Produced by Mad Media  Directed by the Martelli Brothers

Produced by Mad Media. Directed by The Martelli Brothers. Director of Photography Milan Spasic.

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

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Friday the 26^th 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 4^th out of 50 unlimited competitors.

Saturday the 27^th BJ started the race 4^th 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 5^th on the road. I got in the #96 General Tire trophy truck and went for it!”

BJ rocketed out of the start finish, and began chasing down competitors. By the end of lap 2nd BJ was 2^nd on the road despite having torque converter problems, which cause the transmission to over heat a high speeds. Just after the beginning of 3^rd 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 4^th 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 2^nd finishing 2^nd 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 Baldwin is sponsored by:

General Tire, Mastercraft Safety, Method Race Wheels, Vision-X lights, King Shocks and K&N Filters

“We even surprised ourselves, when, after the first few stages, we were not only not dead last, but we were keeping pace with a few veteran WRC drivers, and even ahead of F1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen,” says Ken Block.

By the end of the first leg, on Friday, Block and Gelsomino had secured a position on the leaderboard for the American flag to fly. Unfortunately, an off on the first stage of Day 2, left the Monster Energy Ford Focus RS WRC unable to continue. “It was a rookie mistake,” says Block. “We should have noted the change in surface, the section went from a grippy dirt road to very loose gravel and there was just no traction at all, especially for the speed we were trying to carry into the next turn.”

Thanks to SuperRally rules, which allow competitors to return to the stages the following day along with some heavy time penalties, Block and Gelsomino were at it again on Sunday morning. The two put on a repeat performance of Day 1, finishing stage 19, eighth fastest, with a 13.7 second gap between them and ninth place. Then, on stage 21, the Monster World Rally Team shocked naysayers once more, being second fastest on the road after the first split. But, a puncture caused by an unfortunate meeting of rim and rock later on this stage, robbed Block and Gelsomino of over a minute.

Ken Block slides a corner at Rally Mexico

“In the WRC, we had heard of Ken Block, but more for his stunts than his driving, but after his performance in Mexico, I think it is very clear to everyone that he has the potential to become a competitive WRC driver,” says M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson. “For his first WRC event, he did extremely well.”

Ken Block launches a jump at Rally Mexico

“Ken is shining a bright light on what we at Ford have always known…that Ford makes the best fun-to-drive small cars in the world,” says Ford Racing Director Jamie Allison. “Ken’s rally efforts globally with Fiesta and Focus help us to tell that story to a new generation of car enthusiasts and it’s great to see Ken, as the lone American, competing at the highest level in WRC and showcasing his great rally talent. All of which will help expand the appeal of the sport in the U.S.”

The next WRC round for MWRT will be Rally Turkey, on April 16-18. Until then, follow the team at monsterworldrallyteam.com

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 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

Even though Casey had no time to test or set up the truck, he managed to qualify 9^th, which set him up for a 4^th 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 5^th place pushing the rented truck to its limit. Casey crossed the finish line in a respectable 5^th 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 2^nd 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