Feature
 
From Rookies to Champions in a Single Season
October 31, 2005

Brad Lovell went from rock-crawling rookie to champion in his first season of competition. Running on BFGoodrich® Krawler™ T/A®KX tires, Lovell, with his brother Roger spotting, won four out of four UROC events to win the 2004 Extreme West Modified Stock Class Championship on BFGoodrich Krawler T/AKX tires.

For the 2005 season, Brad and Roger Lovell, based in Colorado Springs, rebuilt their vehicle, to move up to the UROC Pro Modified Series. Same tires. Same result. The dynamic duo captured the Pro Modified Series crown.

"The modified class requires two seats side-by-side and an engine in front," says Brad Lovell, whose modified racer started life as a 1988 Ford Ranger. "I think the headlight bezels are the only original pieces left. We run a 302 V8, and for 2005, we got a C4 transmission modified for rock-crawling with a short adaptor on the back."

The shorter adaptor allowed Brad and Roger to move the engine rearward and lower it, achieving a lower center of gravity for better control. "We also made the front end smaller for better visibility," says Brad, "and tightened the front suspension."

Brad attributes their success to the fact that as designers and builders, the brothers can go out and practice, and then change the vehicle as they see the need.

"Because we built it ourselves, we can put more hours into tailoring it into exactly what we want," says Brad. Brad says that in rock-crawling, engine horsepower (their 302 V8 only puts out 220 HP) is less critical than lightness, structural strength and proper weight distribution.

"The more weight you shed from your vehicle (their car weighs about 3000 pounds), the more freedom you have in distributing it for optimum stability and control," Brad says. "A lot of teams are winning with smaller engines—four cylinder and six cylinder engines. For 2006, we're going to try to lighten the engine and put in a new rear axle and improve the front end so we can turn sharper."

BFGoodrich® Krawler™ tires are an essential part of the winning formula. Says Brad:

"The quality of BFGoodrich competition tires shows up in the results: people finishing in the top are running BFGs. People running BFGs are going to do better, because the tires are better."

Visit Lovell Rock Racing online at lovellrockracing.com.

*BFGoodrich® tires are the World's Toughest Off-Road Tires™, winning nearly 75% of major off-road competitions from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005.
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