Colorado Springs, CO 1/28/12 -  After season ending crashes for both of the team’s rock racers last year, the brothers are back and ready to take on the toughest rock race on the planet. 2012 will the longest King of the Hammers yet with 165 miles of rock crawling and desert terrain. The week long event now features several races and a chance for competitors to qualify for start positions.

Colorado Springs, CO 10/20/2011 - The 2011 Traxxas TORC Season is in the bag. Brad Lovell had high hopes for the series finalie the Cycle Ranch near San Antonio, TX. The weekend not only featured two rounds of regular season racing, but also the inaugural $15,000 Traxxas Pro Light Cup. The newly constructed permanent track at the Cycle Ranch was alive with heavy equipment when the teams showed up. Over two dozen brutal jumps chopped up the zig zagging course challenging the nerve of Pro-Light drivers in particular.”The pro-lights are most sensetive to rough courses,” commented driver Brad Lovell, “We played it real safe in practice to protect the truck.” Lovell was back in the seat for the first time since a hair-raising rollover in Chicago only weeks before. The conserative plan worked well and Lovell avoided disaster to qualify in 3rd place. Saturday morning would bring bad luck however as the truck unexpectedly spit out a driveshaft in the last practice round. “Well, we were pretty puzzled,” crew cheif JT Taylor added, “We guessed the shaft was long and fixed it.” The team soon found out in harsh terms that they had not found the problem. On lap 6 of the race, the #44 AMSOIL /Torchmate Nissan again spit out the driveshaft and this time erupted in flames. Luckily the fire went out but the team had broken their only spare shaft and faced heavy repair work.

BRAD & ROGER LOVELL HEADED TO BAJA WITH BFGOODRICH TIRES

2011 TORC SERIES CRANDON VIDEO 

The opening PRO 4×4 laps of the final round of the Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, was indicative of the entire season; tumultuous door-to-door racing action at a feverous pitch between the class’ chief combatants – Ricky Johnson (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Mopar/Ram) and Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis). Then you had the latter PRO 4×4 laps, which pretty much mimicked, at least in Greaves’ case, the dark rain clouds that dogged the series for much of the summer as Greaves broke and sat motionless on the side of the track as Johnson powered home to the victory and overall PRO 4×4 title at Texas’ Cycle Ranch MX Park. Taking top honors in the TORC PRO 2 class, with his second win of the season and second Oakley Bomb Award for the fastest lap was Bryce Menzies (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Mopar/Ram), who also wrapped up the overall TORC PRO 2 championship on Saturday. And in Traxxas PRO Light racing there were actually two winners; RJ Anderson (Walker Evans/Ram) taking top honors in the TORC season’s final race in that class, and CJ Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) winning the inaugural 15K Traxxas PRO Light Cup the 2011 TORC Series’ final contest.

TORC PRO 4×4

All sort of heck broke loose early in the TORC season’s final PRO 4×4 race. First off a false start added to the already crazy tension between Greaves and Johnson. Then came a scene where Greaves berzeked it off the Red Bull finish line jump, passing Johnson in the air and landing on the flats – well beyond the 150-foot base of the landing transition. With the crowd going absolutely bananas, Greaves then split Johnson and Scott Douglas (AMSOIL/BFG/MasterCraft Safety), only to get spun in a complete 360 – at about 80 mph – atop a table top jump in the middle of the track. And while this put the fans over the top, a short time later Greaves would leave the track with a broken front end. “The front differential locked up and the gear probably broke and just twisted it right off the chassis,” said Greaves, admitting the damage was already done to his truck prior to his spectacular mid-course 360. “I just went for it anyway. The truck swapped and I was grabbing gears, down-shifting while it was spinning.” While Greaves’ misfortune resonated throughout the crowd, Johnson didn’t waver in his methodical approach to taming the rugged, Truckcross-like track TORC officials built at Cycle Ranch MX. Johnson, who picked up two points on Greaves by leading at Sunday’s PRO 4×4 competition yellow, in essence won the title at the midway point of the race. “Thanks to my wife and family, and to Steve Menzies for believing in me,” said Johnson, holding back the tears on the TORC podium, while thanking a host of other sponsors including: Red Bull, Mopar, Ram, KMC Wheels and BFG. The rest of the final TORC PRO 4×4 podium would be made up of Mike Jenkins (Traxxas/Ford/BFG) in 2nd and Steve Barlow (Maxxis/Ebay Motors/Metal Mulisha) 3rd after Douglas gave up 2nd place by breaking with half a lap to go.

PRO 4×4 results

1st – Ricky Johnson*

2nd – Mike Jenkins

3rd – Steve Barlow

4th – Scott Douglas

5th – Mark Jenkins

6th – Adrian Cenni

7th – Johnny Greaves

*Oakley Bomb Award fastest TORC PRO 4×4 lap

TORC PRO 4×4 Final Overall

1st – Ricky Johnson, 288

2nd – Johnny Greaves, 273

3rd – Scott Douglas, 239

4th – Steve Barlow, 217

5th – Mark Jenkins, 214

6th – Mike Jenkins, 194

7th – Adrian Cenni, 188

8th – Milan Mazanec, 100

9th – Al Drews, 38

10th – Kyle Leduc, 34

TORC PRO 2

With Menzies out front to open the final TORC PRO 2 race at Cycle Ranch MX, Mopar/Ram/Traxxas racer Rob MacCachren put on a huge rush in the race’s first half, moving all the way up from 8th to 3rd by the competition yellow. MacCachren the put a slick pass on Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis’ Marty Hart where MacCachren faked to the inside and then railed the outside of the final turn berm – coming out towing Hart into the finish line jump. With four laps to go Menzies had all but checked out with more than a five-second lead on his mentor, MacCachren. Hart was then caught by Chad Hord (BOSS Snowplows/Nissan/AMSOIL). But what looked to be a great late race battle for 3rd heading into the checkers ended up with Hart dead in the water and Hord cruising easily to the third TORC PRO 2 podium spot. “Can’t say enough about my sponsors and this team,” said Menzies. “Our third win in a row and we can’t get any better than that.” Noteworthy: Menzies was rocking some ‘out there-looking’ yellow wheels for the final race, to which he added: “A lot of people ragged on me for these wheels. But hey, they got me up here on top of the podium!”

TORC PRO 2 results

1st – Bryce Menzies*

2nd – Rob MacCachren

3rd – Chad Hord

4th – Jeff Kincaid

5th – Corey Sisler

6th – Marty Hart

7th – Greg Adler

8th – Mike Oberg

*Oakley Bomb Award fastest TORC PRO 2 lap

TORC PRO 2 Final Overall

1st – Bryce Menzies, 297

2nd – Jeff Kincaid, 240

3rd – Chad Hord, 232

4th – Rob MacCachren, 224

5th – Marty Hart, 195

6th – Mike Oberg, 190

7th – Scott Taylor, 160

8th – Mikey Vanden Heuvel, 156

9th – Keith Steele, 60

9th – Greg Adler, 60

Traxxas PRO Light

Coming off the top six inverted start formation (based on Saturday’s results), privateer Shawn Morris (Chevy/Maxxis) grabbed the early lead with a huge jump. But thing soon went south (and north, east and west) for Morris as the flipped radically in the middle right hander on the track, bringing out the full-course yellow. On the restart CJ Greaves blasted into the top position, followed by his Monster Energy teammate, Casey Currie (Nissan/General Tire) and Randy Eller (Ford/Maxxis). 2011 Traxxas PRO Light overall champ Andrew Caddell (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG) then shot into the hot pits with a flat tire and soon after Eller had some mechanical troubles. This allowed Friday winner Anderson to catch CJ Greaves – and those two would go at it, hard, for the next several laps before Anderson took the lead for good. Currie would then catch CJ Greaves for 2nd, with Greaves holding on for a podium 3rd.

Traxxas PRO Light Results

1st – RJ Anderson*

2nd – Casey Currie

3rd – CJ Greaves

4th – Brad Lovell

5th – Luke Johnson

6th – Keegan Kincaid

7th – Todd Cunningham

8th – Randy Eller

9th – Samuel Hubinette

10th – Derry Peterson

*Traxxas Maxx Lap Award for fastest Traxxas PRO Light lap

TORC Traxxas PRO Light Final Overall

1st – Andrew Caddell, 249

2nd – RJ Anderson, 213

3rd – Casey Currie, 200

4th – Samuel Hubinette, 196

5th – Brad Lovell, 174

6th – CJ Greaves, 162

6th – Randy Eller, 162

8th – Todd Cunningham, 154

9th – Shawn Morris, 141

10th – Luke Johnson, 126

15K Traxxas PRO Light Cup

Traxxas’ Mike Jenkins dug into his pockets for the Traxxas PRO Light class, putting on one last cash prize race with a cool $15,000 on the line for the winner. Inverting Saturday’s top six in the starting order, Currie took the early lead and led much of the race – run without TORC’s customary mid-race mandatory caution. Up by more than five seconds at one point, a train of Traxxas PRO Light drivers including CJ Greaves, Anderson and Brad Lovell (AMSOIL/BFG/Torchmate) separated from the rest of the field in pursuit of leader Currie. As the three pursuers diced and traded spots, the also cut into Currie’s lead. Five seconds was cut to four, then three and two. CJ Greaves then broke free in the pursuit and caught Currie when the defending Traxxas PRO Light champ high sided in a turn, and blew up his rear tire. Anderson would put the hammer down chasing CJ Greaves, but would not be able to catch the 16-year-old as Greaves locked down his first Traxxas PRO Light class win of the season – and a check for 15K! Anderson would place 2nd and score a generous $3,000 check and Lovell would be awarded with $1,000 from Traxxas. “It’s amazing. Awesome feeling,” said CJ Greaves. “Our whole team ran great. Couldn’t do it without my family … just awesome to be up here.”

Words by Pat Schute

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

[Show as slideshow]

What looked like a rather conservative TORC Series PRO 4×4 main event  was actually world-class off-road racer Ricky Johnson doing everything he could to hold off rival and TORC points leader Johnny Greaves to take the win, tying up the overall TORC PRO 4×4 points with one race remaining on the schedule.

In TORC PRO 2 action Bryce Menzies wrapped up the overall title – in this his rookie campaign on the TORC tour – by winning Saturday’s PRO 2 main event over Jeff Kincaid. And in the PRO Light division multi-time TORC winner/Hollywood stunt/Dirifter driver Samuel Hubinette was back on top of the podium with a thrilling win over Chicagoland Speedway TORC PRO Light winner RJ Anderson.

TORC PRO 4×4

Johnson, who won qualifying on Friday, rallied past a late first half Greaves pass to move Greaves out of the way in the final corner before the finish line – leading the race at the competition yellow midway mark and gaining a point on Greaves for his effort.

The second half of the TORC PRO 4×4 race at Cycle Ranch was much of the same with Johnson and Greaves distancing themselves from the rest of the pack. But to the trained short course off-road eye – which pretty much meant everyone in attendance taking advantage of the wonderful all-course vistas at Cycle Ranch – the battle for the final podium spot between Mark Jenkins and Steve Barlow proved to be equally as exciting as the show put on by Johnson and Greaves, with Jenkins putting a second half pass on Barlow – and making it stick – for 3rd place.

Up front Greaves, who won the Oakley Bomb Award for the TORC PRO 4×4’s fastest lap on Saturday, could only get to within a couple seconds of Johnson. And while a wide turn, over-rotation and subsequent spinout of Greaves (by Johnson) would raise people’s eyebrows and have them looking around to see if the two teams were about to rumble, Greaves would acknowledge that there was no foul play in the pass.

Said Greaves on Sunday’s race: “It’ll be two of the world’s best off-roaders going at it. No points are involved … there’ll be no ‘playing it safe’ … it’s on.”

PRO 4 results

1st – Ricky Johnson 2nd – Johnny Greaves* 3rd – Mark Jenkins 4th – Steve Barlow 5th – Scott Douglas 6th – Adrian Cenni 7th – Mike Jenkins

*Oakley Bomb Award fastest TORC PRO-4 lap

TORC PRO-2

Needing only a 7th place finish or better to wrap up the 2011 TORC PRO 2 overall championship, Menzies nonetheless put the hammer down much like he’s been doing all season, won his PRO 2-leading fifth Oakley Bomb Award and led veteran Kincaid to the checkers for his sixth win of the season and fourth consecutive win.

“Feels so good to be up here … to lock up the championship for all of these guys that put in all of the hours,” said Menzies from atop the TORC PRO 2 podium at Cycle Ranch, Oakley Bomb Award in hand. “I can’t thank everyone enough for this, but this one’s for my dad (Steve Menzies, who turned 50 today). I was either going to wreck this truck or win – and I’m glad I’m up here today with the win.”

With Chad Hord on the pole and taking the holeshot – and challenged early by Kincaid – Greg Adler, Rob MacCachren got locked together – literally – in the last corner of the first lap, breaking what appeared to be MacCachren’s front driver’s side A-arm and eliminating him from the race. Moments later Hord had something go wrong with his drive shaft and he ended up limping around the rest of the race.

So with only seven trucks running, the title at this point was already Menzies’. But that didn’t stop the Las Vegan from putting a charge on for the lead, passing Kincaid with a ton of corner speed that he used to launch for the lead down the middle lane – and well within the view of the inaugural TORC Cycle Ranch crowd.

At the mandatory TORC PRO 2 competition yellow Menzies made more of a statement, opening up a sizable lead between himself and the veteran Kincaid, while Adler got past Marty Hart for the third and final podium spot.

TORC PRO 2 results

1st – Bryce Menzies* 2nd – Jeff Kincaid 3rd – Greg Adler 4th – Marty Hart 5th – Michael Oberg 6th – Mike Vanden Heuvel 7th – Chad Hord 8th – Rob MacCachren

*Oakley Bomb Award fastest TORC PRO 2 lap

TORC Traxxas PRO Light results

With Andrew Caddell having already wrapped up the 2011 Traxxas TORC PRO Light title, nothing but bragging rights were on the line at Cycle Ranch. That said, the fastest driver as of late in the class has been 17-year-old TORC rookie RJ Anderson, who’d won the previous two PRO Light class wins in a row at Chicagoland Speedway/Route 66 Raceway’s dirt oval and won the pole on Friday leading into Saturday’s event.

But when the dust cleared on the first lap neither Anderson nor Caddell were up front. That spot would belong to rookie TORC racer Hubinette –  of the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise with his notable drifting and stunt driving skills. Hubinette shot up the middle of the track and led Anderson (2nd) and Caddell (3rd) early. And no sooner could you say “Lawn Dart” did Caddell drive the nose of his Ram truck into the tacky red Texas dirt, flipping north/south in spectacular fashion directly in front of the finish line jump. And while Caddell, who won the Traxxas Maxx Lap, has survived numerous impacts of this nature throughout the season – and, unbelievably, kept on racing – this one at Cycle Ranch wounded his truck to the point where he joined the fans to watch the rest of the contest.

At the competition restart Hubinette led CJ Greaves and Anderson in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Then when the race started back up, Greaves caught a rut and high-sided, knocking himself temporarily out of the race. Casey Currie, the defending 2010 TORC Traxxas PRO Light champion, had worked his way up into podium contention – but then left the track on the Todd Cunningham induced full course caution for his rollover.

Noteworthy: At the time of this printing TORC officials were still deciding on where CJ Greaves got back into the race. So with the final Traxxas PRO Light podium spot in question, we’ll pick up the coverage for 1st and 2nd place – and will revisit TORC’s call on CJ Greaves when that information becomes available.

As Hubinette stayed on point through the final stages of the race, Anderson again found his speed and moved ahead for a solid 2nd place. The “unofficial”

PRO-Lite  results

1st – Samuel Hubinette 2nd – RJ Anderson 3rd – Casey Currie 4th – Shawn Morris 5th – CJ Greaves 6th – Randy Eller 7th – Corey Sisler 8th – Todd Cunningham 9th – Derry Peterson 10th – Andrew Caddell* 11th – Brad Lovell 12th – Keegan Kincaid

Photos by Vince Knakal of Mad Media

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New track, new city, new state, new challenges. Short course off-road continues to expand with the birth of a new dynamic track a Cycle Ranch in Floresville, Texas just outside of San Antonio. The track has tons of features packed into to make it a ultra technical course that will likely force the race action. Moguls, whoops, table top jumps and step up jumps are just a few of the features. The facility is awesome! Building truck tracks at already built moto facilities seems obvious, so hopefully we see more of this. Qualifying went down with a few casualties including a violent endo when young pro-lite rookie Luke Johnson nosed it off the finish line jump ending his season and totaling his truck. In Pro-2 Chad Hord went out and unrelentingly attacked the track to qualify first. In Pro-4 Ricky and Johnny have already started the war, as the duo exchanged top qualifying times. Ricky squeaked out in first with Johnny in second. In Pro-lite young rising star RJ Anderson took the top spot.

Pro-2:

1. Chad Hord

2. Bryce Menzies

3. Jeff Kincaid

4. Rob MacCachren

5. Greg Adler

Pr0-4

1. Rick Johnson

2. Johnny Greaves

3. Scott Douglas

4. Mark Jenkins

5. Adrian Cenni

Pr0-Lite

1. RJ Anderson

2. Samuel Hubinette

3. Brad Lovell

TORC PRO practice at Cycle Ranch begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday with racing beginning at 2 p.m.

Photos by Vince Knakal of Mad Media

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From Rally Racers and Rock Crawlers to SCCA and Autocross Champions, 6 BFGoodrich® Tires Drivers Join Forces in “Baja Challenge” Race Buggy

GREENVILLE, S.C. (Oct. 5, 2011) — BFGoodrich® Tires announced today the six men who will make up the 2011 BFGoodrich Tires/Wide Open Excursions “Baja Challenge” (BC) team that will compete in the 44th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Nov. 17-20. The six drivers earned their spots in the BC race buggy through different channels — one garnered a contingency prize by placing first in the STU class at the 2011 SCCA National Runoffs, and the remaining five earned spots through Team BFGoodrich’s “Select the Seats” campaign.

The Team BFGoodrich members Andrew Comrie-Picard, Brad Lovell, Bud Brutsman, Kyle Tucker and Roger Lovell bring years of racing to the mix. Joel Weinberger, who is the most recent addition to the team, won the Super Touring U (STU) class at the 48th SCCA Runoffs at Road America earlier this year. He won the 13-lap, 52-mile race by 6.026 seconds and earned the Hawk Fastest Race Lap with a record 2:27.859 (97.390 miles per hour). Weinberger will trade in the BFGoodrich® g-Force™ R1™ tires he used at the Runoffs for BFGoodrich® Mud Terrain T/A® KM2 tires in Baja, as he looks to continue his on-road successes in the dirt.

“Winning my class at the Runoffs was a special moment for me,” said Weinberger. “I was able to celebrate the win with my father, a 50-year SCCA member. He is responsible for getting me into racing. Joining BFGoodrich’s Baja Challenge team was the icing on the cake. I can’t wait to get to Baja and pre-run with my teammates and see if we can pull out a victory.”

Looking to improve on the team’s second-place finish in 2010, Brutsman, a Hollywood producer of documentaries including “Chasing Baja” and “Born in Baja,” and Tucker, owner of Detroit Speed Engineering, will share their experiences from 2010 with the other four drivers who are joining the team for the first time. Brad and Roger Lovell add an incredible amount of off-road racing knowledge after winning six rock-crawling season championships over the years, as well as four national championships and five Traxxas TORC podiums in 2011. Comrie-Picard also knows a thing or two about driving in the dirt, and he has the hardware to prove it. In addition to his 2010 X Games SuperRally bronze medal, Comrie-Picard also has a 2009 North American Rally championship under his belt.

“Only three of the six drivers on this year’s team have experience racing in Baja, but that’s what makes the BFGoodrich Tires/Wide Open Excursions team so special,” said Silvia Mammone, motorsports manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “Each of them adds his own flavor to the team, having come from so many different motorsport backgrounds. Not only is it a great experience for them, but they will also have a good chance of standing on top of the Baja Challenge class podium.”

The 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will start and finish in Ensenada, Baja California. BFGoodrich Tires has won the overall four-wheel title 52 times combined in the SCORE Baja 500 and 1000, including 24 of the past 25 years and a record stretch of 20 consecutive victories in the 1000 (1986–2005). More information about the granddaddy of off-road races is available at www.score-international.com.

Wide Open Excursions provides “arrive and drive” seats for the SCORE Baja 1000, SCORE Baja 500 and for adventure tours. BFGoodrich tires have logged more than 4.5 million miles in Baja with Wide Open Excursions. The BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A® KO tire and BFGoodrich® Mud-Terrain T/A® KM2 tire are the exclusive tires for the BC race cars. More information on the Wide Open Excursions is available at www.wideopenexcursions.com.

Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich® Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires at www.BFGoodrichTires.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BFGoodrichTires or on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BFGoodrichTires.

Crandon, WI 9/4/2011 – Aside from getting his first pro-light win, Brad Lovell could not have had a better weekend at the World Championships in Crandon, WI. Including a makeup round from the spring, the pro-light class faced 3 races that were wedged between dousing rainstorms.

Action started Friday afternoon on a near perfect track. Lovell got a good run at the start and held leader Andrew Caddell for the entire race. The two trucks separated from the pack but Lovell was unable to put the AMSOIL Nissan in passing position. The effort landed the team their second runner-up finish at Crandon. Brad adds, “We made some risky decisions in the shop this month about where to invest our time (rock racing or shot course) and it paid off. We’re running with the big dogs now!”

Saturday’s weather dampened spirits and cancelled qualifying. After studying the radar, TORC officials perfectly timed a lapse in rain and got the track in great shape for the pro-light race. Starting 4^th (based on points) in a field of 20 trucks, Lovell got a great run and passed Hubinette in turn #1. “I had such a strong run I could have taken the lead into turn 2 but got boxed out. I was again chasing Caddell, the truck felt perfect, and I knew I could catch him.” Lovell pushed hard but also faced a battle from a hard charging Brian Deegan who would eventually pass Lovell for 2^nd. The top 3 trucks had again pulled away from the field and the AMSOIL / Torchmate Nissan easily gained another podium finish.

With brimming confidence, the team made adjustments to ready the truck for what would be the wildest race of the weekend. Rain had annihilated the track which was now a slick blue groove with a harsh slimy shoulder. “We had two sets of BFG’s ready and didn’t make the call until just before the race,” comments Brad, “It paid off and I got a good start but was somehow smashed by another truck. It hit so hard it blew the air tube off my helmet. I collected the truck but was in the back of the pack. I was fighting traffic and got a little nudge in a turn which sent me completely off the track. I drove on the right two wheels for an eternity trying to save a roll and find the course. When I got back on I was way back and knew I faced a fight. I kept picking them off and a few guys spun. Before I knew it, I was looking at the leaders again!” Lovell made an amazing comeback and would again finish on the podium to round out the team’s best weekend yet.

To cap it all off, Lovell moved from 6^th to 2^nd in series points. “I can’t believe it,” added Brad, “I am fortunate to have an amazing group of volunteer friends and family that are behind me. Roger made it out for this event which added to an already stellar crew. To be sitting 2^nd at this point in my pro-light career is a big confidence booster because we are catching the big teams even though they are outspending us. I can’t wait for Chicago!” The team would also like to congratulate fellow AMSOIL / Nissan / BFGoodrich / Fox teammate Chad Hord for capturing the AMSOIL Cup.

The next round of TORC racing is only a week away at the Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, IL. The midweek race will open for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup chase race at the adjoining speedway. TORC trucks will race the evenings of 9/14 and 9/15. Racing will be live on the SPEED Channel Thursday 9/15 from 8 pm to 10 pm CST. Otherwise follow Lovell Racing on Facebook and watch AMSOILRacing.com for live coverage of the races. 

Bark River is the longest and fastest track in all of short course. While Crandon might carry more fame, Bark River hosted what is surely the fastest and most dramatic racing of the season. 15 Pro-lights took the track for Rounds 7 & 8 or the 2011 season. Absent from the podium, but not the battle was the #44 AMSOIL Nissan Frontier of Brad Lovell.

“Bark River is my favorite track for a reason, the speed is amazing,” comments driver Brad Lovell, “We are hitting jumps at over 75 mph and drifting through turns where the truck is airborne at the apex. We are clearing 150 ft on the big jump. Everything about Bark River is a fine line.” The view of Bark River from the driver set is much different from that in the bleachers and fans enjoyed door banging action packed racing all weekend long.

Lovell qualified 4^th on Friday in a competitive group of evenly matched trucks and got a good start in Saturday’s race. Unfortunately, slippery track conditions caused Lovell to spin off a step-up jump and let the majority of the field by. Undeterred, Lovell fought his way through the pack before finishing 6^th. “It’s a big disappointment to make an error after my crew and sponsors have done so much to get me a great truck. All I could do was fight through the pack and try and regain position. A few more laps were all we needed.”

Fortunately, the 6^th place finish on Saturday gave Lovell pole position on Sunday. Selection of lanes was critical and while test laps showed the left lane to be the choice, the race would prove the right far better. In the first lap Lovell was jumped by two trucks and ran hard in 3^rd until the mandatory caution. CJ Greaves then cut in front of #44 leaving Lovell in 4^th. Adding insult to injury, Brad was spun out by a fellow competitor within sight of the finish line and ended in 7^th. Brad adds, “While the results were not at all what we wanted the team did a great job and we moved up to 6^th in points. There is no doubt that this is the most high-dollar competitive racing we have done. A lot of things are working great on the truck – the tires, drive train, and power plant. We need to break into the last 5% of performance though. We will tear down the truck and test some new ideas before Crandon.”

Lovell Racing has a short stint in Colorado before heading east for the biggest and brightest off-road event this side of Baja – Fall Crandon. Including makeup races from the spring, the Pro-Lights will race 3 times starting Friday while Pro-2’s & 4’s will race an astounding 4 times during the weekend. Starting Friday Sept 2^nd, the 42^nd running at Crandon will not disappoint.

Lovell Racing wishes to thank all of 2011 sponsors and volunteer crew members including AMSOIL, BFGoodrich Tires, Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems, Nissan, Spidertrax, 4 Wheel Parts, Trail Ready, Fox Racing Shox, Powertank, Aeroquip, Howe, Eibach, Proformance Unlimited, FK Rod Ends, Warn, Dynotech, Motive Gear, and Robinson Construction.

Follow Brad on Facebook (Lovell Racing) and watch Crandon action live at AMSOILRacing.com or Usacracing.com

There is no doubt that the Inaugural American Rocksports Challenge will be the topic of conversation for a long time to come. Held at the Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City UT, this was the first all out race to ever to combine a dirt short course with rockcrawling. As expected, it made for dramatic racing and carnage. Unfortunately, the AMSOIL / Lovell team did not escape without major damage. The story in driver Brad Lovell’s words.

“We have never worked so hard in a weekend to keep the truck going. About five laps into practice I discovered that I had no oil pressure. Thinking our weekend was likely done, I got a tow to the pits and we started thrashing. We replaced the oil pump and a variety of other parts and it finally came to life just in time to qualify. The fact that the engine was not destroyed is a testament to AMSOIL. With a strong engine we qualified 3^rd and got some rest for race day.

We won the first preliminary race but discovered that the transmission was cracked in half. Again, we thought we were done but broke out every bit of epoxy we had for a makeshift repair. I took it real easy in the 2^nd preliminary race and won again putting us on the pole for the semi-finals. I rushed back to the pits and we started the long process of putting in a new transmission. Ultra 4 teams are like a big family and we couldn’t have done it without the help of other teams. Randy, Cotton, and Jeff were a huge help from Jimmy’s Outback 4×4, Al and DJ Frangione, and a lot of others pitched in. I was really proud of everyone who got me back out for the semi-final round.

In the semis, the front wheel drive popped out on the start and I lost a couple positions. Around we went and I picked them off in the rocks and dirt. The pace was a heck of a lot faster than the previous races and I blew out the front driveshaft mount on the final stretch. Finishing 3^rd, I again hustled back for repairs. Both driveshafts were repaired and the team was beat from the pace of the day. I was set for the final round and a shot at the win.

A couple high horsepower trucks again jumped me on the start of the race and I was stuck in traffic. On the 2^nd lap, an inexperienced driver charged me on the inside and couldn’t hold his line. I never even saw his front fender when he hit me and sent me into several airborne rolls ending my race and seriously damaging the truck. It’s frustrating to be taken out after the all the hard work that our friends and team put in.”

Not to be held down for long, Lovell climbed into the #44 AMSOIL Nissan Pro-light for some test rounds on Sunday in preparation for the  Traxxas TORC race this coming weekend at the legendary Charlotte Motor Speedway in NC. Coming off their first ever short course podium finish in Crandon only weeks ago, the Lovell Racing team has high hopes for the new track in Charlotte. Follow the action on Facebook (Lovell Racing) and watch for forthcoming video of the crash.

Brad Lovell has won enough races in his storied career to be considered one of the best overall off road racers in history.  His 95% podium rate in everything from rock crawling to rock racing proves the Colorado native knows how to get the job done.  With that level of success, moving into short course racing should have been as easy as building a truck and lining up, right?

Lovell’s rookie season in the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL in 2010 was a mixture of bad luck, rookie mistakes and a huge learning curve.  That curve started to level off towards the end of the year, when Lovell finished as high as fourth in Bark River.  Overall, his lack of podium success left him unfulfilled and he committed himself to being on top in the 2011 Pro Light class.

At the opening round in Red Bud, Lovell showed his hard work in the off-season had paid off.  From the opening lap, Lovell not only led, but pulled away from a very talented field of drivers.  A fuel issue after the mandatory caution dropped Lovell back to 12th, but by leading the opening race gave the AMSOIL driver a much needed boost of confidence.

In Crandon, Wis. this past weekend for the second weekend of TORC racing, that new-found confidence was once again on display.  Lovell grabbed the holeshot at the Crandon’s infamous Turn One, but a major crash behind on the first lap brought out the red flag and a restart.  On the restart, Lovell came out in third, but quickly pushed his way into second behind Traxxas/AMSOIL driver Andrew Caddell.  Lovell continued to push Caddell to the end, coming in second and landing himself his first career podium in off road racing.

“Last year was one of the hardest years of racing I have ever had,” said Lovell. “But we stuck with it, and after Red Bud, we knew we could get on the box in Crandon.”

On Sunday, heavy rains once again curtailed racing at a TORC event this year.  Racing was cancelled for the day and is likely to be made up as part of the Labor Day Weekend schedule at the Big House.

Largest crowd ever at the Potawatomi Brush Run ‘11 witnesses the fastest lap of all-time; Caddell (PRO Lights) & MacCachren (PRO 2) also win.

Off-road short course racing’s premier facility – Crandon International Speedway – played host to the largest crowd in the history of the June Potawatomi Brush Run 2011, round two of the Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL. Responding in kind, the racers put on a heck of a shot, led by local Wisconsin native Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis) who blazed to victory in the premier PRO 4 class and, in the process, broke the all-time track lap record set by Rick Huseman.

Running the No. 22 black and green truck familiar to the Traxxas TORC Series faithful, Greaves took advantage of the pristine conditions at the wide open 1.25 mile track and put the hammer down on the fastest lap – known as the Oakley Bomb Lap – in the 42 year history of Crandon. Greaves’ 1:18.983 beat Huseman’s 1:19.482 by a full half second.

“Oh man – I felt like a little kid in my first race on those last two laps,” said Greaves, being chased to the record lap time relentlessly by rival Ricky Johnson (Red Bull/Mopar/Ram/KMC Wheels).  “My feet were shaking the last couple laps. You can’t believe the speeds we were running.”

Those speeds, well in excess of 100 mph, separated Greaves and Johnson from the rest of the pack after the mandatory caution that bunches the racers back up at the halfway point of the contest. Johnson was on it, but in the end just didn’t have it for Greaves. “Today was my first race in the PRO 4 class at Crandon and I learned a lot from Johnny Greaves,” said Johnson.

Third place in the PRO 4 went to a rip-roarin’ Steve Barlow in the Metal Mulisha/Ebay Motors/Maxxis truck.

In PRO 2 action it was all Rob MacCachren (Traxxas/AMSOIL/BFG) early as the No. 21 Mopar-powered Ram pulled the holeshot and went straight into battle with Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis’ Marty Hart. Hart would lead briefly at the end of the first lap, then MacCachren put the hammer down and led it to the mandatory caution re-start. On the restart Bryce Menzies (Red Bull/Mopar/Ram/KMC Wheels) – MacCachren’s former teammate – got past the No. 21 and led the contest one lap into the caution re-start. But that lead would be short-lived as Menzies ‘bicycled’ his Mopar-charged Ram and that’s all MacCachren needed to roar into the lead.

“I couldn’t let the little guy (Menzies) get by me,” said MacCachren.

Added Menzies: “The same move I used to get by him (MacCachren), he used to get by me. We used to be teammates, so it’s cool to see both of us up here on the podium.”

Rounding out the podium was local northern Wisconsin racer Jeff Kincaid (Traxxas/Ford/BFG) who, in his first race of the 2011 Traxxas TORC Series season, held off a hard-charging Hart for the final PRO 2 podium spot.

PRO Lights at Crandon provide the most exciting smash up for the fans in the middle of the bottle-necked, high speed first turn. Though fault was inconclusive as of this posting, the multi-truck wreck collected RJ Anderson (Walker Evans/Mopar/Ram) and Randy Eller (Maxxis/PSC Steering/AMSOIL) – literally putting Eller up off the track and into the cable strewn between the 12-foot high infield fencing, trapping Eller there like a bug in a spider web.

Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG’s Andrew Caddell, who’s front end bodywork was torn completely off his truck in the mishap, took full advantage of the restart and pulled the holeshot away from Mikey Vanden Heuvel (Maxxis/ATD Trans/Boatec) and Brad Lovell (AMSOIL/BFG/Torchmate). And as Caddell and Lovell would distance themselves from the rest of the pack it should be noted that Traxxas TORC Series round one PRO Light back-to-back winner at RedBud MX, Samuel Hubinette (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG) suffered mechanical issues and was not a factor at Crandon.

At the third start of the race – the mandatory caution restart – Caddell and Lovell again pulled away from the rest of the field, and stayed that way through the checkers – with Shawn Morris (Maxxis/AMSOIL/Performance Auto Repair) winning the battle for the final PRO Light podium spot at Crandon.

“The track was fast today and my crew gave me a great truck,” said Caddell, holding the $,1000 Traxxas Maxx Lap big check for the day’s fastest PRO Light lap. “This feels like last year and I just want to keep things rolling.”

Crandon Saturday PRO 4

1st – Johnny Greaves

2nd – Ricky Johnson

3rd – Steve Barlow

4th – Scott Douglas

5th – Mark Jenkins

PRO 4 Series Points

1st – Ricky Johnson – 46

2nd – Johnny Greaves – 45

2nd  – Scott Douglas – 45

4th – Steve Barlow – 36

4th – Mark Jenkins – 36

Crandon Saturday PRO 2

1st – Rob MacCachren

2nd – Bryce Menzies

3rd – Steve Barlow

4th – Chad Hord

5th – Scott Taylor

PRO 2 Series Points

1st – Rob MacCachren – 54

2nd – Bryce Menzies – 42

3rd – Scott Taylor – 38

4th – Chad Hord – 34

5th – Mike Oberg – 30

Crandon Saturday PRO Light

1st – Andrew Caddell

2nd – Brad Lovell

3rd – Shawn Morris

4th – Ross Hoek

5th – Todd Cunningham

PRO Light Series Points

1st – Samuel Hubinette – 54

2nd – Andrew Caddell – 49

3rd – CJ Greaves – 48

4th – Shawn Morris – 43

5th – Ross Hoek – 41

Oakley Bomb Award & Traxxas Maxx Lap (fast lap @ Crandon/Saturday)

PRO 4 – Johnny Greaves (Oakley Bomb)

PRO 2 – Bryce Menzies (Oakley Bomb)

PRO Light – Andrew Caddell (Traxxas Maxx Lap)

Manufacturers Championship (PRO Light, PRO 2 & PRO 4)

1st – Ram, 169 points

2nd – Ford, 137 points

3rd – Toyota, 113 points

PRO Tire Championship

1st – BFG, 172 points

2nd – Maxxis, 125 points

3rd – General, 41 points

Sportsman class results, Crandon/Saturday

Super Buggy

1st – Larry Job

2nd – CJ Greaves

3rd – Bob Klaus

1600 Buggy

1st – John Fitzgerald

2nd – Mark Steinhardt

3rd – Brad Erickson

Super Stock Truck

1st – Scott Beauchamp

2nd – Don Demeny

3rd – Larry Maciosek

1600 Light Buggy

1st – Matt Gerald

2nd – Greg Stingle

3rd – Todd Lemke

Super Truck

1st – Dan Badoux

2nd – Bob Gremler Jr.

3rd – Zane Roberts

Stock Truck

1st – Nick Baumgartner

2nd – Bob Birkholz

3rd – Matt Ives

Classix

1st – Robert Weiland

2nd – Dale Chestnut

3rd – Fay Statezny

Formula 4×4

1st – Bradley Lamarche

2nd – Dave Miah

3rd – Don Koehler

Pat Schutte story & photo

CRANDON, Wisc. (June 18, 2011) – The 42nd annual Potawatomi Brush Run 2011, round two of the Traxxas TORC Series, presented by AMSOIL, is off and running at Crandon (Wisc.) International Raceway – led by the ‘run what you brung’-style Sportsman classes and followed by PRO practice on the hallowed racing grounds of Crandon this morning.

Yesterday’s qualifying … With flat out perfect conditions a number of the trucks were hitting triple figures (100 mph-plus) on two of Crandon’s long straight sections. In PRO 4 Adrian Cenni (Maxxis/Atrium Payroll/MasterCraft) was the big dog, topping short track heavyweights Ricky Johnson (Red Bull/KMC Wheels/Ram) and Johnny Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis). In PRO 2 action Marty Hart put his Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis truck up front, with Mopar/Ram’s Rob MacCachren and Miller Electric Welders’ Scott Taylor in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

He has no driver’s license! … In PRO Light action Wisconsin native CJ Greaves (Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis), all of 16-years old, rocked the rest of the field and won the first gate pick on Crandon’s famous “Land Rush” start. Keeping Greaves honest will no doubt be AMSOIL/BFG/Torchmate’s Brad Lovell (2nd) and Andrew Caddell (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG). Note: Round one (RedBud) back-to-back PRO Light winner, Samuel Hubinette (Traxxas/Mopar/AMSOIL/BFG) qualified for today’s action in 6th place.

Brush Run’s new title … Officials with Crandon International Speedway and the Forest County Potawatomi came together at the last minute on a title sponsorship deal for this weekend’s event. The official title of the June 17-19 event at Crandon is the Potawatomi Brush Run 2011, with the former Governor’s Cup/Borg-Warner Trophy (PRO 4 vs. PRO 2 event-closing race) now being called the Potawatomi Chairman’s Cup.

Smells kinda funky … Track operations officials with Crandon hosed the track down with a local paper mill byproduct solution devised to hold moisture in and keep the dust down on the track. It’s the same organic solution used for a similar purpose on logging roads in this region of the United States. Stuff’s got a curious smell – some say like pickle juice.

Interesting photo … Series photographer Mike Roth captured this shot of the long distance Crandon infield jump – at 2 a.m. in the morning on Saturday. A super-slow shutter speed and wide open lens on the clear, moonlit night made for a pretty cool image. Look close and you can see the stars in the sky.

Chad Hord needs a new ride … While signing autographs for fans at Crandon on Friday a guy brought up one of those new Traxxas Chad Hord (BOSS Snowplow/AMSOIL/Nissan) replica RC trucks for Hord to sign, which he obliged – right across the hand-sized hood with a black Sharpie. When asked if Hord himself had one of his signature Traxxas trucks, he said laughing “Yeah … I did. But the guys on my team ended up parting it out to keep their trucks running!”

School’s out! … A bunch of kids from the local Crandon Elementary School went on a cool road trip, about a quarter mile down Route 8 to Crandon International Speedway. The deluxe tour, which involved touring the 200-some acre facility, meeting some of the Traxxas TORC Series drivers and having lunch on the hill while they watched practice, was highlighted by a hot lap around the track in a giant MasterCraft-backed John Deere 250D Articulated Dump Truck – dubbed the ‘Crandon Ride Truck.’ “This is way better than a roller coaster!,” said one of the kids.

By Pat Schutte

In one of the most challenging pushes of their 2011 race season, the Lovell Brothers will tackle TORC short course racing in Crandon, Wisconsin before a wild dash back to Colorado Springs, Colorado for the 89^th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Brad Lovell is currently en-route to Crandon with the majority of the team for Rounds 3 & 4 of the Traxxas TORC Series. “I gained a lot of confidence in the opening rounds at Red Bud and proved the AMSOIL Nissan Pro-Light is a top contender,” Brad commented. “We made improvements in the last couple weeks and look forward to a strong showing.” Immediately after the end of racing on Sunday the team will make a 1300-mile non-stop journey back to their home turf. The #44 pro-light will be prepped overnight and readied for Pikes Peak tech inspection on Tuesday the 21^st. “I’ll feel a great deal of relief when we are at watching the sun come up at 11,000 ft Wed morning for the first practice session on the mountain. Seeing that sun will mean we won the race from Crandon to the mountain.”

Meanwhile, Roger is putting the finishing touches on the AMSOIL Ultra 4 in preparation for his rookie attempt at PIkes Peak. A late entry, Roger was enticed by a large field of Ultra 4s running the peak. Roger adds, “Racing the Peak is on my bucket list of things to do in life. Every morning I get up and look at that mountain; it’s time for me to take on the challenge. This is the last year for any dirt and there is a strong Ultra 4 field, time to get it on!” Roger’s Ultra 4 will run the same BF Goodrich race tires as Pro 2 & Pro 4 trucks in TORC while the pro-light will sit atop BF Goodrich Drag Radials.

“We have laid a lot of groundwork for these races and done everything possible to prepare for the onslaught,” said Brad, “In addition to our two entries at Pikes Peak we are working closely with Chad Hord and his factory Nissan effort to race an electric Leaf. This is a very exciting time for our team and we have plates full!” Follow the team via Facebook (Lovell Racing) to see how we conquer the next couple weeks.

RED BUD, MI MAY 30, 2011 – The entire Midwest has been doused with rain and rivers across the country are ready to break free of their banks. Hidden in the lush landscape of southern Michigan is the legendary Red Bud racing facility that has been similarly saturated. The rain, combined with a brand new short course track set the stage for an extremely muddy start to the 2011 Traxxas TORC Series.

Rain delays caused a continual shifting schedule but the AMSOIL team of Scott Douglas, Chad Hord, Mike Oberg, and Brad Lovell were camped out under awnings and ready to hit the track at a moment’s notice. Pro-4 and Pro-2 were cancelled for Saturday leaving the focus on Lovell in the Pro-Light class. Starting in pole position Lovell slung mud around the track fighting off pressure and breaking free from the pack. He led for half the race until his pace was broken by the mandatory caution. The restart was devastating as fuel problems caused the #44 AMSOIL Nissan to choke on fumes before regaining speed. Unfortunately, the problem was terminal and Brad’s best race yet turned into a DNF. “It was truly a heartbreaker,” said Lovell, “The truck performs a world better than last season but we got bit by a gremlin.”

Additional rain again caused difficulty on Sunday and left the track muddier than the day before. Due to the DNF, Lovell was forced to start 11th. The green flag flew and hundreds of pounds of mud rose into the air. Brad recalls, “The mud was incredible. I was repeatedly blinded and blew through all my tearoffs. I was literally getting buried by mud and had to clear space for my feet to work the pedals. The bone stock BFG Mud-Terrains were the right call and I had great control. Everyone else was sliding around banging into each other and I fought for my line. I have never been part of such a muddy or destructive race.” The #44 AMSOIL Nissan charged the field and was putting pressure on 3rd before mechanical issues again plagued the team. “I’m disappointed with our results but confident we showed the other teams that we are racing for a win, not a mid-pack finish.”

The weather did not hamper spirits as the race had an estimated 8,000 fans show up and TORC worked expertly with track officials to make on the fly adjustments. Lovell concludes, “AMSOIL, BFGoodrich, Torchmate, Nissan, and Spidertrax all had someone on hand to help the team and while our results didn’t reflect their dedication, our newfound speed did. We can fix fuel problems and will only get stronger in the 3 weeks leading up to Crandon.”

The team wishes to thank all the volunteers, supporters, and family who helped at this event. The off-road community is a great bunch and the same people that race against Lovell one weekend are part of the team the next. The Lovell Brothers now regroup in Colorado to prepare for an assault on Crandon June 18th & 19th before a mad dash to Pikes Peak for the 89th running of the Race to the Clouds.

CANON CITY, CO MAY 15, 2011 – Imagine that if for one weekend, it was legal to drive as fast as you dare on your favorite twisting, turning, mountain road and not worry about oncoming traffic. It’s not too good to be true and once a year the Temple Canyon road is closed to the public for all out racing. While it was Roger’s rookie year, Brad has tackled the road twice prior with a class win in Ultra 4. This year, however, Brad took on the Comp Truck division (unlimited trucks) in his #44 AMSOIL Nissan Pro-Light.

Qualifying day involved four runs up the 3.2 mile road. Brad quickly adapted to a different driving style in the 2wd Pro-Light but not before getting a little wild on the road. Brad recalls, “With a lot less tire than an Ultra 4, my braking points were way off and I overshot a couple of turns. It was way out of control and I was glad to reach the top. We did a little tuning during the day and I was able to keep it on the road by day’s end.” Brad qualified 3^rd in class and had a fast truck for the two race attempts on Sunday. Roger had strong and consistent qualifying runs as he used the time to memorize the road. His runs were good enough to position him 2nd behind 2010 class champion and Torchmate teammate JT Taylor.

Race day brought a bit of a surprise as rain drenched the typically arid southern Colorado landscape. The showers changed the hard-pack gravel surface to a mud slick. After nearly four hours of rain delays the road was judged to be in good condition and racing ensued. Roger had his work cut out for him chasing down Taylor in Ultra 4. As only the 2^nd truck to take the green flag, his first run was a learning lesson for the whole field. Roger adds, “The road was real sticky which made it fast but also made it tippier in the turns and changed my shift points. I had things figured out by the final run.” Roger dropped a whopping 10 seconds on his last run for a fast time of 3:42 and 2^nd place finish. JT Taylor ended up setting a new class record and taking the win. “I have to hand it to JT as he is lightening fast. I battled a few issues with the truck that were left over from the last couple races but had a great time and happy to finish 2^nd in a sprint race like this.”

Once to the top, Roger radioed back to Brad that conditions were perfect and to run hard. With this knowledge, Brad pushed the truck to the limit and shaved an astounding 15 seconds off his qualifying time and took the class lead with a 3:20.81. “The grip was incredible,” Brad recalls, “The road had just enough time to dry and was perfect for the BFG All-Terrains. They were outperforming race tires!” His final run was good enough for a 3:20.55 and 2^nd place finish in the class. “Chad DeVries was able to sneak by me for the win. Given the fact that I was facing off against 600+ hp 4wd dedicated hill climb trucks, I am pleased with the way the Nissan Pro-Light performed and look forward to racing on Pikes Peak.”

Video of Roger Lovell’s run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6TozQLgsAo

Video of Brad Lovell’s run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfHkbi1kUBY

The team now sets full focus on the TORC season opener in Red Bud, MI May 27 – 29. With a wealth of seat-time, Brad looks forward to a strong start in the expanding TORC Pro-Light field.

LAS VEGAS, NV 5/2/11 – The Silver State 300 is a 303 mile loop in the most desolate areas of southern Nevada. It’s one of the best off-road adventures to be had in the US and encompasses sandy washes, scenic canyons, blinding silt, and high speed roads. After a tough finish last year with chassis damage and a fire, Roger Lovell was back with the #4432 AMSOIL Ranger to try his luck.

This year, the rapidly growing Unlimited 4wd class was the largest group at the race with 34 entries. The team started mid-pack and fought the blinding silt. “After last year, our plan was simply to outlast the other trucks,” said navigator Brad Lovell, “We set a strong pace and focused on making the truck survive the whole race.” By race mile 100 the brothers had gained position without pushing the truck past the limit. Roger’s focus on the road maintained as he fought a vehicle that was originally designed to have a top speed of 40 mph. Brad recalls “Somewhere out there I called a turn wrong and we found ourselves in an expanse of silt. I was pondering options when the biggest silt whole I have ever seen was dead ahead. Roger pinned it and the wave of silt swallowed the whole truck. We were completely blind with no idea where we were pointed. I couldn’t even see the GPS. I couldn’t believe the tires clawed us through it.”

The team’s plans were working as many other teams were stopped for repairs or crashed. The pit crew performed lightening fast fuelings that twice helped Roger gain position. “The teamwork was spot on,” said Roger, “Brad and I were working well together and I kept the truck right at the limit. It went 300 miles without missing a beat. While the results were outside my hopes, I’m confident that we had a great performance.” When the dust was relatively settled, the pair finished with a time of 7:38:17 which was good enough for 12th place. The level of competition in the 4400 class was dramatically higher than last year and combining this with Roger’s 17th place finish in King of the Hammers puts him in a strong position for Ultra 4 series points. The next stop on this tour is Salt Lake City July 15 – 16 where Roger and Brad will each race.

Roger adds, “The support from AMSOIL, BFG, Torchmate, and Spidertrax was over the top at this race and much appreciated. Logistics and prep for a race like this is difficult and our team knocked it out. Congratulations to our Torchmate teammates JT Taylor and Jessie Haines for a great race.” The next stop for the Lovell Brothers is the Temple Canyon Hill Climb May 14th & 15th. While a fierce competition in its own right, the team will use this race to prepare for their upcoming assault on Pikes Peak.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO APRIL 20, 2011 – Lovell Racing today unveiled the redeveloped AMSOIL Nissan Frontier Pro-Light in preparation for the opening rounds of TORC in Red Bud, MI May 28^th – 29^th. The partnership with Nissan Motorsports is a highlight in the team’s preparations for 2011 and team co-owner Brad Lovell expressed his enthusiasm, “The racing heritage at Nissan runs deep. They have amassed plenty of championships and we are proud to be on the team. Nissan is passionate about racing as has some really exciting things in store for 2011.”

A year ago, Lovell had a tough start adjusting to the breakneck pace and intensity of short course racing but returns stronger and better prepared. The team has completed hundreds of test laps, built a barrage of spare parts, and finely tuned the truck. 2011 will take every bit of grip the team has as the burgeoning TORC Pro-Light class continues to draw new talent. Lovell added, “Last year was pretty hectic for us and I was not satisfied. We have been focused all winter quietly preparing to come out of the gates strong.” Nissan Motorsports Manager Ron Stukenberg commented, “We’ve followed Brad’s activities for the past few years and have been impressed with his performance and team operation. Nissan is thrilled to have Brad and Lovell Racing as part of our Nissan Motorsports team in 2011!”

In addition to the regular TORC schedule, Lovell will pilot the #44 AMSOIL Nissan in the 89^th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and attempt to better his 3^rd Place effort of 13:17 to the top of the 14,110 ft mountain.  Roger Lovell will headline the team’s rock racing effort by chasing Ultra 4 season points and joining Brad for various rock crawling, desert, and short course events. Additionally, Brad will continue to pilot the #232 rock racer in choice rockcrawling, desert, Ultra 4, and hill climb events.

AMSOIL returns as the team’s title sponsor along with BFGoodrich Tires, Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems, Spidertrax, and 4 Wheel Parts. The team’s sponsors include TrailReady Wheels, Aeroquip, Fox Racing Shox, Eibach, FK Rod Ends, Dynotech Driveshafts, Howe Performance Steering, Motive Gear, Powertank, Proformance Unlimited, Robinson Construction, and WARN.

RENO, NV     APRIL 13, 2011   Torchmate Racing had drivers at every aspect of the country last weekend.  In Texas, Brad Lovell made history taking the Overall Win at the BRT Blackwelll 250 Desert Race in an Ultra4 car.  Rock Crawler Jesse Haines took the Unlimited Class win at the Cal-Neva Extreme event in Reno, NV successfully completing every bonus line.  In Alaska, Torchmate Racing Tyler Thomas and Matt Shrive raced in the 2011 Arctic Man where their hopes of leaving with the win got cut short when Shrive crashed at speeds over 50mph on his snowboard.

Brad Lovell: While the Trophy Trucks and Class 1 cars started at the front of the pack, Brad Lovell drew the last starting position of the Ultra 4’s with nothing to lose and a lot of dust to fight. “Our plan was to hold a strong pace and never stop,” commented Brad. “The dust was bad but we stayed patient. The engine went sour right off the start but hung in there.” As the laps ticked away, Lovell climbed to the front of the Ultra 4 class before facing fuel issues. “We had problems in the fuel cell and had to stop for fuel every 20 miles. It kept getting worse and we were barely able to make left turns without starving the engine.” While the pit crew made preparations to fix the problem, the decision was made to take a gamble and keep moving at all costs. The team played their cards right and the truck lost all fuel supply 50-feet after crossing the finish line. While the team did have difficulties in the race, they proved just how competitive an Ultra4 can be in the desert.

Lovell continues, “We kept trading positions with a trophy truck and were the exact same speed for 2 laps. We passed a couple fast cars and must have gotten the others in the pits. I’m proud to show the desert guys what

Ultra 4 racers can do.”  The victory was the team’s first in nearly a year and gives the #232 AMSOIL Torchmate Ranger wins in rockcrawling, rock racing, hill climbing, and now desert racing.

Jesse Haines: Seven Unlimited Rock Crawl teams showed up to compete at Cal-Neva event where each course has 3 gates and 2 bonus lines. “On Day 1 we were the only team to complete every bonus line from all 4 courses, which helped propel Team Torchmate to a 16 point lead at the end of the day,” said Jesse Haines.  Day 2 started off a little more shaky taking a cone and a few extra backs on the first 2 courses, adding points to the lowest score wins. “After the slow start we were able to get back on track and nail the next course and when we began our last course we knew exactly what we needed to do to win. Everything on that course went exactly as planned and we drove through the end gate with a 10 point win!” smiles Haines. Throughout the weekend they were able to complete every bonus line attempted. There were 16 bonuses, but they only attempted 15 in competition.  “It was by far the wildest, most difficult bonus line, and I was disappointed we didn’t get to try it. So, in true spirit, after the unlimited class finished, AJ and I attempted that last bonus line,” said Haines.  They battled the bonus line for over 20 minutes while fans watched in amazement as they climbed the 50 foot technical climb. “The climb was so difficult that at the awards presentation I told teams that if anyone can make that bonus line during their 10 minutes on course at the next event I will give them $1000. I’m hoping a few sponsors will step up as well making the bounty even larger.”

Tyler Thomas & Matt Shrive: A combination of downhill snowboarding and snowmobiling, Arctic Man is a 5.5 mile race that only takes 4.5 minutes to complete.  Matt Shrive, X-Games and World Cup snowboarder, started at the top of the 5,800ft mountain and dropped 1,700ft within two miles into a canyon.  When Shrive hit the canyon, Tyler Thomas successfully got the handle to him on his Polaris RUSH 600 and they quickly maintained speed.  “It is the most physically demanding thing I have ever done,” said Shrive.  “Crossing the rooster tail of the sled was gnarly and getting hit by ice at speed while trying to hang on was a huge challenge.” Their high hopes of leaving with the win and a finish got cut short when Shrive crashed at speeds over 50mph on his snowboard.  “I am ok, but it completely knocked the wind out of me,” recalls Shrive.  “I was trying to help the snowmobile in the turn and when I crossed the rooster tail I got sucked in and thrown down.”  Luckily Thomas looked back and immediately stopped to help get his teammate up in attempt at a finish.  The unfortunate turn of events gives the team even more motivation to come back in 2012. Both Thomas and Shrive agree that this competition was among the top level of intensity, and not only physically demanding but mentally as well.

Torchmate Racing Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/TorchmateRacing

Torchmate CNC Cutting Machines can be purchased and more information can be found at www.Torchmate.com

About Torchmate : Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems has been bringing affordable CNC plasma cutting tables and other automation solutions to manufacturers worldwide for over 30 years, and have now extended their product line to include a 2×2 table suitable for any fabricators’ garage.  Torchmate Racing has supported the offroad racing community through marketing partnerships and putting their key employees behind the wheel of the best equipment.  The Torchmate Racing Team is currently involved in racing a Class 6 in the SCORE Baja series and BITD, a Rock Crawler in CalRocs and W.E. Rock, an Ultra4 racer and also support multiple racers in other series including CHCA, TORC, LOORRS and Dirt Track.  Please join the thousands that are already part of the Torchmate family.  Call toll free today at (866)571-1066 or internationally at (775) 673-2200 and let one of the trained CNC professionals guide you through every step of the CNC cutting process.  www.torchmate.com

BLACKWELL, TX APRIL 9, 2011 – History was made at the finish line of the Blackwell 250 when, for the first time ever, an Ultra 4 racer took an overall desert win. The #232 AMSOIL Ranger fought dust and traffic all day after starting at the back of the 4400 class to come out on top.

The inaugural Blackwell 250 is part of the BRT racing series and was held on the Texana Ranch near Blackwell, TX. The enormous ranch hosted a 42-mile loop packed with plenty of rough sections, jumps, banked turns, and dust. The ranch may be more akin the wilds of the African savanna than the deserts of Baja as zebras, gazelles, and other exotic creatures roamed the course on race day. In any case, the combination of influences gives the ranch, race, and series its own unique foothold in off-road racing.

While the fastest vehicles (Class 1 & Trophy Truck) were given a chance to qualify for start position, all others were drawn from a hat. This put Lovell at the back of the Ultra 4’s with nothing to lose and a lot of dust to fight. “Our plan was to hold a strong pace and never stop,” commented Brad, “The dust was bad but we stayed patient. The engine went sour right off the start but hung in there.” As the laps ticked away, Lovell climbed to the front of the Ultra 4 class before facing fuel issues. “We had problems in the fuel cell and had to stop for fuel every 20 miles. It kept getting worse and we were barely able to make left turns without starving the engine.” While the pit crew made preparations to fix the problem, the decision was made to take a gamble and keep moving at all costs. The team played their cards right and the truck lost all fuel supply 50-feet after crossing the finish line.

While the team did have difficulties in the race, they proved just how competitive an Ultra 4 can be in the desert. Lovell continues, “We kept trading position with a trophy truck and were the exact same speed for 2 laps. We passed a couple fast cars and must have gotten the others in the pits. I’m proud to show the desert guys what Ultra 4 racers can do. Jordan Stemas was my co-driver and did a great job. We all worked hard to prep the truck and it paid off. I’d like to thank the Ellet family, Pikes Peak Rovers, and Rockware for support during the race as well as AMSOIL, BFGoodrich, Torchmate, Spidertrax, and our other sponsors for their commitment to our team.”

The victory was the team’s first in nearly a year and gives the #232 AMSOIL Ranger wins in rockcrawling, rock racing, hill climbing, and now desert racing. The team now prepares for a few days of relaxing trail riding in Moab, UT at the Easter Jeep Safari.

Saturday, April 9^th with perfect weather and lots of turns made for a spectacular inaugural opening round for the Baja Racing of Texas Blackwell 250.  With an overall time of 7:01:24 Brad Lovell in Class 4400 Unlimited four-wheel drive captures overall Title in Texas newest off road racing series.

With a course that varied from rocky hill climbs to fast rolling sections winding through picturesque scenery, the course at the Texana Ranch proved for some to be very challenging while others made short work of the 43 mile loop.

Brad Lovell #232 in his Rock Racer at full speed through the Texas field.

Boasting over 5000 spectacular acres, the Texana Ranch, the Official home of the BRT and Off Road racing in Texas is a one of a kind racing facility.  Where else can you race a 250-mile off road event and have, over 50 RV 30/50 AMP HOOKUPS and hot showers after a long day out getting dirty.  Or just go to the huge in-ground swimming pool and cool off or a while. With miles of rock road you can take a drive around the property to experience some of the most unique animals there are, Buffalo, Long Horn Sheep, Camels and Zebras to name a few. These animals can be live on course so you have to keep and eye out or it may end your day very quickly.

Buffalo at the first Baja of Texas Racing event are what cows are in Mexico

The racing started Saturday morning with 10 PRO/Sportsman UTV’s off the line at 6:45AM.  The 10 mile UTV course was very fast and made for great racing.  Richard Hartgrove racing a 900XP tangled it up with a fence early in lap one.  During the impact with the fence Richard broke his collar bone and separated his shoulder and continued the race despite his injuries to earn himself a 3^rd place Pro UTV finish and the coveted BRT Hard Charger award.  With an average lap time of 15min. Earl Chapman secured his first PRO UTV victory.

UTVs play a big part at the Baja of Texas Race

Mike Walser in the EControls class one car moved up quickly through the field and into first place staying ahead of the competition for most of the day. Some minor issues delayed Walser in the pits around lap 3. Once repaired Walser was on the last lap and suffered electrical and motor problems that would put him out of an overall victory as he would earn a 2^nd place finish.

Mike Walser in the EControls Class1 car had a good run until things broke.

Dean and Joel Van Dam who moved up from Sportsman to Pro managed to take their first ever 1^st place finish in their Morphic 4 seat Class one car with a overall time of 8:18:01.

Dean and Joel Van Dam in a Morphic 4 Seat car

The TA Racing 5 Unlimited car ran flawlessly and was able to take not only first in class but also 2^nd Overall.  Danny Webb and Andrew McCredie drove a great race and both of them got their first ever wins.

Danny Webb and Andrew McCredie in Class5

Many other classes had people earn not only their first win but also first time to finish a race.  Daryl Hiers in Class 12, Wayne Faulkner in Class 9 and Pat Sims in there newly acquired 7 Unlimited truck.

Brad Lovell commented after capturing his overall victory “BRT put on an outstanding race with significant competition and that was both challenging & brutal. The track was full of “gotcha’s” and it was a blast to run. We will be coming back!”

Baja Racing of Texas President Chris Leitner commented, “The entire BRT staff would like to think all of the racers, volunteers and spectators that helped to make the inaugural race a HUGE success.  The BRT is already working to make sure the September Chupacabra 250 is just as successful.  Make plans to attend this one and look for more exciting news about plans for 2012.”

For more information on Baja Racing of Texas visit http://www.bajaracingtexas.com

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Watch FOX Racing Shox athletes as they describe what has been called the toughest off-road race in the world.
FOX Racing Shox sponsored rock racer, Shannon Campbell, won his second King of the Hammers, becoming the only driver to win the race more than once since its inception four years ago. Campbell charged through the treacherous Mojave Desert, overcoming obstacles that stopped other drivers dead in their tracks, to take the crown with an impressive 31-minute lead over the rest of the pack.

The agony of not finishing the Baja 1000 is becoming all too familiar. The Torchmate desert team returned to Baja after defeat last year in the early stages of the race. A large rock broke the transmission pan costing us valuable hours before the truck lost power and spent most of the night stuck in a sand wash. Eventually, we were forced to throw in the towel – an act we were determined not to repeat this year.

The 43rd Baja 1000 was truly an epic race. Due to logistics and costs, it is not every year that a peninsula run takes place and the scale of such a race is hard to explain without firsthand experience – 1062 miles of remote and brutal off-road terrain in roughly a straight line from Ensenada to La Paz. Our plan called for four drivers to relay the #601 truck to the finish line within the time limit of 45 hours. I was invited to navigate during the second leg (race mile 242 to 542) with driver Mark Levrett.

It may be hard to imagine, but do to the scale of the operation, there were team members that I didn’t even meet until after the race. The team was spread out over the whole peninsula with limited communication so preparations can often feel solitary. Mark and I were responsible for pre-running our section and did so with the help of Pepe and Joanna Rodriguez, friends from Ensenada. We soon found ourselves bouncing around in Pepe’s Class 8 desert truck trying to mark hazards and learn Spanish all at the same time.

More organization, packing, and repacking led up to the point that we all had been waiting for – the green flag. Mark and I were staged near RM 200 to watch the trophy trucks come through which was our signal to head to BFGoodrich Pit #2 for the start of our leg. Trophy trucks might best be compared to an out of control freight train. In the air more than not, they spew dust and spray rock. The combination of violence and finesse is truly an amazing sight.

Between our sat phone, cell phones, computer tracking in the US, and 55w radio we got a report that the truck was stopped at RM 6. Our hearts sank. We moved around to try and establish any form of communication and learned that the rear suspension had broken after an impact with a wall and the truck was getting a new transmission. It was going to be a long night. We headed for the BFG pit to wait and help out other racers. It was quite literally a field hospital for wounded vehicles. We did what we could and sent them back into battle. The action slowed and we got word #601 was now near RM 151 and not moving. Unbeknownst to us, the driveshaft had fallen out and the team was hopelessly stuck in silt. Help was on the way and all we could do was wait. Around 3 a.m. we got word that the truck was close to us but the replacement transmission had failed and only had 1st gear (note: not an Art Carr unit which we use in our trucks).

Undeterred, Mark and I readied for the driver change with hopes to repair the transmission 60 miles down course with the main Torchmate chase crew. We changed the air filter and hastily emptied a quart of AMSOIL (who supplied any fluid racers might need at the 7 BFG pits) into the truck. We sped off with a long anticipated chance to do the team some good! Our top speed was only 45 mph in 1st gear but quick math told me we only needed to average 25 mph to finish. Maybe there was still hope… Unfortunately, only 45 miles into our leg the drive pulley broke off the motor. We worked to make repairs but with no spare parts the damage was terminal. Unable to reach our support team we were forced to again admit defeat. With heavy hearts we stood in a silent desert and watched the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez.

Not finishing is a tough pill to swallow. It’s easy to look back at mistakes made but more important to focus on tactics that will get us to the finish line. Even with a disappointing race, the adventure of Baja is as grand as any I have ever experienced. I could fill pages with our stories of adventure in Mexico. There is no doubt that each failure, setback, and lesson learned will make our first Baja 1000 win even greater.

- Brad Lovell

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Owning and operating a race team is the hardest job you’ll ever love (besides raising kids, that is). It’s 9:15pm and Brad and I have just completed what we term a “turn around” at our house. That is that the race trailer has been unloaded, cleaned and prepped for the next race. Roger is at home doing the same thing with the team’s smaller 20’ trailer this week.

Last weekend our team competed in rounds seven and eight of the Extreme Off-Road Racing (XORRA) Series in Cortez, Colorado. Round seven of XORRA placed Roger running against Levi Shirley of Lucky Dog Racing; and Brad racing side-by-side with Monster’s Shannon Campbell. With the platform changed this year to accommodate side-by-side racing, the thrill of bumping, grinding and flat out punting your opponent, is always a possibility and certainly marked what our team experienced on Saturday. Roger prevailed in this new environment as his aggressive, yet constrained driving placed him in the final shoot-out in 6^th position. The benefit of going into the finals in 6^th position is that you have nothing to lose; and indeed Roger drove like he had nothing to lose and in turn gained a spot finishing round seven in 5^th position.

Round eight of XORRA was marked less with competitor battles and more with obstacle dilemmas. Race one ended with a tire change, race two brought Roger hurtling down a drop in a “hand stand” fashion for what seemed like forever, race three was plagued by steering issues, and race four resulted in a penalty for Brad. When the dust settled, Roger was in the shoot-out, Brad was trailing behind a few positions. Roger showed his driving skills on Saturday with the most fluid run of the weekend, and was rewarded with a 6^th place finish and a 9^th place series placement.

Now that the XORRA season is finished the team is dividing and conquering as Brad is off to rounds 7 & 8 of the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL in Bark River, MI and Roger is off to the Ultra 4 Series stop at Land’s End Hill Climb in Grand Junction, CO this coming weekend August 14-15. Brad will remain on the road finishing out the TORC Series with events in Chicagoland, Ill on August 25-26 and in Crandon, WI on Labor Day weekend. The duo will come back together to finish out the majority of the 2010 race season when they compete in the Reno Stampede in mid September.

Videos of this weekend’s competition:

B. Lovell v. Campbell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yuE4Fio6xI&feature=related

R. Lovell v. Loren Healey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePxs2r-McMc&feature=related

B.Lovell v. “Chicky” Barton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKfwCyGta_s&feature=channel

R. Lovell v. Levi Shirley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k6sLi2ihkw&feature=related

Brad Lovell continued his hunt for a podium finish in Rounds #5 & 6 of the TRAXXAS TORC Series presented by AMSOIL. The tight track at Oshkosh was a different challenge than the ultra fast rounds in Crandon and Bark River. The Lovell Racing team had high hopes that the tighter and more technical track would favor Brad’s driving style.

Torrential rains soaked the clay track for hours before Friday night’s race but the crew somehow got the track in excellent shape. The rains cancelled qualifying so once again Lovell was forced to start near the back of the 11 truck field. A strong start, however, boosted Lovell through the traffic and into the heart of the action. He made a couple more passes and at the mandatory caution #44 was sitting in 4^th place. Bad luck hampered the truck in the second half of the 15 lap race as bumping caused Lovell’s steering to once again fail and he was forced to pull off the track. “It really boosted my confidence to fight my way up to 4^th,” commented Lovell, “I was closing in on 3^rd, the truck was screaming fast and the BFGs were gripping to the track perfectly, it felt great! Unfortunately, poor fabrication in the steering once again cost us. We completely replaced the tie rods so the next part in line failed. I’m frustrated.”

The team worked late into the night to make repairs and fully condition the truck for another shot at the podium. Rains again drenched the area and flooded the track which was feverishly repaired. The Pro-Lights took the stage with Lovell starting in 9th. The flag dropped and Brad took the inside line around the #27 truck just as it lost control. Morris spun right in front of Brad and with no time to slow, Lovell punted him into the infield. The #44 AMSOIL truck was damaged but still running strong. The trend continued for the whole race as Lovell twice again found himself tangled up with spun trucks. The impacts took their toll. #44 became less controllable and eventually finished 8th. A podium finish will have to wait for another day.

Brad reflects, “I am continually astounded by this type of racing. I really respect the years of experience, teamwork, and fine tuning involved. The furious pace of the season really has a stranglehold on our team. Short course is an extremely challenging sport to master and is making us a stronger team.”

Video highlights of the weekend here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsku0kL5nYc

Brad will return to his roots along with brother Roger at the XRRA Cortez races 8/7 & 8 before again traveling to the mid-west for the final 6 race onslaught of the TORC series.

Having always lived in the shadow of Pikes Peak, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has always been part of my life. Not a big part though, I have never even been to the race. Having built a formidable racer for the TORC short course series though, this year was different. I never thought the V-8 powered AMSOIL Pro-Light would be competitive in the Pikes Peak Open class but I knew I needed seat time, especially after my pummeling in the opening rounds at Crandon.

We rushed back home to Colorado from Crandon, WI only to complete tech and make the drivers meeting with 2 minutes to spare. There are no breaks for latecomers here and a poor sole from Hungary was turned away after his car was stuck in customs during the practice days. Glad I wasn’t late. The Pikes Peak Open class for the 88^th running consisted of 9 vehicles including a modified Cobra, a dedicated hill climb car from New Zealand, a WRC rally car from Luxembourg, and a Honda Ridgeline outfitted for Baja. All you really need for the class is a body so I guess my Pro-Light was right at home.

At about 4:30 am I found myself at 12,700 ft waiting for the sun to rise. It felt like a weird mix between an expeditionary base camp and a pit. At 5:15 we started running and got 4 attempts in before the road opened and tourist traffic arrived. We repeated the early morning practice two more times on lower sections of the road before a much needed day of rest in preparations for the race on Sunday.

Race day conditions were perfect and my only worry was fading rear brakes that were exposed in practice. I had since built some cooling ducts and knew that the AMSOIL brake fluid was good to well over 500 degrees. All I had to do was keep my foot off the brakes.

I can’t say too much about the run itself as I was really trying to concentrate. At one point I got to jerking the wheel around way too much and needed to slow my hands. I could feel tension in my body and several times told myself to relax and focus. On the narrow exposed turns it occurred to me that my tires were actively saving my life. With 4 miles left, I remember thinking, “I still have brakes! Go, go, go!” I was merciless on the motor but everything was holding. As I snaked through the alpine boulder field my mind drifted to the fact that most guys were at home watching sports on TV.

Why was I compelled to do this? Oh that’s right, to live life to its fullest. Stay focused Brad! I reached the pavement near the top and knew there wasn’t much to hold me back now. I then rounded the last corner to see the checkered flag. Wow! I was still in one piece. A 2^nd place trophy was just icing on the cake. My total time was 13:17 over 12.42 miles with an elevation gain of 4,720 ft and average speed of 56 mph.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is an amazing race. It needs no hype as it is the second oldest race in the country and has been sustainable longer than most of us have been alive. It has big names and unknowns, record setters and adventure seekers. I was there for seat time in my new truck but fell in love with a phenomenal local race that I have neglected my whole life. It has the same airs of adventure that attract people to the Baja. I don’t care if they pave it, I almost now welcome it. Either way, I can’t wait to get back up the mountain next year.

Video of my run:

I really want to thank everyone who, in 5 months, helped take this from an idea to a functioning truck sitting at 14,110 ft. You know who you are and I am grateful. The fast pace of the TRAXXAS TORC series continues with the next rounds of racing in Bark River, MI July 10 & 11. If you are in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by our AMSOIL trailer.

- Brad Lovell

Vegas to Reno is the longest and toughest point to point race in the United States. It is 1000 miles of rocks, silt, whoops, and danger. It is hard to draw comparison of this race to anything else in the present day. It is a relic. Entering it is a way to turn back time and experience the peril, pride, and freedom that the west held before being tamed by modern America. It is a strenuous race, death defying at times, and extremely costly. Why even bother with it? The answer comes from the soul. It allows our team along with hundreds of others to face challenge and test our abilities. It is a reprieve into a world that boys read about in adventure books and a way to trade all the safety of society for the freedom of the untamed wild.

We prepared for this race for months. After near destruction in the Baja 500, the #7231 Torchmate Ford Ranger had been completely rebuilt. Chase trucks were loaded and our convoy left Reno traveling through the most desolate areas in the US towards Las Vegas. Torchmate Racing’s effort not only included all of the necessities that our race team required, but also provided a complete CNC plasma cutting table and staff to cut parts that any of the race teams required as their vehicles became debilitated by the torturous desert.  The last minute details were attended to during tech inspection before the energetic crew headed to the start line. Greg Jones and Nick Socha would start the three day staged race. Each day was roughly 330 miles before the race vehicles were repaired and impounded at night in a moving camp of 765 RV’s. I stood at the start line and snapped a picture as the truck departed. Even with my newfound desert experience, I look at that picture now and realize I had no appreciation for the scale of the endeavor we were embarking upon.

Over the first 200 miles, the truck made great progress and quickly moved to the front of the 7200 class (19 entries). Driver of record Bill Kunz and I prepared to get in as #7231 slid into the pits with two other 7200 trucks. A frantic effort ensued and before long, we were on our way. Within 50 miles we hit a boulder that bent the driveshaft and forced us to limp 10 miles to the next pit. After a quick repair and no further issues, we reached the finish in 4^th place. It was a good day and we then had a chance to review plans for day #2 before some much needed sleep.

Bill and I charged into the dust on the second day. 200 race trucks kick a blinding amount of silt in the air and the dust can hang for hours. The billowing plumes can be seen across the desert floor 100 miles away. Driving into this dust at 60 mph is intense. Nothing can be seen past the hood of the truck and at times I could not see the GPS mounted in the dash. The danger of speed is real, but the danger of stopping even greater. If one truck slows, the next will ram into it. The lethality only increases if you are forced to exit the vehicle. Things can turn bad fast and I wanted none of it. I gave Bill the best course readings I could and we waited for a chance to pass. It came as a dry lakebed opened around us. We veered upwind and laid into the throttle but weremet with large bushes. Despite concern for what might lay in our path Bill eased back into the blinding dust. Just then, a bush materialized dead ahead and I thought we were done. #7231 smashed into it and was launched into the air at 80+ mph. Luckily Bill maintained control and we quickly regained our focus. After 230 miles of similar struggles, we reached the driver change and exited. Greg and Nick headed off into the dust as Bill and I rehydrated at the BFGoodrich pit.

Unseen to us a terrible accident had already occurred. #7231 lay on its side with an injured driver and frantic navigator running over two miles across the desert back to the pit. As we celebrated in the pit, the truck struck a series of jumps that cascaded it into a barrel roll and nearly ripped it apart. The cage had heavy damage above the driver door, parts were scattered across the desert, and Greg was in pain. Nick found the medics and sent them to Greg. Greg in turn convinced them to help him dig and jack the truck back over before yielding to their gurney back in the pit. Bill coaxed Greg into the ambulance and accompanied him to the hospital in Reno. When we could do no more to help Greg, a plan was formed to push on. I would drive and Nick, being uninjured, would climb back in the right seat. With the help of the BFGoodrich pit crew, our team repaired the truck and we were off.

Stuck at mile 690

As long as I can remember, I have wanted to race a desert truck. I found myself fulfilling a lifelong goal but my mind continued to wander to Greg’s condition. Darkness fell and I began to notice power loss. Before long, we found ourselves struggling in the silt beds. If you stop in the silt, you will never get going again. The race miles continued to tick away and we held hope of finishing. Only 8 miles from the camp (mile 690) we faced an enormous silt hill with rough boulders guarding any fast assault. Our best effort was rejected and the injured truck floundered. Without reaching the base we became hopelessly stuck. Despite our best efforts to free ourselves eventually our chase crew had to rescue us.  Day 2 had ended in heartbreak.

When we finally returned to the pit at 3am I was completely spent and surprised to see our full pit crew ready and waiting. I could do no more; I was physically exhausted and emotionally deflated. I was advised to sleep and knew I needed focus for the next day. The Torchmate crew took charge and with the help of VORRA Racing and unknown others, stayed up all night and made repairs. Without a doubt, we owe them the race. I woke at 6am to find a functional truck and a chance to finish. Bill reported from the Reno hospital that Greg’s condition, while serious, had stabilized. A new logistic plan was hastily made as everyone fought fatigue. Nick and I soon dropped the hammer as the final leg of the race began. Only a couple miles from the start we battled hundreds of trucks in the biggest silt bed I have ever seen. The temperature of the engine started to rise and seemed to find no limit. We had no choice but to stop and let it cool once it reached 255 degrees. Despite having the finest synthetic AMSOIL lubricant, we needed the engine to last through the race. After a time we tried to push on but were hopelessly locked in the powdery silt. The feeling of helplessness descended on me and we began to dig out. Luck was with us though and an official with a 4wd offered to help. He first pulled us out and then gave us a bump from the back to get moving. We were off again!

Finish Line

Over the next 150 miles, I found great joy in the chance to drive in such an epic race. The desire to push the truck to the limit was in me but as quickly as I sped up, Nick slowed me down. It is critical to remember the length of the race and save the truck. We did our job and I yielded my seat to Bill, who made the early morning trek to Pit 5 from Reno. With only 150 miles to go he ran fast and clean. So fast, in fact, that he beat the chase trucks to the finish line. 996 brutal miles! The truck and the team were physically and emotionally exhausted but overjoyed to complete the race. I was really pleased to see Greg Jones rejoin the team at the finish. Diagnosed with a cracked vertebrae and cracked sternum he was discharged from the hospital and in good spirits. To finish this race is a victory and given our struggles, it was an emotional one. We later would find that we finished 4^th in the 7200 class, and 63^rd overall. All things considered, no one could complain!

As the Torchmate team recovers and repairs, we now look forward to the Primm 300 (provided #7231 can be repaired in time) and the XRRA National Finals in Colorado Springs, CO Sept. 19^th where Roger and I will each race for the title that we jointly held only one year ago. Stay tuned as the 2009 Torchmate Racing campaign rolls on!

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GREENVILLE, S.C. – Feb. 23, 2009 – As the official tire of the second annual King of the Hammers, BFGoodrich® Tires looks to secure its second straight victory in Johnson Valley, Calif. on Friday, February 27. In 2008, BFGoodrich enjoyed capturing the top two podium positions in the ultimate off-road event.

Roger and Brad Lovell at King of the Hammers

This year’s King of the Hammers has nearly quadrupled in popularity with more than 150 drivers competing for 92 spots. The 100-mile course includes some of rock crawling’s most technical courses combined with wide-open off-road racing. More than 60 drivers will compete in a last chance qualifier that will take place on the infamous two-mile loop in Johnson Valley, Calif. known as the “Backdoor.” The last chance qualifier will take place on Thursday, February 26 and fill the remaining 10 spots.

For the second year straight, BFGoodrich teams will compete on a variety of tires, including the BFGoodrich Krawler™ T/A®KX tire and a newly redesigned BFGoodrich Baja T/A®KRT tire, which is a combination of the Baja T/A and Krawler designed specifically for rock racing and King of the Hammers.

“Similar to the Baja 1000, we believe King of the Hammers is a great platform for showcasing BFGoodrich Tires’ support of off-road racing and rock crawling,” said Frank DeAngelo, off-road motorsports manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “This year’s King of the Hammers is going to be one of the toughest courses that off-road racing has ever seen with two very different types of terrain. BFGoodrich Tires takes pride in providing specialized race tires such as the BFGoodrich Baja T/AKRT tire to respond to specific types of terrain. The technology we learn through motorsports is transferred directly to the tires, and this race is the ultimate.”

Last year, Shannon Campbell took the checkered flag after starting 43rd out of 44 total racers. Campbell, who raced on BFGoodrich Krawler T/AKX tires in 2008, will begin the 2009 race in the 65th position. Casey Currie, who finished second overall on BFGoodrich Krawler T/AKX tires, will begin in the 35th position.

Along with Campbell and Currie, other drivers to watch out for are the Lovell brothers, Brad and Roger, who will be driving in separate rigs. Roger looks to improve on his 17th place finish from 2008. Additional drivers to follow are Dean Bulloch, who finished eighth overall in 2008, and Tracy Jordan and Jason Scherer, who with both be driving new vehicles in 2009. Other notables include Jason Paulie and Joachim Schwiesow of Rock Runner Racing, 2008 W.E. Rock Pro Modified National Champion Derek West, female driver Nicole Johnson and Jeff Mello, who will kick off the event by starting first overall.

In addition to being the official tire for the race, BFGoodrich Tires will be lending pit and communications support to teams through its fleet of off-road motorsports vehicles. This immense undertaking involves more than 40 off-road enthusiasts and volunteers who donate their time to help King of the Hammers live up to its “ultimate desert race” status.
BFGoodrich Tires is also proud to be hosting an on-site media/hospitality area during the event. Located immediately opposite from tech and contingency and within close proximity of the start/finish, the hospitality area will serve as place for media to cover the race while enjoying complimentary snacks and beverages. Real-time race tracking and updates provided by RallyTrack.com will also be available at the media/hospitality area. Event officials and supporting sponsors will post press information and results for use in developing stories during the race.
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 30 years, BFGoodrich Tires is involved in every type of racing, including oval, sports car, drifting, drag, desert, dirt, rally, and extreme rock-crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Tires online at www.bfgoodrichtires.com