Casey Currie Vehicle Check Out
Casey Currie is currently tied for the points lead in the TORC series and has been on podium every race weekend. Few people know he builds his own trucks. Here is a piece explaining some of the differences between the Pro-lite and Pro-2.
Produced by Mad Media Directed by the Martelli Brothers
Mastercraft UTV & Jeep Commercial
Check out the Mastercraft UTV & Jeep commercial we just wrapped up. Its a challenge making a stock UTV look cool, but I think we managed to make it look great!
Rick Huseman vehicle checkout clip
Rick Huseman is continuing his outright domination of the Pro-4 class in short course off-road racing. Here is a look at the vehicle he built himself with his brothers.
2009 Crandon edits for Monster Energy
These edits finally get to see the light of day! Check em out, we put a lot of work into them.
Produced by Mad Media. Directed by The Martelli Brothers. Director of Photography Milan Spasic.
Injured Rodrigo Ampudia fights for spectacular 2nd place finish at Lucas Oil Off-Road Series
Once again the field of racers was stacked and the freshly prepped track was ready for a exciting weekend of racing at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series rounds 5-6, held at the famous Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The stands swelled with fans to watch over twenty Pro-2’s come out and do battle on the newly built short course off-road track. Only the second race at the track, Las Vegas fans are beginning to realize they have one of the best off-road tracks in the world to complement the regional desert racing. Chances are if you grew up in Las Vegas you have participated in some sort of recreational off-roading.
Rodrigo Ampudia arrived at the track late Wednesday night not sure if his recent knee injury was going to prevent him from racing. While riding his Motocross bike, he crashed and hyper-extended his knee, pulling it out of its socket shredding his ACL, Meniscus, Lateral, Anterior, and PCL doing over 35 centimeters of nerve damage. After going through surgery Rodrigo was told he would be off his leg for 10 months and can not drive at all.
“I wasn’t sure if I could race at all, but I wanted to try. I felt like I owed it to my fans, my sponsors, and myself. We put my leg in a brace and modified my seat so I could drive with one foot. I normally use booth feet to gas and brake simultaneously and to stabilize myself. We went out to practice to see how it felt and it was ok. I was bouncing around a lot more and off every jump my leg would slam down, but it wasn’t causing to much pain,” stated the committed Rodrigo.
Rodrigo Ampudia with serious knee injury
Rodrigo not only got around the track, but managed to qualify 6th in his number 36 Papas and Beer, Lucas Oil Pro-2. Putting him on the 3rd row for the start. Rodrigo steadily moved up in the field after the start and passed three vehicles to put him in 3rd place by the mandatory caution lap. After the re-start Rodrigo managed to maintain his position despite constant challenges from the field of trucks behind him. In a spectacular finish, Rodrigo floored it out of the last corner and caught and passed Todd Leduc in the air on the very last jump, narrowly edging him out to finish in second place!
“I was so stoked with my finish. I just tried to drive smooth and saw the opportunity to catch Todd at the finish and went for it”, stated Rodrigo.
Rodrigo Ampudia finishes 2nd at Lucas Oil Off-Road Series Round 5-6
Sunday Rodrigo qualified 8th, starting him in the 4th row. Right off the start traffic had bunched up, and in turn three Jeff Ward Spun causing a traffic jam which put Rodrigo back to 11th. By the mandatory caution Rodrigo had managed to fight his way back up to 8th in the number 36 Papas and Beer, Lucas Oil Pro-2. Making a push in the last few laps Rodrigo managed to get up to 5th but made a mistake in turn one hitting Greg Adler while trying to pass on the inside. The result of the contact was a bent spindle making it almost completely impossible to steer the truck, which caused Rodrigo to fall back and finish 11th.
Rodrigo’s next race will be Lucas Oil Off-Road Round 7-8 at Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, UT June 26-27
Monster Energy LOORS Rounds 3-4 in Surprise, AZ web clip
We just finished up this piece for Monster Energy on Rounds 3-4 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series in Surprise, AZ. Check out the door to door racing action!
Monster Energy LOORS Las Vegas Race Highlights produced by Mad Media
We just finished up this edit for Monster Energy of the Lucas Oil off-road series round 1-2 in Las Vegas. We shot, produced and edited the entire piece. The clip features Johnny Greaves, Jeremy McGrath, Rick Huseman, and Casey Currie. Round 1-2 was a epic weekend of wild battles on the track with more vehicles in Pro-2, Pro-4 and Pro-light than ever. Literally their was a battle for every position. With all the drivers back in one series this race really set the stage for a year long fist fight for the points championship in each class. I am looking forward to this weekends race in Surprise, AZ! See you in the Dirt!
Casey Currie King of The Hammers 2010
Monster Energy presents exclusive coverage of Casey Currie at the 2010 King of The Hammers! This Mad Media produced clip features highlights of Casey’s battle in Shannon Campbell’s 2009 custom built KOH rig. Casey had a spectacular start, passing 15-20 vehicles over the first fifty miles. With a mere five miles to go from finishing, he entered the treacherous “Sledgehammer” section of the coarse and attacked it’s nearly impassable rock faces and giant boulders, Casey made it half way up the hill, but after getting stuck and passed by another competitor, he lost his front air shocks and the airline to both his lockers, leaving him stranded. Check out the clip below for a look into the wild world of “The King of the Hammers” race.
“Ballistic” BJ Baldwin fights through mechanical failure for a 2nd place finish at General Tire Mint 400
The legendary Mint 400 is an annual off-road race started in 1967 known as “The Great American Desert Race”. Held just north of Las Vegas, NV the race is a 400-mile test of man and machine alike. The race is well known as being one of the toughest and roughest courses in all off-road racing. The Mint 400 has a rich and storied history with entrants from around the world that have included some of the most well-known names from all racing genres as well as the television and motion picture industry. The race was depicted in 1971 in Hunter S. Thompson’s epic novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, which was later made into a feature film starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. This year’s race took place March 25th -28th and had over 300 participants in 24 Classes. The course features the infamous “Rock Garden”, silt beds, miles of rocky moon-hills, sandy washes, and high speed graded roads.
Friday the 26th all Trophy Truck and Class 1 cars were given the chance to qualify for position. BJ was determined to qualify in the front and had a solid start but was distracted when a water bottle came loose and began sliding around behind his brake and gas peddle. “I couldn’t believe the bottle started to roll around beneath my feet. At one point I was holding it down with my left foot and using my right foot to brake and gas. It cost me time for sure,” stated BJ. Despite the distraction BJ still managed to qualify 4th out of 50 unlimited competitors.
Saturday the 27th BJ started the race 4th off the line and was moving up through traffic and dust when he struck a large boulder with his left front wheel near race mile 11. “I was trying to be patient. I wanted to be out front, out of the dust as quick as possible. The dust was terrible. I went wide to pass Spruole and there is this 5-second window when you are passing when you can’t see anything and that’s when I hit the boulder. It ripped the whole right wheel off and jerked the truck and started to endo, I can’t believe we didn’t crash,” stated BJ. He then got out of his truck then went back to wait in the main pit for his father, Bobby Baldwin to bring his truck around. BJ explained, “We decided to put Chad Ragland who was supposed to be driving with my dad back in my truck once it was fixed. I wanted to get in my Dad’s truck and still go for the overall. My dad drove a great first lap coming in 5th on the road. I got in the #96 General Tire trophy truck and went for it!”
- BJ Baldwin battles to a 2nd place finish at the General Tire Mint 400
BJ rocketed out of the start finish, and began chasing down competitors. By the end of lap 2nd BJ was 2nd on the road despite having torque converter problems, which cause the transmission to over heat a high speeds. Just after the beginning of 3rd lap BJ lost all brakes, but managed to complete the whole lap with no brakes and still close the gap with the race leaders to within 10 seconds on corrected time. After fixing the bakes in the main pit BJ went back out with a vengeance, but more drama would ensue. While trying to pass 12 car on the 4th lap BJ hit a large rock and twisted the driveshaft. After spending 14 minutes changing the driveshaft BJ got back going and again began to chase down the race leaders. BJ ultimately crossed the line physically 2nd finishing 2nd in trophy trucks only 11 minutes short of first place. “I love this race. It is really tough challenge; you can’t make any mistakes or your done. The course is brutal and get’s worse every lap. Congrats to Roger Norman and Larry Roessler, they qualified well and raced well all day. I was trying my best to catch them all day, but between dust, traffic and mechanical issues it just wasn’t in the cards for us. I had a blast racing against everybody! I can’t wait until next year to do it again!” commented BJ.
- BJ and Bobby Baldwin celebrate 2nd place victory at General Tire Mint 400
BJ Baldwin is sponsored by:
General Tire, Mastercraft Safety, Method Race Wheels, Vision-X lights, King Shocks and K&N Filters
Mad Media Tapped To Produce TV Coverage Of The Legendary General Tire Mint 400
The legendary Mint 400 is an annual off-road race started in 1967 known as “The Great American Desert Race”. Held just north of Las Vegas Nevada, the race is a four hundred mile test of man and machine alike. It is known for being one of the toughest and roughest courses in North American off-road racing. The course features the infamous “rock garden”, silt beds, miles of rocky moon-hills, sandy washes, and high speed graded roads. This year’s race will take place March 25th – 28th, and has over three hundred participants expected in twenty-two vehicle classes.
The directing and producing team of Matt and Joshua Martelli, known as “The Martelli Brothers”, head up Mad Media’s production team, joined by a seasoned crew of talented cinematographers and editors. “We’re passionate about off-road racing and we have been producing content within and about the sport for several years now, so we’re thrilled to take all that we’ve learned about high-end filmmaking and apply it to such a historic competition. Our plan is simple; we want to bring the raw energy and excitement of being at the race to television”, stated Matt Martelli. Joshua Martelli added, “Our goal over the next few years is to build the Mint 400 into the most important race in off-road. It has all the right elements. We are pulling out all the stops to make this TV show great, and to build a platform for the future of off-road racing.”
The Martelli brothers have teamed up with Jason Markham, who produced the live HDTV Championship Off-Road Racing show for NBC sports and SPEED Channel, which was heralded as the best off-road race coverage on television. In 2008 Markham was also responsible for the first live broadcast of an off-road race in history. The team has plans to tackle multiple off-road related projects together. “The combination of my technical and creative background and TV production experience, with that of the Martelli Brothers / Mad Media’s ability to create slick and engaging content is really exciting. They’re incredible storytellers, and have embraced the latest in high-end film gear like the RED and Canon 5D MKII cameras, which has put them in contention with any of the larger production groups in the industry. I’m thrilled to join forces with them and focus on creating compelling and exciting new media projects”, commented Markham.
The Mint 400 has a rich and storied history that includes the best racers as well as celebrities from around the world. Indianapolis 500 winners Parnelli Jones, Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Rodger Ward; off-road champions Mickey Thompson, Ivan Stewart, Jack Flannery, Walker Evans, BJ Baldwin, Andy McMillin; international off road competitor, Rod Hall; freestyle motocross celebrity Cary Hart; power boat champion Bill Muncey, movie and television stars James Garner and Steve McQueen; and astronaut Gordon Cooper, are among the many racing and entertainment luminaries who have competed in the Mint 400. The race was depicted in 1971 in Hunter S. Thompson’s epic novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, which was later made into a feature film starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.
About Mad Media:
Mad Media is San Diego based creative agency that offers professional film and television production, a complete arsenal of video post production services, as well as website and print design. Mad Media specializes in creating culturally relevant brand messaging that features professional athletes, musicians, and artists for the motor sports, action sports, and mixed martial arts cultures. Known for producing the award-winning viral film series “Gymkhana”, (one of the most successful viral films in history), Mad Media produces premium content for all mediums.
Rodrigo Ampudia stacks up podiums at Lucas Oil Off-Road season opener
The field of racers were stacked, the newly built track was prepped, and the stage was set for a great weekend of racing at the Lucas Oil Off-road season opener in Las Vegas. Rodrigo Ampudia and his team headed to the Las Vegas Motor speedway from their shop in Ensenada, Baja California prepared to battle for podiums in both the Pro-2 and Pro-lite class. Tension swelled as the vehicle counts began to climb to record numbers in all classes. The stage was set for an epic weekend of off-road racing at the Lucus Oil Off-road series season opener at the world famous Las Vegas Motor speedway.
Rodrigo quickly found his rhythm qualifying first in pro-lite and 3rd in Pro-2. The first race on Saturday for Rodrigo would be the racers class of Pro-lite. Rodrigo started in the 2nd row back and started gaining positions off the start. Unfortunately the race had to be restarted because of an immediate crash temporarily slowing the momentum. After the restart Rodrigo got tangled up with Metal Mulisha General Brian Deegan, which bent his front right rotor and damaged his tire. Rodrigo managed to weld the damaged truck with finesse to a 4th place finish in Pro-lite.
Rodrigo Ampudia flies over jump at Lucas Oil Off-Road series opener
Saturday also brought a heated battle for podiums in the Pro-2 division. With 28 trucks and many of them long time race veterans, Rodrigo would have his work cut out for him as traffic would be a major factor. Due to the inversion Rodrigo started on the outside of pole next to Ricky Johnson, which should have kept him out of the carnage, but McGrath tangled up with him and several cars got around him. Rodrigo got right back into the action and fought his way back up to 5th by the midway caution. From there Rodrigo battled back in forth with Bryce Menzies and Jeff Kincaid ultimately finishing third right behind off-road legends Rob MacCachren and Ricky Johnson.
Sunday would also prove to be challenging as practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain. In the Pro-lite class Rodrigo started in the 2nd row. The race quickly turned into a battle as off-road veteran Marty Hart took the lead and set a blistering pace. Rodrigo managed to stay in the front group of trucks avoiding much of the carnage in the back. By the Mandatory caution Rodrigo had fought his way to the front, and maintained the lead until the checkered flag finishing first in Pro-lite class.
In the Pro-2 class, after the inversion Rodrigo would start on the pole next to Robby Woods. At the drop of the flag Rodrigo went after the first spot until Woods rolled violently in turn one. The race was restarted with Rodrigo on the pole, he maintained the lead for the first few laps until Rob “Fig” Naughton got around him. Once behind Naughton, Rodrigo fell back to 4th, but fought his way around Naughton, ultimately finishing third in the Pro-2 class. In addition Rodrigo was also able to run the fastest lap of the day. Rodrigo Ampudia is off to an Impressive start, capturing three podiums, more than any other driver in the series.
Rodrigo Ampudia leads for another first place at Lucas Oil Off-Road Series
“It’s great to be racing against the best drivers in the world and get on podium. It’s validation for all the hard work me, my team, and my family have put into off-road racing. We love this sport! Thanks to all my sponsors Lucas Oil, Papas & Beer, Tecate, BFGoodrich, and the fans. This is going to be a great year of racing!” Rodrigo commented about the great weekend of racing.
Rodrigo’s next race will be Lucas Oil Off-Road Round 2-3 in Surprise, AZ on April 17th and 18th.
Come by the Papas & Bear pit area to check out Rodrigo’s Pro-lite and Pro-2 truck and pick up some free posters.
Check out Rodrigo’s website for race results, photos and video at: www.papasracing.com
Rodrigo Ampudia is sponsored by:
Papas & Beer, Lucas Oil, Tecate, BFGoodrich, Mastercraft Safety, Fox Shox, and Simpson
About Papas & Beer:
Papas & Beer is the original Mexican nightclub, bar, & restaurant established in Ensenada, Baja California in1983. Currently Papas & Beer has three locations in Rosarito, Ensenada, and La Paz but is undergoing an expansion with more locations set to open in the United States and Mexico.
Management & Media by:
Mad Media
Matt Martelli
(760) 721-3600 or matt@madmedia.com
For additional news and updates check out:
For Rodrigo Ampudia images, please visit: www.papasracing.com
High-resolution photos are also available upon request
Casey Currie battles for top five finish at Lucas Oil Off-Road season opener
The Season opener for Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series started in spectacular fashion with a stacked field of racers and magnificently constructed, technical track. The facility located at Las Vegas Motor speedway offered exciting racing and great spectating a like. After being notified two days before the race that he was to be there, Casey Currie scrambled and rented a Pro-lite from Garrit Wallace. The truck had been sitting in a trailer for 18 months with no prep or maintenance. Casey, his family, and his crew thrashed for 24 hours non-stop to get the truck ready.
Even though Casey had no time to test or set up the truck, he managed to qualify 9th, which set him up for a 4th row start. Near the beginning of the race the number #92 truck actually flipped into the hood of Casey’s #2 Monster Energy Pro-lite stopping him and send him to the last position. Casey turned on the heat and fought his way back up to 5th place pushing the rented truck to its limit. Casey crossed the finish line in a respectable 5th place.
Casey Currie flies during Lucas Oil Off-Road race season opener
After having some time in the truck, Casey made a lot of changes to improve the performance of the truck. Sunday’s qualifying was canceled due to rain and the divers were only given one lap to shake down their vehicles, making the slippery wet conditions even more of an obstacle. On Sunday Casey started on the poll and led the first few laps until Rodrigo Ampudia got around him. Casey stayed in the 2nd position until the restart. Two laps after the restart Casy’s truck began to lose power eventually stopping due to a mechanical failure with the carburetor.
Casey had this to say about the race: “We really had to scramble to make it here. On Tuesday I had no idea what I was going to drive! My team pulled together with support form our sponsors and we made is out to the race. On Saturday I had a hard time adaption to the rented truck, but by Sunday I felt it was working much better. I would have liked to finish on the podium, but making it to the race was a victory in itself. I had a great time battling some of the top racers in the Pro-lite class.”
Come by the pit area to check out Casey’s Pro-lite truck and pick up some free posters.
Check out Casey’s website for race results, photos and video at: http://www.caseycurrie.com/
Casey Curry is sponsored by:
Monster Energy, BFGoodrich Tires, Currie Enterprises, Magnaflow Exhaust, American Wire Harness, GoPro Cameras, Goodridge, Howe Performance, K&N Filters, Kawasaki, Kicker Audio, King Shocks, Leatt Brace, Light Force Lights, MasterCraft Safety, Motive Gear, Oakley, PWR Radiators, Race Line Wheels, Ringers Gloves, Sign Pros, Simple Green, Torco Oil
Management & Media by:
Mad Media
Matt Martelli
(760) 721-3600 or matt@madmedia.com
For additional news and updates check out: http://www.caseycurrie.com/
For Casey Currie images, please visit:http://www.caseycurrie.com/
High-resolution photos are also available upon request
Pro-lite racer Luke Johnson
Check out this photo we just shot of young off-road racing prodigy Luke Johnson.
He has big shoes to fill, but he is well on his way. Luke will be racing a full season of TORC in the Pro-lite Class. Photo was shot on location in Temecula, CA by our director of Still Photography Vincent Knakal.
Method Wheels promo poster
Check out the new Method Wheels promo poster we just finished, its of “Ballistic BJ Baldwin boosting some serious air! No we did not photoshop him higher! They are free, just swing by the Method booth during contingency at any race and say hi to Colbey . Shot by our own Brendon Klein. Oh yeah, buy lots of Method wheels and keep us employed.
BJ Baldwin Method Wheels Poster
“Ballistic” BJ Baldwin wins the Parker 425!
BJ Baldwin wins Parker 425!
The Best in the Desert Parker 425 started in 1972, known then as the Norra Dam “500”, by 1974 the race had evolved to the Parker “400”, and continued to develop into one of the premier off-road races on American soil. Taking place along the banks of the Colorado River, the race features time trials pitting racers against the clock in a short dash for start position. The 140-mile loop features some of the most challenging terrain in America including sandy whoops, rocky washes, high speed graded roads, silt beds, and the crowd pleasing ” Parker Python” a spectator friendly winding infield section of the course.
On Thursday despite being 77th car to start qualifying BJ had a solid qualifying run finishing 4th setting him up for a dust free first lap. The weather also worked in the favor of racers with frequent light rains dust would be much less of a factor than previous years. The race started at daybreak on Saturday February 6th as the vehicles rocketed out of downtown Parker off-into the treacherous Arizona desert. BJ was off to a good start keeping a constant pace, pressuring the top race field. On lap one BJ had a quick-release mechanism fail causing the spare tire to fall off the rear of the truck. Shortly their after BJ received his one and only flat while in the dust passing a fellow competitor. The tire held up until the truck was at 126 mph on fence line road. By lap 2 BJ had gained position on time but kept steadily moving up. By lap 3 BJ had the lead both physically and on corrected time.
“Ballistic” BJ Baldwin won the grueling race in domination fashion finishing 19 minutes ahead of the nearest vehicle and 39 minutes ahead of the next trophy truck. Shaking off a rough 2009 season BJ had this to say about the victory; “It feels great to be back on top of the podium. We had a great race with very little problems. The truck ran great and we came prepared. We had some radio issues after we knocked our antenna off, but other than that we ran pretty much problem free. I was just trying to be steady and let the race come to me. It was hard to not push hard the whole time. There was a lot of good competition, but I just tried to run my race and not worry too much about any body else. I have to thank my crew, my sponsors, and all the fans who came out to see the best racers in off-road do battle. The champ is back!”
BJ Baldwin’s next race will be the Mastercraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 March 12th – 14th
BJ Baldwin is sponsored by:
General Tire, Mastercraft Safety, Method Race Wheels, Vision-X lights, King Shocks and K&N Filters
Behind the scenes at Johnny Greaves world record jump
Here a few photos form the first day of practice for Johnny Greaves world record jump. The jump was built on Jeremy McGraths beautiful ranch just outside of San Diego.
