XRRA National Championship Crown for Team Lovell at RAM Off-Road Park in Colorado
- 1 Oct 2007
The RAM Off-Road Park at Colorado Springs, Colorado hosted the XRRA (Xtreme
Off--Road Rock Racing) National
Championship. The top 32 rock racers from across the United States competed for
the crown over the weekend.
Roger Lovell with the checkered flag after his big win
Driver Roger Lovell did not disappoint his hometown crowd and raced his
Alloy USA Ford Ranger with K&N Engineering products to victory. “This was a huge
win for the team,” said co-driver Brad Lovell. “Roger has had a tough first
season but earned every bit of this win.”
Team Lovell at RAM Off-Road Park in Colorado Springs
Roger Lovell is a veteran spotter and co-driver. This was his first season
behind the wheel for Team Lovell. The team dealt with mechanical problems in
three out of four races during the 2007 season and barely qualified for the
finals. “To top it off, we drew the first starting position,” said Lovell.
“Things did not start off so well in what turned out to be one of the most
unique races of the season.”
The green flag dropped on what most competitors called the best rock racing course of the season. There were jumps, climbs and side hills to challenge the teams. Team Lovell decided to take a risky strategy. “We played everything conservative,” said Lovell. “The course was tough enough and the jumps were big. We knew people were going to be breaking down and hope to win by driving smart.”
The pair was not the fastest on any single course during the day, but they were extremely consistent. As the final round started, the Alloy USA Ranger with K&N products was in third place, only two seconds ahead of defending champion Shannon Campbell.
“We decided not to change our tactics which put us in the finals,” said Lovell. “We wanted to lay it all on the line because we knew how fast Shannon can go, but after a lot of thought we were going to make sure we finished.”
The Lovell strategy paid off. Campbell hit a banner while landing a jump and ended up wedged in a notch. The second place qualifier suffered a similar fate after his steering went out. With one race left, Team Lovell had a lock on second place if they finished within the time limit.
“We narrowly escaped the rock notch without rolling and carefully, but quickly crossed the finish line,” said Lovell. “We were rewarded when the last runner of the day and race leader Brian Shirley ruined a rear axle housing as he landed a triple jump. We were the only team to finish all the courses.”
The Lovell Racing crew went wild with the win and started celebrating immediately. Roger paraded the checkered flag through his hometown crowd before claiming the XRRA National Championship Cup.
“We didn’t have the fastest single time, but we ran the smartest race,” he said. “There is a lot of silt and fine dust on these courses,” said Lovell. “K&N Filters keep the debris out of our engines and our sensors do not clog up. There is also a slight taper to give us the clearance and flexibility we need to get this kind of win.”
Brad Lovell will race the Fabtech Ford Ranger at the UROC Rockcross October 6 and 7 in the Off-Road Expo at Pomona, California.
Follow Team Lovell throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
Roger Lovell with the checkered flag after his big win
Team Lovell at RAM Off-Road Park in Colorado Springs
The green flag dropped on what most competitors called the best rock racing course of the season. There were jumps, climbs and side hills to challenge the teams. Team Lovell decided to take a risky strategy. “We played everything conservative,” said Lovell. “The course was tough enough and the jumps were big. We knew people were going to be breaking down and hope to win by driving smart.”
The pair was not the fastest on any single course during the day, but they were extremely consistent. As the final round started, the Alloy USA Ranger with K&N products was in third place, only two seconds ahead of defending champion Shannon Campbell.
“We decided not to change our tactics which put us in the finals,” said Lovell. “We wanted to lay it all on the line because we knew how fast Shannon can go, but after a lot of thought we were going to make sure we finished.”
The Lovell strategy paid off. Campbell hit a banner while landing a jump and ended up wedged in a notch. The second place qualifier suffered a similar fate after his steering went out. With one race left, Team Lovell had a lock on second place if they finished within the time limit.
“We narrowly escaped the rock notch without rolling and carefully, but quickly crossed the finish line,” said Lovell. “We were rewarded when the last runner of the day and race leader Brian Shirley ruined a rear axle housing as he landed a triple jump. We were the only team to finish all the courses.”
The Lovell Racing crew went wild with the win and started celebrating immediately. Roger paraded the checkered flag through his hometown crowd before claiming the XRRA National Championship Cup.
“We didn’t have the fastest single time, but we ran the smartest race,” he said. “There is a lot of silt and fine dust on these courses,” said Lovell. “K&N Filters keep the debris out of our engines and our sensors do not clog up. There is also a slight taper to give us the clearance and flexibility we need to get this kind of win.”
Brad Lovell will race the Fabtech Ford Ranger at the UROC Rockcross October 6 and 7 in the Off-Road Expo at Pomona, California.
Follow Team Lovell throughout the racing season at the K&N news site. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
