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Taste Of Victory Sweet for Team Lovell

The 2007 WE-Rock Finals at Donner Ski Ranch near scenic Lake Tahoe lived up to the hype it has created over the past couple years. A record setting 71 cars entertained thousands of spectators and the ski area became a beehive of excitement. In the midst of the competitors, revilers, and die-hard fans, Team Lovell held their breath and set their sights on a season championship.

We were the first to run the most difficult course on day #1. Not a good place to be. I was feeling pretty confident until time started and I got hung up just getting through the start gates. That rattled me and we spent some time getting lined up for a big drop. Down we went and I hit the gas hard to keep it on the wheels and recovered. Next was a climb that pitched me over a hole that could end our day. We made it after a brief struggle but were now running low on time. I knew we better hurry and I got lucky on the last set of gates narrowly saving the truck from a rollover. We hit a cone. Not a great score but we were through the course.

The rest of our day went well as we dodged almost every cone. We were pushing hard and the FABTECH Ranger was standing up to the abuse. At the half way point of competition we were in 3rd place, 20 points from 1st but only 1 point from 2nd. Now the pressure was really on, we just had to make it through 5 more courses cleanly.

Day #2 went like a dream. We snaked, climbed, and weaved through all but one cone. Neither Roger nor I would look at the scoreboard but we hoped we had the lead. When points were tallied, we did well enough to have a 6 point lead going into the final round. The bad news was that the scores were tight enough that we could still loose the season championship if we didn’t complete the final course. The pressure was really building!

As the sun set, Roger and I tested our nerve by entering the final course. I knew we could do it, but could we do it under this stress? One false move and the truck could roll, ending our hopes. The dust and sun was blinding but Roger kept me calm and talked me through what I could not see. I drove up a huge rock slab that we were required to transverse across sideways. The only way to do this is to spin the front and then rear tires - moving the truck laterally. As I worked the Lovell transfer case, I slipped down the rock dangerously close to the cone. The truck was at a bad angle and luck alone kept it on its wheels. Roger calmly talked me down and I raced to the finish line to not only win the event, but the Pro Modified Championship as well!

The victory gave the Lovell Brothers their 4th Season Championship in as many years. Winning the WE-Rock Pro Modified Championship qualifies the team for the World Finals in Sydney, Australia in Jan 2008. The pair is not done stateside, however, and they have a few weeks off before racing XRRA Round #4 in Cortez, CO on August 4th. Please visit LOVELLROCKRACING.COM for more details and photos.

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