COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO --

The roots of rock crawling began for the Lovell brothers in the mountains of Colorado more than 16 years ago, when they began camping and wheeling with their parents at a very young age. “We simply liked to get out in the mountains and have fun with our friends and family,” said Roger, the eldest of the two. Although surrounded by such an environmental advantage, they never took it for granted. The brothers seemed to grasp early on the concept one must make the most of what is offered to you. Take the fact their father bought their first wheeling vehicles – a Bronco II for Roger, and later a Ford Ranger for Brad. The deal was their dad would buy the first, but after that, they were on their own. As their main modes of transportation for outdoor fun and school, it was crucial the brothers learned to respect what the mountain terrain could do to a vehicle, and to also realize they must rely on their skills to fix any broken-down problem. These early days of trial-and-error learning both in the garage and mountains are what most likely led to their championship success, mutual careers in engineering, involvement with a Colorado-based trail preservation organization Stay the Trail, and an overall humbling attitude toward it all.

Competitive rock crawling was “always on our radar,” as Roger puts it, but the commitment was officially made at the first Supercrawl in Farmington, New Mexico – not as competitors, but as a couple of brothers who took a gamble by purchasing a Dana 60 front and rear end for Brad’s Ranger at the event. “Now we had money involved in it,” said Brad. Competition up to that point was something they always wanted to do, but didn’t have the financial resources or a good enough reason – the fact the Ranger needed a new transmission also served in their twist of fate. “It was an opportunity to step forward or step sideways,” said Brad. “We didn’t know what is was all about, but we knew we had to be a part of it,” added Roger. They began rebuilding the Ford Ranger, and the rest is history:

Team Lovell Rock Racing Results

2004 Season (First season as a team) – UROC Extreme West Series Modified Champions; 2nd place Modified Supercrawl III
2005 Season – UROC Pro Modified Champions; 2nd place XRRA Colorado Springs; Supercrawl IV Championship

The brothers knew given the right vehicle, they could be competitive. They both certainly didn’t expect what appears to be overnight success, and were a bit apprehensive. “We were forced into going pro,” states Roger, in reference to their first year. “We were pretty intimidated at first. Just knowing you are running now with people who are considered pros is hard to grasp. We were comfortable in the Extreme series.” But Roger and Brad focused very hard on performance and image; two of team Lovell’s biggest assets. “Our goal is to do more for our sponsors than we initially promise them,” said Roger.

Perhaps the hardest road they have taken is the one to gaining sponsorship, which didn’t come easy or feel any more comfortable for the brothers who are both soft-spoken and engineers by trade. “It’s been hard to teach ourselves to be salesmen, which is what you have to do,” said Roger. They began their quest to get paid for what they love by simply listening to what other teams had to stay about sponsorship. Roger gives credit to Brad, who is good at picking up the phone and just calling the person he thinks has something to offer. “It’s an awful lot like looking for a job,” said Roger. “You put together a resume and negotiate a salary. The more sponsors, and the bigger the sponsors, the more difficult things become.” It is a combination of values, luck and hard work that seals their deals. “We try to be honest and sell what we really are,” said Roger. “Sometimes it is being in the right place at the right time, and sometimes it is doing a lot of pushing.”

And winning -- how much did the Ford deal hinge on their UROC Pro Modified Championship win? “A good bit of it did hinge on the win,” admits Roger. “Ford wanted to be involved with someone who is winning, someone who is consistent.” However, the negotiations did start beforehand with that call from Brad, who once again, got a name and contact and pitched his ideas to his Ford a contact, someone who had never even heard of the sport.

The Fabtech deal started out as a name Brad had on a wish list of people he thought would be interested in supporting the team’s endeavors. “I look at companies involved in other forms of off-road activities, or companies that make products that might be applicable to rock crawling,” said Brad. “One in a dozen might be interested. Obviously it pays off somehow, somewhere. Put the bug in someone’s ear and come back a year later.”

Lovell Rock Racing Sponsors

• Fabtech Motorsports
• Ford Motorsports
• BF Goodrich
• Art Carr Performance Products
• Amsoil
• Alloy USA
• PSC Motorsports
• Poly Performance

With their skills, track record and support, it would seem team Lovell would be rolling in the dough. Roger speaks openly and honestly about whether or not the money is coming in with the resent surge of sponsorship activity. “We can’t quit our day jobs,” Roger stated. “But it is to a point where I think there is room. The sponsorship we have supports our team and supports our season, and we couldn’t be where we are without them. But we still have to watch every dime.” Based on the experience they have thus far, do the Lovell brothers really think sponsorship can eventually support their team as well as many others? “Maybe a couple years out,” said Roger, evenly. “If someone can nail sponsorship outside the industry, like Target, that’s when the sport will grow. Then it will no longer be a backyard sport.”

An advantage the Lovells have when it comes to competing, aside of the fact they are brothers, is that they can do a lot of the building themselves. This strengthens their knowledge of what the rig can do as well as what one another can do as competitors. “We have a chance to work together; working on the course is one thing, working on the rig is another. We get to know every little in and out of the vehicle.”

2006 Fabtech Ford Ranger

• Fabricator: Roger and Brad Lovell
• Tires: 37” BF Goodrich Krawler TA
• Engine: Ford 5.0L H.O.
• Transmission: Art Carr C4 “shorty”
• Transfer Case: 4.3 Atlas II
• Steering: PSC High Performance Ram Assist
• Winch: Warn 9.0R front / Warn 1.5ci rear
• Front/Rear Axels: Lovell Rock Racing Dana 60’s front and rear with Alloy USA axels
• Front/Rear Lockers: Detroit Locker front / ARB Air Locker rear

Lovell Rock Racing doesn’t have plans to jump class ships and start building a buggie for Super Modified. “We feel the future is in the Modified class,” stated Roger. “There is more room for selling, more identity. A fan needs to look up and be able to say ‘hey, that is a Toyota’ or a Ford or whatever. When it comes to moon buggies, a typical fan might think they are all the same. You can develop a fan base and a favorite with Modified.”

When asked if Roger thinks there is a bias of interest between Modified and Super Modified, he states the biasness is “simply because of the name.” He feels the name Super Modified implies a step above, which isn’t necessarily the case. “The Modified class has proven several times this year we can do the same thing, and sometimes do it better. Super Modified has more technology, at least at this point. We are working on bringing that tech over to the Modified class.”

However, Brad and Roger are not apprehensive about trying out new things, as they did when they competed in their first XRRA rock racing event in Colorado Springs this past year. Roger jokingly refers to that event as “a learning experience,” despite the 2nd place winning. As a spotter, he discovered there was more to it than just hanging on. “I had to tell Brad to slow down,” he said. “I had to work the transfer case, look ahead, tell him what was coming up on the course and when to make a turn.” Roger reflects on the competition side of things. “It gets in your blood,” he said thoughtfully. “Once you do a competition, you have so much fun, if there is one going on you could be a part of, you don’t feel right not being there.”

And if the sponsorship increased, would they be willing to take their extreme motorsports experience out of the rock crawling arena and into other dirt sports? “Brad and I have always dreamed about being in the Baja. But to completely ditch rock crawling? I don’t know; our blood is in the rocks. We never really considered ourselves that competitive. In real life, day-to-day, we aren’t. Rock crawling is where it changes.”

However, both site fun, hope and dedication as necessary attributes to making it in the sport. “You don’t have to go out with the expectations of beating people every time,” said Brad. Roger backs this up by mentioning if you are not having a good time, it’s not worth it.

This is coming from two guys who spent their first-ever event and first-ever course spinning wheels for eight minutes in a precarious position on the rocks in St. George, Utah, with no idea what to do next. “What a way to begin our rock crawling career,” lamented Brad. “Once you get past that first-time excitement and nervousness, you can concentrate on doing what you need to do to become a competitor.”