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Lovell Rock Racing press release
Team Lovell has come out of the gates strong by putting the FABTECH Ford Ranger in the winner?s circle at the first stop in the 2006 UROC Pro National Pacific Series. The Phoenix, AZ heat was intense and competitive pressure high amongst the 17 entrants battling for victory in the Super Truck Class. It was a win for more than the Lovells, as off-season changes made by UROC resulted in an outstanding event.
New this year to UROC are rule changes designed to make for a safer, more entertaining event. Gone are the spotter straps that were used to steady vehicles. UROC has also tightened the rules for driving. Vehicles are now disqualified if more than one tire passes outside a set of cones. Also making it more challenging for competitors is a reduction in allowed course time from 7 minutes to 6 minutes. Lastly, UROC rockcrawling is now run in an elimination format. All teams run 6 courses, the top 12 then move on to semi-finals, then the top 4 move to the final round. The significant changes to the sport were a risk but seem to have been well met by the teams and fans alike. ?All of a sudden our sport is a little bit more like racing,? commented team driver Brad Lovell, ?Impact speeds, heat buildup, and split second decisions are a lot more of a factor.?
The team was quick to give credit for the win to support during the off-season. ?We have not had time to go through every part on the Ranger. It is a huge benefit to rely on a company like Art Carr Performance for an unbreakable transmission. They deal with it, we just install it and count on it to work.? The FABTECH sponsored Ford Ranger weaved and twisted its way through 10 unforgiving, demanding, and fast paced rockcrawling courses with little more than sweat on its brow.
Team spotter Roger Lovell described additional endurance, ?In the 103 degree heat of the day, the fan fuse blew and the motor reached almost 260 degrees before we were finished course #4. It sure made us glad we had AMSOIL in everything.?
Regardless of the quality of the Ranger, teamwork is an essential element to winning. The highlight of the event came when the brothers found themselves on a -20 point bonus line in the finals. Brad described the action, ?I could not see anything. The Ranger was nearly standing on the rear bumper and each inch forward pitched it uncomfortably to the left. I just listened to Roger and watched the BFGoodrich tires grip because I sure was not going to look down!? The team flawlessly executed this bonus that rejected many Super-modified ?moonbuggies? earlier in the day.
Keep watch as the excitement continues in only two weeks when the UROC Pro Pacific Series stops in Cedar City, UT May 25th ? 27th.
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