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WE-ROCK TITLE RETURNS TO TEAM LOVELL
BROTHERS SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND CHAMPIONSHIP
Capistrano Beach, CA – 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.
