Rodrigo Ampudia said it would be great to take the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by GEICO south of the border and put on a race in Baja California, for several reasons.
One is that his "whole team is based out of my hometown of Ensenada. All of my crew is from Ensenada as well. We all travel up here (to the United States) and have a little bit of fun on the weekend and represent Baja California and Mexico."
Another reason is that he and his team wouldn't have to wait for two hours or so to navigate the lines at the border crossing, as they do now. And, finally, it would give his hometown fans a chance to see exactly what he does and what incredible excitement the series offers its competitors and its fans.
"They really support our team and a lot of them don't have the financial possibilities to come over here and watch us race," the 28-year-old driver of the Lucas Oil/Papas&Beer Ford Pro 2 truck said. "They follow the series, but it's harder for them because they can only follow it on-line and the content we put on line as drivers is limited. Maybe once TV goes live (for the season finale at Elsinore, California, October 26-27) we can start showing some more live stuff on the web as well."
The man known as Rod Amp has been involved in the sport all his life, first while his father, Rodrigo, raced the legendary SCORE Baja 1000 and other desert endurance events and, since 1998, as a driver in both desert and short course competition. He started in a limited buggy in the desert, moved into the Pro Lite class in 2006 and made his Pro 2 debut in 2008.
He's also continued to compete in the desert and has an active role in the management of the family's Papas&Beer nightclubs.
Ampudia has been a fixture in the top 10 in the point standings, thanks to a race win at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, in 2010 and multiple top 5 finishes every season, but the team also has struggled to find the speed and consistency that would make him a contender at every race.
During the most recent event, at Wild West Motorsports Park in Sparks, Nevada, Ampudia said "we're getting there. It's a slow progression, but we'll eventually get the truck where we want it," and while he may have been talking specifically about that weekend his comment was applicable to the team's overall development.
"We need a little bit more backing to upgrade our equipment like a lot of the other teams have," he said. "I'm still running the same package I started racing with in 2007. But that's not an excuse. We're still trying really hard to get up there and be quick."
Ampudia and the team are going to keep trying, too, because he has no interest in racing anywhere else.
"I think this is the best form of motorsports in the world, it's the most exciting for the fans, and it will eventually get to where some other sports are (in terms of recognition)," he said. "It has a lot of potential and as long as we keep moving forward with everyone's' programs and we're making ourselves professionals I think it will be really good."
RODRIGO AMPUDIA AT A GLANCE
Age: 28 (3 October 1984)
Lives in: Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Off Road Racer
Car number: 36 in Pro 2
Type of chassis: Ford Raptor
Engine: Ford
Crew Chief: Andres "Lechero" Rodriguez
Sponsors: Lucas Oil, Papas&Beer, Monster Energy Drink, Toyo Tires
Years in racing: 7
Divisions raced: SCORE Trophy Truck, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Pro Lite, Pro 2
Series points standings: 8 Pro 2, 31 Pro Lite (2012); 7 Pro 2, 4 Pro Lite (2011); 4 Pro 2, 15 Pro Lite (2010)
