SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1539923
For Rodrigo Ampudia Sr., There’s Nothing He Won’t Do For The Team To Win By Dan Sanchez For most team crew chiefs, it’s hard enough to manage the team, volunteers, and all of the logistics to get to a SCORE race. But for Rodrigo Ampudia Sr., Crew Chief and owner of the 2024 SCORE Trophy Truck Champion Papas Y Beer team, he’s not afraid to tackle any of the work that needs to be done. “For me, the team leader is a guy that is not afraid to do everything,” says Ampudia Sr. “I tow the race truck to wherever it needs to go. I do all the logistics. I go out and get the parts we need. I work with our pit teams to be faster and more efficient. There’s nothing I won’t do because I know it needs to be done.” One of the first things you notice about this long-time racer and legendary icon in the sport is that he is passionate about racing, a perfectionist towards the race vehicle, and most importantly, a warm person who makes the entire team feel like family. “The hardest thing about being the team crew chief/manager is how many people I have to oversee,” says Ampudia Sr. “Managing people isn’t hard, but it’s the amount of time dedicated to making sure everything is done.” If you spend any time talking to Ampudia, you begin to understand the thousands of details and scenarios that go through his head. “I guess I overthink things,” he says. But when a race approaches, I can’t help thinking about all the little things that could happen with the race truck, and all of the multiple options my son Alan can take when he’s driving the Trophy Truck through a course. We go over all these things, but they play an important part in our strategy in winning.” “At the SCORE Baja 500, we pre-ran the course and went over many of the different lines we could take at different spots on the course. Full throttle at one point, then slow down to 40 mph at another point, getting through certain turns and figuring out the various lines he could take. It turned out that one of those options was how Alan passed Luke McMillin and ultimately won that race.” Ampudia speaks from experience, and his sons, Alan, Rodrigo Jr., and Aaron, have all done well because of it. In his career, Ampudia Sr. earned seven class wins. “My brother (Rogerio) and I ran our first SCORE race in Class 1/2-1600 in 1986, and we have been a part of SCORE Baja racing ever since.” Ampudia Sr. had three wins in the SCORE Baja 500 (1992, 1994, and 2009), one in the SCORE San Felipe 250 (2009), and three in the iconic SCORE Baja 1000 (1990, 1994, and 2017). In his 2017 class victory, Ampudia Sr. was the second driver for fellow Mexican patriarch racer Gustavo Vildosola Sr., in the SCORE TT Legend class during the Peninsula race from Ensenada to La Paz that was part of the 50th SCORE Baja 1000 celebration. While he’s proud of his own accomplishments, he is proudest of his three sons and their accomplishments. When his son Alan won the SCORE Baja 1000 for the first time, it was one of Ampudia’s greatest moments, and then came winning the SCORE Trophy Truck championship. Now, the Papas Y Beer team has added a Trophy Truck Spec and two UTVs to the team’s roster. “Now that we have more vehicles on the course, we have been working on improving our pit stops,” says Ampudia. “Before our pits took 25 to 38 seconds. Now we are using two refueling teams on both sides of the course, and with practice, we have saved eight seconds off of each pit. When you add those up, it makes a difference. We won the SCORE San Felipe 250 ahead of the next competitor by 40 seconds, so each second counts in these races where you can’t afford to make any major mistakes.” When it comes to making hard decisions, Ampudia says he wants the team to make the major ones. “I’m an easy-going guy,” he says. “But if there are hard decisions to make, I want the team to be all involved. We have to figure it out together, as more brains are better than just one.” As the patriarch of the team, Ampudia also places his efforts into making sure everyone feels like family. “I depend on everyone to work together as a team,” he says. “I expect everyone to give 100 percent all the time.” This includes Ampudia’s wife, Patty, who makes everyone breakfast at 5 am before they head out pre-running. “Patty is also in charge of the pits, making sure each one has all the right fire equipment, rags, goggles, first-aid kits, and is well stocked. We have been married for 53 years, and she is just as much a part of this team as I am. You can say we spoil everyone, but that’s also a part of the bonding we do with the team, and those little things bring us all closer together.” SJ