 | WE-Rock Title Returns to Team Lovell Rock Racing
Monday July 28th 2008 - Brad 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.
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DIRT AND ROCKS – THE ROC ENDURANCE RACE
Tuesday July 1st 2008 - Brad Lovell
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.
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LOVELLS PUNISH FABTECH ROCKCRAWLER
Wednesday June 25th 2008 - Brad Lovell
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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TEAM LOVELL GOES TO THE TOP AND BACK
Sunday June 15th 2008 - Brad Lovell
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
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.
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Lovell Racing Crawls Back to the Top
Thursday May 29th 2008 - Brad Lovell
BACK TO BACK WINS ON THE ROCKS
After a setback in Albuquerque, NM the Lovell Racing Team regrouped and head off to the rocks of Cedar City, UT. Three Peaks Off-road Park would be the location of choice for the second event in the 2008 WE-Rock Western Series.
As the sun warmed the rocks a record number of Pro Modified teams slowly trickled into the event site. With 25 teams ready to compete the rocks were busy with tight lipped talk of strategy and who to watch. An adventurous excitement filled the air that can be best described as a realization that this was a return to old school rock crawling. The courses were tight, technical and consisted of awe inspiring climbs and amazing drops.
Brad and Roger got off to a quick lead on the first course with a successful run but the first day of competition would still present challenge. After watching fellow competitors struggle with the bonus line on the B1 course the brothers decided to take the risk and go for the hard line. Brad carefully lined up the Fabtech Ford Ranger and Roger worked to place rocks in the perfect location. The Ranger bridged the enormous gap and as the nose pointed skyward Brad settled into the driver’s seat and lost his view of the rocks below. Driving by nothing but feel and the direction of Roger, Brad slowly tip-toed the Ranger through the gates. The gamble worked and team Lovell took a commanding lead over fellow competitors. “Brad did and incredible job, if he only knew how close he was to the edge” commented Roger.
After the end of the day, the brothers found themselves with a six point lead over veteran rock star Jason Paulie. “It’s a real honor to compete with Jason, he’s a smooth driver and always has a trick up his sleeve. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day.” Brad said and the sun dipped behind the rocks.
Day two brought new challenges and the W.E. Rock courses proved to be brutal on all competitors. Brad and Roger had another near flawless day and after battled though four courses to find themselves with a growing lead on Jason Paulie. Paulie was competing in Pro Modified for the first time in a borrowed truck. As the Unlimited Finals wound down six Pro Modified teams could be seen studying every rock of the final course. “We have five teams to watch before we run, so I feel pretty good but 12 points is not much of a lead” commented Brad. The course that had been set for the final round was the longest of the day and would push every team to the limit. The course also had two bonus lines but every team stuck to the regular course, except for Jason Paulie. After Paulie had competed his run, and under incredible pressure, team Lovell did some quick math and made a plan. But was their math correct? Would their plan work? After a long day of competition the Fabtech Ford roared to life the team was off. Careful planning paid off and Brad piloted the Ranger through gate after gate until the final climb. The team knew they had to make the last climb in one shot and Roger stood back and directed Brad to the perfect line. Like a pilot on a launch pad Brad romped on the gas and the BF Goodrich Krawlers pushed the Fabtech Ford to the top of the rock. With a single turn to the right the two carefully crossed the finish gates and captured their second victory in the W.E. Rock Western Series. With back to back first place finishes in a four event series Lovell Racing has a commanding lead in the series.
June 14th will find Brad and Roger racing head to head in the Fabtech Ranger and the Dirt Logic Ranger in XRRA round thee in hometown Colorado Springs, CO.
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