The SCORE Baja 500 has always been filled with racers with tons of talent and this year, twenty-year-old Carlos Apdaly Lopez showed that he can hang with the top racers in the world. Lopez would qualify fifth and fight to the front.

Coastal Part of the Baja 500

Carlos Apdaly Lopez battled the whole way against the likes of Rob MacCachren, Bryce Menzies, and Robby Gordon.  He blazed across Baja in a time of 8 hours, 48 minutes and 38 seconds, averaging 57.95 miles per hour across the 510.58-mile course. Lopez was not the only one that one that achieved something during the race.

This race marked the first time Lopez had competed in the Trophy Truck class with SCORE, and also marked his first career SCORE race win as well. Carlos Apdaly Lopez is a bright young star that has plenty of talent and it showed in this years Baja 500. He will sure be a contender for years to come.

Lopez celebrates his victory.

BFGoodrich Tires, which has been the official sponsor of SCORE for over thirty years, won for the 31st time for four wheel victories in the 36 years of running in the Baja 500. It was also the 84th overall victory for BFGoodrich Tires with races in Baja. Racing that put the trucks through so much abuse serves as a testament to the product that it can last and succeed in any environment.

Lopez said after the race, “We had a good day, but at race mile 100, we lost our brakes and we lost 5 to 10 minutes. After that, everything went pretty well and we regained the time we lost. This is the first 500-mile race that I’ve driven solo. The toughest part was the endurance.”

The RPM Offroad Team, of which Lopez is a member, has now won back-to-back SCORE racing events with Eduardo Laguna winning the Trophy Truck class in April’s Baja Sur 500 race and now Lopez winning the Baja 500.

Rob MacCachren catching air at the Baja 500

Rob MacCachren stated that “[he’s] raced SCORE Trophy Trucks since 1994, and it’s never been more competitive than it is now. The races weren’t as close and there weren’t as many people that could win these things. I think we are racing a sprint race from the start all the way to the finish now.”

The Trophy Truck class does not look to be letting anything go in recent races and will sure be something to watch the rest of the year. If the races this year so far are any indication of what the Baja 1000 will be in November, we are in for a real treat.