SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1547140
A SECOND CHANCE After Running Out Of Fuel A Helping Hand Gets Apdaly Lopez To The Podium BY GABRIEL GARCÍA PHOTOS BY GET SOME PHOTO Racing for Brenthel Industries in the SCORE Trophy Truck Spec class, former SCORE Trophy Truck Champion Apdaly Lopez returned to victory lane at the 7th SCORE Baja 400 in Ensenada, Baja California. The win ending a frustrating stretch of races in which various setbacks had prevented him from securing a podium finish in more than nine years. “It was literally a roller coaster ride,” Lopez said. “We were running up front in the early miles, but around race mile 220, we ran into trouble and lost two minutes. We fought our way back into the lead, but then, at race mile 340, we ran out of fuel. We thought our race was over. That’s when someone came out in the middle of the desert and helped us with some gas. We took advantage of that second chance, kept pushing, and somehow made it to the finish line in first place.” A Grand History Behind The Wheel Lopez grew up attending off-road races with his parents before following in his father’s footsteps, first competing on motorcycles and eventually transitioning to four-wheel vehicles. “Racing motorcycles teaches you so much. It gave me a lot of experience, especially learning how to read the terrain and handle the dust. When you move to a race car, you have more suspension and greater confidence. But on a motorcycle, you’re on your own, learning to read the course and make decisions. That experience makes the transition to four-wheel racing much easier” His racing career began in Rene Montano’s ZR series, followed by CODE Off-Road. In 2012, he made his Class 10 debut in Mexicali with RPM Off-Road team before entering the SCORE San Felipe 250 alongside Derek Fletcher, finishing second in Class 4 and fulfilling his childhood dream of racing in SCORE’s legendary Baja events. The Tecate native quickly climbed the ranks with RPM Off-Road, competing in Class 8 alongside Rudy Iribe and Class 6 with Mexicali’s Eduardo Laguna. His breakthrough came at the 2013 SCORE Baja 1000, when he replaced his father, Juan Carlos ‘Pangas’ Lopez, behind the wheel of a SCORE Trophy Truck, one of the sport’s legendary ‘Monsters of the Desert.’ Just two years later, Lopez began a historic championship run, capturing three consecutive SCORE Trophy Truck season titles in 2015, 2016, and 2017 with Clyde Stacy and Justin Matney’s RPM Off-Road team. To this day, he remains the only Mexican driver to accomplish that feat. With three rounds completed in the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship, Lopez currently sits fifth in the SCORE Trophy Truck Spec standings with 345 points, just 14 behind championship leader Brent Fox. With the BFGoodrich Tires 59th SCORE Baja 1000 presented by Sylvania Off Road on the horizon, the Mexican racing star remains firmly in the championship hunt, with an opportunity to add another remarkable chapter to his already legendary SCORE career. • Lopez has been currently racing in the SCORE TT Spec class this season and got the class win at the 7th SCORE Baja 400