through it like an enjoyable ride in the desert, finishing the race in a good time of 12:40:38. “It was a very good, technical course,” said Lopez. “I didn’t have any kind of issues and was even able to complete the race in good time, which was even better than I thought it would be.” The season fully prepared Lopez for the biggest race of his career, the SCORE Baja 1000. This time, Lopez found himself with two other competitors in his class wanting to take away what could be his final glory to the SCORE racing career he just started. Unfortunately, for Lopez and his competitors in the Pro Quad Ironman Class, the brutal Baja course proved to be too punishing for their vehicles and none of the competitors finished the race. While it kept Lopez from achieving a “perfect” season, he did earn enough points to take home the Class Championship. For his efforts and determination in his first SCORE season, Lopez was also voted by SCORE fans and racers as the Rookie Of The Year, an honor that brought him more confidence to compete in the 2023 SCORE Season. “When I heard I was nominated for SCORE Rookie Of The Year, it was an emotional moment for me,” said Lopez. “Thank you to everyone from the U.S.A., Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic for voting for me. I wouldn’t be here without the help of our sponsors and those people who supported us through the year. Hopefully, we can come back to win another championship in the 2023 season.