 | XRRA #2 A Mixed Bag for Lovell Racing
TEAM’S WINNING STREAK BROKEN
All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, so too must the winning streak for the Lovell racing team. The second race in the 2008 XRRA Western Series wrapped up in Albuquerque, NM with the team out of the finals but still looking strong.
The sun rose in a cloudless sky over the Sandia Motorsports Park and the Lovells were some of the first to review the newly created rock course. In similar fashion to the Moab course, it featured plenty of double jumps, boulder fields, banked turns, and a large tabletop.
The running order was handed out and the brothers found themselves only one flight away from each other with Brad running opposite Shannon Campbell. Brad recalls, “With Roger running just before me, I really had to close my mind to his run and focus on my race.” After a month and a half out of the driver’s seat, Roger piloted the Dirt Logic Ranger through the course with his usual skill in the rocks and added speed in the dirt. “Watching Roger run really boosted my confidence, the nervousness left, and I finally felt ready.” Brad put his foot to the floor and the 347 Ford paced the LS2 powered moon buggy off the line. The pace of the race did not slow over the rock pile or double jump and the Fabtech Ranger screamed into the boulder field. Disaster struck as the very first boulder impacted the rear link and broke the suspension joint. Unable to continue, the truck was plucked off the course and Brad received a 4 minute DNF.
The team flew into action and turned what could have been a catastrophe into a quick repair with plenty of time for the second round. After helping turn wrenches, Roger jumped in the Dirtlogic Ranger and made quick work of Lane #1. “Ever since my hard crash last year, I have been cautious of double jumps,” comments Roger, “Since then, the truck has gotten better each race. I had complete confidence in the Fabtech suspension and easily sailed over the gap.” Roger kept the BFGoodrich Krawlers on top of the boulders making a clean pass and finished with a course time of just over a minute.
The second half of the day only saw both trucks get faster but the early DNF was a thorn in Brad’s side, “The rest of my times were right there with the leaders but the courses were so easy and short, there was no way I could mount a comeback. I’m not happy about the failure and have nobody to blame but myself. We just need bigger rod ends.”
Attrition shifted the running order and the last round of racing and saw a much anticipated race between the brothers. “They really play up the side by side racing,” comments Brad, “In the end, your racing the clock because each lane different.” The fans see it how they please, however, and the Fabtech Ford got the jump on the 302 powered Dirt Logic Ranger. “I never had a chance going against that truck while in the slow lane,” reports Roger, “It’s the next generation of what I am driving and clearly works well.” Brad posted a 0:49 run which was only 0:02 off the fast time.
At the end of the race Brad’s efforts were only good enough for 20th while Roger found himself only 0:30 out of the finals in 11th. Roger adds, “I prefer technical courses and the relatively flat tracks this year have favored the high horsepower trucks. The next race is in our hometown of Colorado Springs and we won in this truck last year so I feel pretty confident.”
Stay tuned as the Fabtech Ranger returns the WE-Rock Rockcrawling circuit May 17th in Cedar City, UT where Roger will serve as spotter for Brad.
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King of the Hammers Race Report
The inaugural King of the Hammers 50 Mile Rock Race can be chalked up as both a success and a learning experience for Lovell Racing. Due to several factors, the brothers decided to split forces which proved to be a wise move as only one Fabtech sponsored Ford Ranger would finish the destructive race.
The story is told in Brad’s own words below:
I arrived a few days early with plans to pre-run the course and get a good feel for Johnson Valley so we would not get lost. I also needed to put some miles on our new Fabtech Ranger. Everything from the lug nuts to the steering wheel was new and the truck had zero miles on it when I arrived. I was able to put in some high speed desert runs and get it back in the trailer before bad weather blew in. The next day, I took our tried and true #232 Ranger (#32 for the race) through some of the rock sections and then put another 20 desert miles on the new truck. My pre-running effort only covered half the course but it was better than nothing. That night the rest of our team showed up and it was time to get serious.
Our team was the best we could ask for – Kris Hernandez and Miles Hadden (Fabtech Motorsports), Jeff and Dan Huseman (Rick Huseman Racing), Eric Filar (Alloy USA), Cameron Steele (Desert Assasins), Woodrow Carroll and Brian Bingamon (K&N Filters), and Rob Kirby. As final prep was made to the trucks and our pit strategy worked out, it was decided that Cameron Steele would co-drive for me in the new #232 Ranger and Eric Filar would co-drive for Roger in the tried and true version #32. #232 would go all out for the win and #32 would shoot for a top 5 and support #232 if necessary. The rest of the team would test, chase, and pit.
The first thing I learned about this type of racing is that there is never enough time to get everything done. We were fighting bugs in both vehicles and the rest of the team had done no pre-running. While Kris Hernandez and the crew from Rick Huseman Racing tuned the suspension, the rest of us did some last minute pre-running in the Fabtech, Alloy USA, and K&N Jeeps. Once we returned and as the light faded, Jeff Huseman and I did the final test runs in the new Fabtech Ranger. Having never run whoops before, I am absolutely astounded by the performance of the new #232. Simply put, I floored it and ignored the bumps in the road. They kept telling me, “Trust your suspension,” and once I did, I knew this car was going to make up a lot of time in the desert.
Race day arrives. Roger and Eric start 6th out of 43 while Cameron and I start 15th. As the adrenaline rises, I control my excitement and focus on the green flag. The 2008 season starts and the 400 hp Ford roars to life. Unfortunately, the motor was far too noisy for any type of intercom and Cameron is forced to use hand signals. We fly off the lakebed and into the sand. I know we are moving plenty fast but don’t see any dust trails yet. 2 miles out, we make our first pass. The truck is running flawlessly but around mile 3 I see Roger off the course and out of #32. What happened? I fight the urge to stop and concentrate on the terrain. More traffic, this time on a hill. We have to slow down on the rocky hill and loose time. Over the top and into the sand, two more passes and back into the lake bed. As I am wide open in high gear (90+ mph) and hope no problems arise. We then passed 3 cars at once and I was reassured of our chances to win. As we entered a light whoop section the media chopper swooped in and paced us for a few minutes and I was convinced I was a trophy truck driver. Calm down, focus, the race has only started. By checkpoint 2, we had gained 10 positions out of 15.
As we entered the first rocky section we had the lead in sight but the new truck blues came around. As I shifted into low range, the front linkage broke meaning that we had to pull the floor panel every time I needed to shift from high to low. In the next couple miles an electrical connection came loose and we were forced to stop again. In the excitement of the repair, a short circuit occurred and melted a power wire. By the time we had these problems fixed at checkpoint 4, we knew the win was gone but could still finish well. It was unbelievably frustrating as we would pass 4+ racers before having to stop, pull the floor, and wrestle with the shift linkage. The slower cars would get by and we would once again be stuck in traffic.
We then opened up into a long desert section and Cameron coached me as we struck barely controllable speeds on the whoops. Misfortune came at race mile 25, however, when we both felt a lurch that was not in the desert. We pulled to the side and saw a smoking 1” separation in the sealing surface of the rear axle. Mechanical damage had occurred somewhere in the differential. Given the lack of parts, time-frame, and terrain, we were forced to throw in the towel.
As we started the long limp back to the pits our chase crew found us and we stopped to exchange information which was limited during the race due to engine noise. Confusion abounds during a race like this and as we tried to figure out what happened to Roger in #32 Fabtech Ranger he came screaming around the corner. The team immediately flew into action to help Roger through the rocks and get him fueled.
It turns out that a last minute fan repair before the race punctured the radiator at race mile #3. Along with volunteers, our amazing support team fixed it with pliers and pepper. Unbeknownst to me, Roger was still in the race and had an excellent chance of finishing. Our team worked as if we had been racing together for years and helped Roger and Eric pilot the Ranger through the rocks. The chase crew hit the desert to get in front of the race truck. Only yards before Roger came into pit #3, a radiator hose let go. Once again, the team came together and made the repair with parts scavenged from ever helpful volunteers and spectators. 15 minutes later, #32 headed out for the final leg of the race. Roger and Eric would finish 14th in a race that consumed nearly half the field. Neither truck experienced a flat which is more than can be said for a lot of tires being used out there.
We have dozens of people to thank for helping us get the new truck ready and supporting us while at the race. I probably could not name them all if I tried. What I can say, however, is that the off-road community is a great place full of people who would give you the shirt off their back to get you another 50 yards down the course. Lovell Racing would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped us.
More news soon as the brothers will display both vehicles at the Off-Road Impact Trade Show in Anaheim, CA March 6-8.
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