Lake Elsinore, California (January 28, 2018) – The 2018 SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks World Championship kicked off Saturday night with a return to the sold out Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore, California. Fans in attendance witnessed one of the most entertaining and dramatic filled SST events in quite some time as VP Racing Lubricants driver Apdaly Lopez would claim the first SST victory of 2018 over Jeff Hoffman.

Fifth starting Apdaly Lopez of Tecate, Baja California, Mexico is no stranger to the temporary off-road track the A.M. Ortega crew built inside the Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium. Lopez would dominate the opening round of competition in the Stadium SUPER Trucks Race and Rock World Championship Finals back in December, and would look to back that up in the opening round of 2018 dawning a new partnership from VP Racing Lubricants.

The start of the 16-lap main event would see the newest member of Team UFD Jeff Hoffman of Phoenix, Arizona jump out to an early lead on first time SST starter Cole Potts of Scottsdale, Arizona.

The first lap would see action all over the track as potential race winners Sheldon Creed of El Cajon, California and Jerett Brooks of Alpine, California would become locked together dropping back in the field early in the event.

Robby Gordon of Orange, California driving the SPEED Energy/ Toyo Tires truck would settle into the second position behind Hoffman on Lap-2, and would quickly challenge for the top position. Battling back and forth Hoffman would over drive the corner, and would allow Gordon to take the top spot, and drive out to a sizable lead.

Following in the tracks of the hard charging Gordon for multiple laps the LIVE truck of Hoffman would hit all his marks with accuracy, and would make up enough ground to come close enough to challenge Gordon back for the lead. Hoffman would pass Gordon for the lead in a daring move to the inside just before the competition caution would fly over the field. At the halfway mark Hoffman would lead Gordon, and Brooks who battled his way back thru the chaos into the top three after the early tangle in the event with Creed.

The restart would see Hoffman loose the handle of his truck in the first corner kicking it up on two wheels, the lurking Gordon would capitalize launching the No. 7 back into the lead. Dropping into the third position behind Hoffman would be Lopez who was battling thru the field after making early contact in the event with various competitors. At this point Lopez truck was showing signs of nothing short of war.

Driving like a man possessed Lopez would now set his sights on Gordon and the top spot. Finding just the right opening to drive his truck in extremely hard into the lower groove Lopez would work Gordon up the track to move past him in textbook dirt track racing fashion.

However, Hoffman would have something to say about that, as he would take his joker lap to catapult back into the lead ahead of Lopez all while Gordon would work his way back past Lopez for second. Just when you think things are working in the favor of the driver they call “The Hoff” his truck would stall in the middle of the corner dropping him back to the fifth position.

All while the red flag would wave stopping an incredible battle out front. Brooks driving in replacement for the injured Paul Morris would roll over his LIVE entry onto the side right in the path of on coming trucks.

The restart would see Gordon get a good jump on the second place Lopez to break out to a four-truck advantage.

One lap later the red flag would once again come out for SST rookie Blade Hildebrand of Yucca Valley, California, as his Empire Destructive entry would go for a series of rolls going over the crossover jump. The young driver would remain in the truck and restart at the back of the field a true test of the durability and construction of these Stadium SUPER Trucks.

The closing laps would see Lopez drive extremely aggressive looking to charge to the front of the field making contact with Gordon multiple times and eventually moving past him. Hoffman lingering back in third place would want into that party as he would slide around the outside of both drivers to take the lead on the final lap. Lopez would battle back as Hoffman’s truck would stumble temporarily allowing Lopez to open up a sizable lead.

The beaten and battered VP Racing Lubricants truck of Apdaly Lopez would cross the finish line first capturing victory in round 1of the 2018 SST World Championship. Hoffman would cross the line in the second position, followed by teammate Gavin Harlien who would get past Gordon in the closing corners.

Even though a driver may win a race in Stadium SUPER Trucks, the overall weekend point’s title is earned by gaining points every time a driver is on track in competition and second finishing Jeff Hoffman driving the LIVE entry would be a perfect example of that in Round 1 of the 2018 SST World Championship.

Consistency is the name of the game and Hoffman was able to back that up. Qualifying in the third position, finishing in the second position in the heat race, and following those efforts up with a second place finish in the main event. Hoffman would earn enough points to best Sheldon Creed by 2, and Apdaly Lopez by 3 to capture his first ever SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks overall.

The 2018 SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks World Championship will continue with Round 2, 3, 4; March 1-4 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia for the Adelaide 500. Proud Stadium SUEPR Trucks supporters LIVE will be playing in concert Saturday night, March 3. Advanced tickets are available for purchase at https://stadiumsupertrucks.com

Please visit https://stadiumsupertrucks.com for more information on the 2018 SST World Championship schedule.
SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks World Championship
Round 1
Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium
January 27, 2018
Lake Elsinore, California

SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks Final

1. Apdaly Lopez; Tecate, Baja California, Mexico; VP Racing Lubricants/ RPM Off-Road/ KMC Wheels
2. Jeff Hoffman; Phoenix, Arizona; LIVE/ United Fiber & Data
3. Gavin Harlien; Mesa, Arizona; United Fiber & Data/ York Creative/ Think Loud Development
4. Robby Gordon; Orange, California; SPEED Energy/ Toyo Tires/ KMC Wheels/ Menards
5. Cole Potts; Scottsdale, Arizona; SPEED Energy/ Hallmark Trust.com/ Security State Bank/ CPI
6. Sheldon Creed; El Cajon, California; A.M. Ortega/ United Rentals
7. Matt Brabham; Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia; DeVILBISS/ Hawk Performance/ KMC Wheels
8. Blade Hidebrand; Yucca Valley, California; Empire Destructive/ MPI
9. Bill Hynes; Nazareth, Pennsylvania; United Fiber & Data/ LIVE/ Think Loud Development
10. Lalo Laguna; Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico; RPM Off-Road/ KMC Wheels
11. Arie Luyendyk Jr.; Scottsdale, Arizona; Hostile Racing Wheels/LIVE
12. Jerett Brooks; Alpine, California; LIVE/ United Fiber & Data/ Think Loud Development

Team UFD Racing has announced their driver roster for the 2018 Stadium SUPER Trucks season, which kicks off Saturday, January 27th at the Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium in Lake Elsinore, California!

#25 Arie Luyendyk Jr, #55 Gavin Harlien, #57 Bill Hynes, #67 Paul Morris.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (October 17, 2017) – Road America announced today the addition of the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks (SST) to the racing lineup for the NASCAR XFINITY weekend of August 23-25.

Led by the NASCAR XFINITY Series, the weekend also features SCCA Pro Trans Am providing non-stop, on-track action from three separate series’ throughout the weekend.

The Stadium SUPER Trucks will take to the track many times throughout the weekend, holding practice and qualifying on Friday prior to the first SST race. The second SST race will take place in advance of the NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday.

“We always enjoy adding more for our fans to experience and the Stadium SUPER Truck Series is the perfect combination for our fans and our facility,” said Road America President and General Manager George Bruggenthies. “Wisconsin is truck country and this is going to be a new and incredible experience for our fans. We encourage everyone to stake out a good viewing spot because it’s going to be wild watching these racers race, jump and fly through the air around our legendary racecourse.”

The widely popular Stadium SUPER Truck Series features identically prepared 650-horsepower trucks that are built to take flight. Being able to race on virtually any surface thrown at them, the Stadium SUPER Trucks will race the front half of Road America, crossing between turns 5 and 13 as compared to the entire 4-mile circuit utilized by NASCAR XFINITY Series and the SCCA Pro Trans Am Series.

The Stadium SUPER Truck races will feature four 36-inch tall aluminum ramps placed in strategic locations on the racecourse, allowing the trucks to fly 20 feet off the ground and hundreds of feet down the racecourse.

“For Stadium SUPER Trucks to visit Wisconsin and America’s National Park of Speed, I cannot be more excited,” Stadium SUPER Trucks President Robby Gordon said. “Along with other racers, I’ve been fond of Road America for many years. To bring the door-to-door action and the big air of Stadium SUPER Trucks to Road America for the first time, the fans are going to be ecstatic for Stadium SUPER Truck racing.”

The NASCAR XFINITY Series rolls into Road America August 23-25, bringing intense door-to-door stock car, sports car and now truck racing action to the nation’s most intimidating road course. The NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule and the event could prove to be a pivotal race for drivers looking to improve their standing in the championship points. The event weekend will feature practice, qualifying and racing from the SCCA Pro Trans Am and the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks.

Advance pricing for Road America season passes is available from October through December and 2018 event tickets and camping are now available. To purchase season passes, tickets or learn more about upcoming events at Road America, please visit Road America online at www.roadamerica.com or call 800-365-RACE (7223).

About Road America: Established in 1955, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world’s best racers have competed at this legendary 4-mile, 14-turn road circuit for over 60 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, a new 1,200 foot Zip Line, the CTECH Manufacturing Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, visit www.roadamerica.com Follow Road America on www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800-365-7223.

FORT WORTH, Texas (August 22, 2017) – The SPEED Energy Stadium Super Truck Series will return to Texas Motor Speedway in 2018 for the “No Limits Off-Road Rumble,” creating another diverse tripleheader weekend scheduled for June 8-9 that also includes the Verizon IndyCar Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The Stadium Super Truck Series received rave reviews from fans during its inaugural event held in June during the Texas Indy 600 weekend. The series hosted two races that same evening as the Verizon IndyCar Series race – one prior to that event and one following Victory Lane ceremonies – to add to the annual Saturday evening show.

The “No Limits Off-Road Rumble” will once again be paired with the also newly named “No Limits Off-Road Ruckus.” The ruckus will feature an expo and interactive activities for enthusiasts of jeeps, trucks, Utility Terrain Vehicles and buggies. The expansive layout covered the infield inside of Turn 2 this past June.

“The Stadium Super Trucks were a great addition to our June race weekend and judging from the response from our fans it was a huge hit with them,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “The Super Trucks also give our fans quite a diverse weekend with three different disciplines of motorsports.”

The course layout proved challenging for competitors while entertaining for race fans. The unique layout incorporated the frontstretch and infield paddock area, featuring ramps along the frontstretch, a jump into the South Paddock and a soaring under-over-jump. The course also offered multiple race surfaces with portions of the track made of dirt to partner with the asphalt of pit lane and the frontstretch.

PJ Jones won the opening race and Sheldon Creed the second race, but Gavin Harlien was crowned the overall champion based off finishing points from the two races combined.

“SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks is looking forward to returning to Texas Motor Speedway in 2018,” Stadium SUPER Trucks President Robby Gordon said. “The Texas Motor Speedway staff likes to do things big, and with SST’s return to the Texas Indy 600 weekend it will be bigger and better. We plan on building a bigger crossover jump, and tailoring the track to create even more high-energy, full contact racing. Texas is known as a truck state, and we are excited to bring our high-flying SST trucks back to Texas.”

For ticket and schedule information on the 2018 season, please visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com or call the speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500.

For more information, contact the Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations Department at (817) 215-8520 or pr@texasmotorspeedway.com.