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LOVELL CLAIMS XRRA SEASON OPENER
Double Win For Lovell Rock
Racing
Proformance Unlimited rocked Moab, Utah with another
winning combination. "We have put a lot of focus on this first race
and have everything in place to win. All we need to do now is drive
fast, states Brad Lovell." And fast they did. "We came from last
place to first place. I am amazed by what this truck can do, it is
blistering fast", states Brad. Lovell's Ford Ranger was backed by
Proformance Unlimited's 347 with 400 horsepower race engine.
Upon the Lovell's reaching the 20 point bonus ledge, Brad explains,
"Down I went and opened up all 400 horsepower as the front tires
landed. Without a bounce the rear tires contacted the ground and I
knew we just raised the bar for everyone behind us." The WE-Rock
victory gives Lovell Racing back to back wins and a season points
lead in both XRRA and WE-Rock, all in the same vehicle..
Check Out Lovell Rock Racing Website
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TEAM LOVELL GOES TO THE TOP AND BACK
BY BRAD LOVELL
The question I have been asking myself for the last couple days is
“How exactly did that happen?” A couple unusual things happened to
our team at the XRRA Round #3 in our hometown of
Colorado Springs
that that left me scratching my head. The twists of fate during the
day were almost as extensive as the turns, climbs, and drops at the
RAM Off-Road Park course.
As luck would have it, Roger and I received back to back positions
in the running order again. This reoccurring coincidence causes
logistics challenges but did not stop both of us from bringing in
respectable times for our first runs; mine was only 9 seconds off of
the fast time by Shannon Campbell. I saw that I needed to ask more
from the truck so I pushed it harder on the second run. My co-driver
Mark Hayward and I crashed off of ledges to fast, brutalized the
tires and wheels on boulders, and had little regard for the drive
train when landing from jumps. I think we laid down the fastest time
of the day but had no time to check as a clunk in the rear end
signified a broken gear set. On top of that, our trusty set of
BFGoodrich Baja T/A KRT’s was no more. After seven destructive races
on the set and five years competing on BFGoodrich, I had my first
flat.
As soon as Roger’s second run was complete (this one his fastest
yet) the team headed to the pits. We furiously tore apart the rear
axle and scrambled to find a spare tire. As we pulled the gears out,
I was puzzled to see no damage but was intent on focusing on the job
at hand. In less than 30 minutes we had the axle reassembled, a new
tire, and a damaged brake caliper removed. We had about a dozen
helpers from other teams that jumped in without being asked - we owe
them greatly.
Back to racing – I now lined for the dreaded gap jumps that have
plagued me for years. Roger and I had both decided before the race -
NO MORE! Time to face the fear - no longer would we bypass these
jumps. Green flag – ease down the drop, mash the gas, 3rd
gear, keep it straight, hold on…. Up and over sailed the FABTECH
Ranger with the smoothest landing imaginable on the Dirt Logic
shocks. Around we sped through the rest of the course to the
checkered flag. As soon as we crossed the finish line my wife
Natalie ran up with news that Roger’s truck would not start. Given
our past ignition problems I focused on the distributor while
everyone and anyone checked sensors and relays. Unfortunately, our
60 second window ran out and Roger was forced to take a DNF. We
would later discover that high temperatures combined with the
addition of fire shielding had caused the fuel pump to get to hot
and loose pressure. Couldn’t it have happened any place but the
starting line?
With Roger out of contention for the finals, I made my final run and
discovered I had nearly a 40 second cumulative lead. Roger followed
by clearing the gap jump and marking a fast time but the missed
course would keep him from the final round. All Mark and I needed to
do from here is be smart and play it safe. In the first round of the
finals we picked up at least another ten seconds on second place.
Only one run left…. We left the line and were consistent until we
got to a dug out climb. I tried and tried but could not get the
truck to transition correctly due to the huge holes. I kept trying
spot after spot and finally spun up to the top but got tangled in a
banner. We finished the course but it was all for not as we timed
out. How did I loose it on what I do best - a climb?
The times were tallied and the FABTECH Ranger ended up in a strong 3rd Place. We are proud as a
team to have a podium finish but I must admit I am a bit puzzled and
disappointed by my performance during the last run. That’s why we
race though, to test ourselves. Final placing has not yet been
announced so we are not sure where Roger ended up. I should also add
that upon further investigation, the gear set and ARB locker were
fine, the clunk was coming from the damaged brake caliper.
We have quite literally no break in the schedule as we return to
Cedar City, UT this
weekend for WE-Rock Round #3 before returning to
Colorado Springs for a race the following
weekend. Stay tuned, more news shortly.
LOVELLS PUNISH FABTECH ROCKCRAWLER
TEAM
ALMOST VICTORIOUS AFTER HARD DAY
Lovell Racing has returned
from the second round of WE-Rock action in Cedar City, UT. The
courses at the 3 Peaks OHV Park are always challenging and there was
plenty of terrain to make this competition entirely distinct from
the last. This, the third event in a series of four, was important
for the Lovells so they could cement their series lead going into
the final round.
Day #1 always seems to be the roughest day
for the team. This event would be no exception. While the last two
rockcrawls have been nearly mistake free, the FABTECH Ranger nipped
a cone on the first course. The second course, A2, started with the
pair easily missing a cone that was taken by all others.
Regretfully, the effort was for not as a bad bounce left the truck
hanging over the second gate with no way out but a risky front burn.
Brad gave it his best but ended up on his roof in need of recovery.
“At that point we knew we needed our best effort and some luck to
get back in the game,” recalls Brad, “In two courses we were about
50 points behind where we should have been.”
The brothers
kept their heads and cleanly navigated the remaining technical
courses. In fact, all the pair had to do was exit the finish gates
on the last course of the day. The lure of a bonus line caught
Brad’s eye, however, and he lined up for what would be another
costly mistake. Off a ledge and end over end the Ranger went. While
the ledge was not huge, the impact was hard enough to fracture the
radiator, bend tube, and leave bruises. The rough day left the
Lovells in 6th place and scrambling to repair a damaged vehicle.
Brad adds, “The whole family chipped in and we were lucky enough to
have Above All Rockcrawling weld our radiator. We were done in time
to get some rest and focus on day #2.”
Focus is exactly what
the team did and it resulted in a remarkable second day. Brad and
Roger made quick work of the remaining regular courses making all
the right moves where others had difficulty. The team made up enough
ground to be positioned in 2nd place going into the final round, but
still a far cry from leader Brian Errea.
The Lovells watched
in dismay as the final course deteriorated and holes were dug making
the first climb impassible for other contenders. “We did not have
much time to make a plan and it looked bad,” commented Roger, “We
fell in the same holes but luckily I found some decent rock.” Roger
muscled rock into the enormous holes and it proved just enough for
Brad to throttle trough before stabbing the brakes to avoid a cone.
They went on to a successful run and even cleared a treacherous
bonus that nearly caused yet another rollover. “I saw my wife
jumping up and down at the finish line and I knew we had done well.
We put the pressure on Errea,” recalled Brad. Errea was under the
gun, hit a cone, and had a heart stopping roll through the bonus
line. Luck was with him though as he landed on his wheels and
finished the course with seconds to spare. His efforts put him a
well deserved 3 points ahead of the Lovells.
The 2nd place
finish gives Lovell Racing a strong lead going in the final round to
be held in Donner, CA on July 18th. Stay tuned as the team competes
in their 3rd event in as many weeks at the R.O.C. Rock Race in
Colorado Springs, CO this weekend.
Team note: One of our
friends, Tom Guaraldo, died this last weekend while driving a new
rock racer near Colorado Springs. He was not wearing his seatbelt
while testing the transmission. He made a sharp turn, rolled, and
was partially ejected. After my hard roll in Cedar City, I have
little doubt that my seatbelt saved my life. Please, value yourself
and your family – wear your seatbelt. If it is a custom application,
check it regularly for damage.
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DIRT AND
ROCKS – THE ROC ENDURANCE RACE
TEAM LOVELL TRYS A NEW TYPE OF RACE
The Lovell
Racing team just finished their third race in as many weeks, two of which were
a two truck effort. With some luck and plenty of hours in the shop, both
Rangers were in top order for the ROC Race at the RAM Off-Road Park in Colorado Springs, but
unfortunately a faulty seal would take out one of the trucks.
This was
the first race of its kind – an approximate 2 mile course of sandstone climbs,
rocks, gap jumps, and short course style dirt track. Each driver ran three
timed laps starting in one minute intervals. The fastest combined time won.
Brad’s day
would start well. After having opportunity to pre-run the course twice with
his co-driver (wife Natalie), most turns and challenges were committed to
memory. The FABTECH Ranger was lighting fast off the start line and up the
jumps to the climbs and into the dirt. The rehearsed run through the dirt went
error free and the pair zoomed back into the rocks. Up the boulders, down the
drops, over the jumps and back to the XRRA course from only 2 weeks ago; the
Dirtlogic Shocks easily ate up all the destructive boulders and #232 flew
across the finish line. The couple posted a 7:29 run which was one second
faster than rival Shannon Campbell and would stand as the fastest official lap
time of the day. On the second run, however, luck ran out. While on pace to
best their previous fast time, a transmission gasket blew and Brad was forced
to throw in the towel. “Its disappointing for sure,” commented Brad, “Natalie
and I could still smile though because we had a great time practicing for the
race and competing together. She did a great job and is already on board as
co-driver if this race is held again in Sept.”
While Brad
had a win or break type day, Roger did his best to test the limits of the #32
DIRTLOGIC Ranger while remaining in control. Fellow wheeler and friend Chris
Richardson served as Roger’s co-driver and helped keep an eye on the vehicle
while Roger focused on the course. The team suffered from rutted out dirt
climb near the start of the first run but was clean otherwise and posted a
10:11 lap time. On the second run, they ran into (quite literally) lap
traffic. #81 Brian Shirley was experiencing engine trouble and stalled at the
bottom of a 15’ ditch. While a flagman was able to prevent catastrophic
damage, Roger came over the top of the hill and tattooed Shirley’s radiator.
Lovell was forced to maneuver a more difficult line around the stricken
vehicle but even with the foul luck, he bested his previous time by 30
seconds.
Roger was
now poised for a podium finish with a few more runs. His third lap was clear
of broken vehicles and clean. He had been fighting overheating issues all day
but the crew had tweaked the trucked and he was able to push it faster. This
effort was good enough for a fast time of 9:06, more than a minute faster than
his first time. Bearing confidence and a speedy car, the team worked fast to
cool everything down for the final round. Unfortunately, and for unknown
reasons, the promoter decided not to have a final round and Roger ended the
race in 6th place. “I just wish I had another run to make up time,”
commented Roger, “Everything felt better and faster as the day progressed.
Getting bugs worked out of the truck and more seat time is really paying off.”
The next
stop for Lovell Racing is Donner, CA July 18th – 20th
for the final round of 2008 WE-Rock season were the team has a lead in Series
points and hopes to once again claim the title of series champions.
Special
thanks to Russ Kauk for the photos from this race.
WE-ROCK TITLE RETURNS TO TEAM LOVELL
BROTHERS
SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND CHAMPIONSHIP
The Lovell
Racing Team has focused for a little more than a year on one goal – build the
single best truck for rockcrawling and rock racing. Well, hard work pays off.
The team is honored to announce that they have once again been crowned the
Western WE-Rock Pro-Mod Champions. Pro-Mod is now clearly the dominant class
in rockcrawling and the accomplishment makes the Lovells the team to beat in
2009.
Brad
and Roger entered the final regular season event with a series lead but needed
a strong finish to come out on top. The first day’s courses were absolutely
brutal and tested the durability of the FABTECH Ranger in new ways. After
wedging and clawing through the first courses, the team lined up for B2. It
had gotten extremely dug out and other teams were struggling to keep enough of
the vehicle on the course to not be disqualified. “Our idea was basically to
pop a wheelie and then slam the rear axle up and over the rock,” recalls Brad,
“After a couple attempts the truck shot to the side and I had a bone jarring
landing on the skidplate. We then tried a new line and bounced right up the
granite. It made a great show but ultimately we want the best scores.” At the
end of the day, the effort put the team 9 points behind leader Shannon
Campbell.
In
front of large crowds, perhaps the best of the year, the Lovells entered the
final chapter of the 2008 season. Day two brought more difficult courses and a
finals round. The pressure was on! Brad and Roger just needed to be smart and
prevent any rolls or breaks. Through the courses they went taking chances when
necessary and keeping the Ranger on it wheels. They matched Shannon’s
performance but unfortunately hit a cone due to miscommunication. Entering the
final round Shannon held a 17 point lead and the Lovells had a 29 point lead
over 3rd place.
The finals round was created by WE-Rock to enhance drama.
It certainly meets its goal and competitors walk away either loving or hating
it. As luck would have it, a miniature rain shower descended on the Donner Ski
Ranch just before the brothers had their shot at the course. Brad said, “I
could see the rain drops hitting the rock and rolling away the dust for the
guy in front of us. It was so dusty it didn’t even get the rock wet. When we
got there it was raining harder and all that dust was turning to a coating of
slick mud.” Brad absolutely hammered the Ranger on the courses most difficult
climb. Each time, the wetness and holes in the rock won out. When the
BFGoodrich rubber did pull him to the top, Brad had to return to the bottom to
keep the truck within the gates. Time was running out and the team was racking
up serious points. Finally, the Ranger roared up the face and brothers were
back in motion. With less than a minute left, Roger guided the Ranger into the
final notch and Brad mashed the gas. Having used up all their time and all but
one point on 3rd place, the FABTECH Ranger cleared the end gates. By this
time, of course, the rock had already started to dry and Shannon easily found
traction on the rock climb but faced difficulty with the notch. Shannon
struggled and maneuvered to make it to the end and firmly hung the rear axle
on a rock. Unable to back up, running out of gas, and with the final seconds
ticking away, Shannon found purchase and launched through the end gates to his
first Pro-Mod win.
The 2008 WE-Rock series was a great success for the
Lovells with two wins and two 2nd Place finishes. Only 12 points kept them
from a perfect season. This is the teams 5th consecutive series championship
and Brad was fortunate enough to celebrate it with a trip trough the famed
Rubicon Trail before returning home. Brad and Roger wish to extend a sincere
thank you to supporters, sponsors, and family for their dedication to the
effort. The last regular season XRRA race is only a week away in Cortez,
Colorado. Stay tuned for news as each of the brothers try and put another one
in the win column.
FABTECH VICTORIOUS AT XRRA CORTEZ
COMPETITION OUTPLAYED BY TEAMWORK
After a tough final round cost Fabtech driver Brad Lovell the win at the
Colorado Springs XRRA race in June, he was able to reach the finish line as
the fastest in Cortez. While fast and consistent driving poised him for a
podium finish, tactics contrived by the team resulted in a win.
Behind
any name, there is always a group of great people responsible for building it.
For this race, 9 people showed up under the Fabtech Motorsports / Lovell
Racing banner with the goal of putting #32 and #232 at the top. With this
resource comes responsibility and pressure as a driver to perform. 4 runs at
about 50 seconds a piece will get you into the finals but any one error sends
you home. It creates intense, do or die racing.
The #32 Dirt Logic
Shocks Ranger of Roger Lovell and co-driver Mike Foster started the race near
the front of the pack which is exactly where you don’t want to be since much
can be learned about the course by watching other racers. Two quick runs put
Roger’s morning total at about 2:30 and in the top 1/3 of the pack. Because
the #232 car was further behind in the running order, it gave the team an
important edge as there was enough time to review Roger’s runs before the
Fabtech truck took the green flag. With inside knowledge, Brad (with co-driver
Mark Hayward) was able to bring in blazing fast times good enough to rank 3rd
before the course direction was changed for the afternoon runs.
It
instantly became apparent to the team that the race would be won or lost on a
single loose rock hill that was extremely technical. The team inspected the
rocks and chose the best of a bunch of bad lines for Roger. The Dirt Logic
Ranger made quick work of the course and reached the hill with a lead but that
quickly evaporated as piano sized boulders shifted under the tires. Between
each rock lay a bottomless bed of loose dirt and Roger stabbed the throttle
trying to reach the top. He kept working his way across the hill before a lot
of throttle and a good bounce put him over the top. “Seeing Roger struggle and
the rocks move changed our game plan completely. I had no idea what we were
going to do,” recalled Brad. The Lovell team gathered again and their
rockcrawling roots shown through as they saw a difficult and untested climb
that bypassed the eroding hill. The risky call was eventually made for Brad to
take the risk and try the climb. It went like clockwork as Brad easily shot up
the rock and eclipsed previous fast runs.
Brad soon found himself
leading the race as Brian Shirley (1st) had to attempt the hill several times
and Shannon Campbell (2nd) broke on the hill and was unable to finish. From
there, smart clean driving (what the team does best) handed the #232 Fabtech
Ranger the victory. “We were fast and consistent, which anyone must be in
order to win a race,” commented Brad, “But what put us over the top was
creativity and teamwork. We regret not finding the right line for Roger but in
the end, it did help the team get a win.”
While Roger finished 21st in
a field of 42, his effort was good enough to qualify for the US finals in
Jellico, TN (series ranking unknown) to defend his National Championship. Brad
gained enough points from this race to finish 3rd in the Western Series. “The
breakage I experienced in Albuquerque really cost us. This season, #232 has
finished 1st, 20th, 3rd, and 1st,” said Brad, “If that 20th was only a 12th,
we would have won the series. Regardless, we are thankful and proud of our
team.” The team has only two events left this year, the next being the WE-Rock
Grand Nationals in Hannibal, MO Sept. 5th – 7th. Stay tuned for more coverage!
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LOVELL RACING JUST SHY OF WIN AT WE-ROCK FINALS
RAIN, ROLLOVER,
REPAIR AND REWARD
The Lovell Racing Team showed up in Hannibal,
Missouri ready to do battle at the 2008 WE-Rock Finals in the rain, mud, and
rock of Hannibal Rocks Off-Road Park. Unable to make the trip was the teams
guiding light – spotter Roger Lovell. For the first time ever, Brad would be
competing solely under the guidance of longtime rockcrawler Sean Lazzelle.
“Our team is about family and Roger needed to be there for his,” said Brad,
“We have always competed together and while I think there will be some
wrinkles to work out, I have a lot of confidence in Sean.”
That
confidence was immediately put to the test as Sean had to guide the vehicle
across one of the most treacherous courses ever created. Brad was forced to
pilot the #232 Fabtech Ranger over a rock spine with a 12’ cliff on one side
and 30’ cliff on the other. The spine was narrow enough the tires had to
completely hang off of either side. If everything was navigated correctly, the
inevitable crash off the rock could be saved with some throttle action. With
great confidence the pair took to the course and flawlessly traversed the
dangers. “It was a stressful test and proof that I made the right choice for a
replacement spotter. We were able to work very well as a team on this course.”
Any racing team needs patience, teamwork, the right vehicle, and a little
luck. You control as many of these factors as you can and just hope for the
rest to come together. Hoping for luck does not always cut it and luck decided
to leave the team after their initial success. On course A2, and with the
finish gates in sight, the Ford powered Fabtech Crawler did a very innocent
thing. It stalled. Not catastrophic in its own right, but it occurred just as
the truck slid off a sizeable drop and precisely when Brad needed some
horsepower. The result was an end over end roll leaving the Ranger helplessly
turtled and unable to finish. Only able to register scores on 3 of 4 courses,
Lovell Racing was tied for 7th Place at the end of day #1.
Rain, mud,
and fog welcomed competitors on the second day so Brad and Sean concentrated
on surviving the courses and taking cones when necessary. Brad launched the
truck up the first rock stepped slope and found just enough traction to break
the rear gearset and once again, not finish. “I was getting a bit disheartened
but we never give up. Natalie got all the parts ready back at the pit and the
BFGoodrich Tires crew jumped in and helped us out. We were so fast repairing
the truck that we did not even have to go on breakdown time,” Brad recalls, “I
can say without a doubt that we do so well because of the support in
situations like this.”
#232 roared back to life on course A1 as Brad
became the first and only driver to complete the course. The extremely long
run required technical boulder crawling in mud, a huge climb, and a long race
across the entire event site to the finish line. “I think most people out
there would agree that we have the best climbing vehicle. The engineers at
Fabtech have built us the best suspension out there and if you can keep the
BFG’s on the rocks, they will keep you moving forward. While others found
defeat in the mud, Team Lovell was patient and stuck to their plan. Their
performance was good enough to gain five places in three courses and put them
in 2nd Place with only the final round to go.
“Derek West had an
unreachable lead so we really needed to concentrate on fending off the lower
guys. We could have dropped to 5th place if we rolled or broke. The finals are
the time to attack the guy in front of you or use your lead to ensure you keep
your current position.” Brad and Sean gracefully launched up the bonus climb
and made fast work of the remaining gates to handily finish the competition in
2nd Place. “This event was brutal on the truck and it seemed like every quirk
we have been dealing with this season showed up at the same time. Our team,
our family, our sponsors, even competing teams helped us out a ton. With two
wins, a season championship, and three 2nd’s we are proud of our 2008
rockcrawling season.”
Lovell Rock Racing will compete in their last
2008 event on September 20th as XRRA holds their US Finals in Jellico, TN.
Roger Lovell will defend his 2007 US Championship in the #32 Dirt Logic Ranger
and Brad will hunt for the top spot in #232 after finishing the 2008 XRRA
season in 3rd Place.
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