After 116 miles of brutal racecourse in Johnson Valley, California, Brad Lovell crossed the finish line first in Hammertown to take the win in the Smittybilt Everyman Challenge today.
Lovell was the first car across the line and also the the first 4800 Legends class to complete the race. Lovell was one of 48 drivers in the class, with a record 108 total entries in the Smittybilt Everyman Challenge. Lovell’s stiffest competition on the course came from Jesse Combs, who came off the line first this morning. Combs maintained the physical lead for the first half of the race, but Lovell was able to pass her and hold onto the lead in spite of a shredded left front tire he nursed over the final few miles.
Combs crossed the finish line second, though two-time King of the Hammers Champion Randy Slawson, who came in just behind her, will earn second overall on corrected time (Combs started at the front and Slawson came off the line much further back in the pack). Combs appears to have earned the win in the Stock Modified class, and the fourth vehicle across the line, Jordan Pellegrino, sits in second in the class. Official results are still pending from Ultra4 officials.
Lovell had a strong lead ahead of both Combs and Slawson, and with an unofficial time of 4 hours, 30 minutes, barring a major penalty it looks as though he’ll take home the win in the Smittybilt Everyman Challenge.
“We were definitely dicing it up with Jesse out there,” Lovell said. “We kept reeling her in. I think she missed a turn on a sand hill and we blew by her there, and then she was trailing us pretty good. She came in behind us when we were winching there. Boy, Roger was working as fast as he could to get back in the car because I didn’t want her to catch us, and we saw her there for a while trailing us, and then we got out in the desert on the lake bed there and didn’t see her.”
The biggest surprise for Lovell came at the finish line, however, as he was unaware they were the first car across the line.
“No kidding! I didn’t know we were first,” Lovell said. “Ha, that’s great. That’s awesome. So we’re first across the line? That’s awesome!”
For more on the Smittybilt Everyman Challenge or to see full coverage of King of the Hammers week, check out our coverage page and the live feed of the races here.
Results – Smittybilt Everyman Challenge
Overall
1. Brad Lovell (Class 4800) 4:30:18
2. Randy Slawson (Class 4800) 4:49:40
3. Jessi Combs (Class 4500) 5:01:38
4. Jordan Pellegrino (Class 4500) 5:03:12
5. Kent Fults (Class 4800) 5:03:46
6. Jason Fish (Class 4800) 5:31:17
7. Jason Oneal (Class 4800) 5:55:46
8. Brandon Heyes (Class 4500) 6:06:41
9. Kyle Jade Wickham (Class 4800) 6:07:57
10. Dave Schneider (Class 4800) 6:11:14
11. Rick Waterbury (Class 4800) 6:13:04
12. Eric Brinker (Class 4800) 6:16:01
13. Kevin Rants (Class 4500) 6:29:11
Legends
1. Brad Lovell
2. Randy Slawson
3. Kent Fults
4. Jason Fish
5. Jason Oneal
6. Kyle Jade Wickham
7. Dave Schneider
8. Rick Waterbury
9. Eric Brinker
Stock Modified
1. Jesse Combs
2. Jordan Pellegrino
3. Brandon Heyes
4. Kevin Rants
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