Veteran off-road driver Brad Lovell has been a proud member of #TeamAMSOIL since 2005. His incredible versatility has been showcased across various disciplines including numerous rock-crawling championships, Ultra 4 titles, short-course victories and off-road racing wins. After two decades, Lovell has proven himself to be one of the most successful and versatile off-road racers in history.
Lovell entered his first rock-crawling competition in 2004 and quickly climbed to the top of the sport. The championship-winning rock crawler adapted to win championships in Ultra 4, short-course and off-road desert racing. In all, Lovell has amassed nine season championships and over 35 race victories. In 2012, he was named Dirt Sports Racer of the Year.
Into Trophy Trucks
Lovell has taken that versatility into trophy trucks, taking to the desert to compete in events like the Mint 400 and Baja 500. In 2020, Lovell claimed the Every Man Challenge title at King of the Hammers, a grueling test of skill and endurance that solidified his status as one of the best in the sport.
Lovell officially assumed legend status in 2022 when he was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. The prestigious recognition celebrated his nearly two decades of excellence and contributions to off-road racing and further cemented his legacy in the motorsports community.
But the moniker didn’t put Lovell into retirement mode, not even close. Lovell hasn’t lost his drive, and his list of victories continues to grow.
Across the Australian Outback
In 2024, Lovell drove his Ford Ranger Raptor through Australia’s remote and rugged terrain from Alice Springs to Aputula to the top of the podium, securing a Production 4WD Class victory at the Finke Desert Race.
Shortly after his victory in the land down under, Lovell and his brother Roger Lovell made headlines at the NORRA 1000. Driving the Ford Bronco DR – a purpose-built desert race truck developed by Ford Performance and Multimatic – to win their class and finish an impressive 15th place overall. The victory marked the competitive debut of the Bronco DR and highlighted Lovell’s ability to adapt to new challenges and technologies.
With nine season championships and over 35 race victories under his belt, Lovell is a legendary figure in off-road racing. His recent success with the Bronco DR proves that he is still at the top of his game, continually pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation in the sport. Fans can look forward to more thrilling stories from this legendary driver as he continues to compete and inspire future generations of racers.
Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame
Lovell was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2022, days after winning the stock class at the Ultra4 finals to take the season championship with his family as crew.
Build for Off Road Adventure Ride
Lovell joined the Build for Off Road Adventure Ride. His love of off-road started with family trips in a pop-up camper pulled by his dad’s Bronco in the Colorado Rockies.
Family Broncos
Brad Lovell and his brother Roger grew up in Colorado Springs, Colo., camping and off-roading in the family’s 1983 and 1988 Ford Broncos. Their 2006 Ford Ranger debuted at the first King of the Hammers and has won rock crawls, hill climbs and desert races.
Video transcript: Company of Enthusiasts: We’re Into Off-Road Adventure
I’m Brad Lovell. I’m into off-road adventure. We’re here at my house and shop in Colorado Springs. My brother and I built this shop about 16 years ago, and it’s where we house our racing.
I was born and raised here in Colorado Springs. My family in the summer went up into the mountains camping and off-roading, and my brother and I always wanted my dad to go further. He had a Bronco*, and we had a pop-up trailer. He never wanted to go up the rough roads, and it really drove my brother and I to want to go explore more.
So he turned 16. He got a Bronco II. I turned 16; I got a Ranger. And then it was on.
You know, we’re going all these different places and challenging ourselves. And we turned my daily driver, my Ranger, into a competition rock crawler and went out, went to the first rock crawl and we won it. So we went to the next one and we won it. So then it’s like then I knew.
This is what I was cut out to be. And, you know, honestly, there’s not a whole lot of looking back. This guy is what kind of started it all. This is our 2006 Ford* Ranger.
And about the only thing that’s stock left on it is the gas pedal. We debuted it at the first King of the Hammers. We’ve won rock crawls, hill climbs, desert races, King of the Hammers, all kinds of stuff with this truck. I’ve done lots of different types of off-road racing.
We got our start in rock crawling. In maybe 2008 is when King of the Hammers started. And those opportunities, in turn, gave us a chance to go to Baja, and Baja has just a magical place in my heart. I think there’s nothing better.
I want to finish my career racing our classic Bronco down there in Baja. This is our 1968 Ford Bronco. The idea of this is to have something classic, stylish, fun, see what it was like racing 20, 30, maybe even 40 years ago. All the suspension geometry is still original.
It can definitely be a handful to drive this thing. Short wheelbase, high center of gravity, and it has a Roush 427. It’s about 550 horsepower. We’ve topped it out at 117 which is faster than a lot of more capable desert vehicles out there.
The only thing is you’ve got to look pretty far ahead because you’ve got to get it shut down before you hit any type of little bump. Baja has silt holes, rocks, beaches, forests, mountains. It’s really amazing, and it’s kind of been the focus of where I want to go for the last six or so years. So my goal this year is to go win in SPEC Trophy Truck 6100.
Racing a Bronco, we’re a limited class car. It’s a lot different than what a SPEC trophy truck can do out there. This is a Geyser SPEC trophy truck. This thing is the real deal.
You can go unbelievably fast in these things across the desert. You can hit bumps so hard I cannot explain to you how much fun it is. I’m definitely an introvert. I’ve always been that way, and it makes me very driven to be competitive.
But I’m not one that’s necessarily going to brag about the things I’ve done. So from a day-to-day standpoint being an introvert in racing makes it difficult because it’s hard to call and brag about myself and embellish stories. To me, a story is a story, and the facts have to fit. But I do think that that helps from being authentic in nature also, which is what Lovell Racing is about.
And I think being authentic fits with AMSOIL too. AMSOIL makes absolute quality products. And the reason I want to identify with AMSOIL is because they’re authentic and quality and dedicated to people. It wouldn’t be possible for me to race at all without a support network, and my wife Natalie has always come out to the races and cooked and helped.
And my boys Adam and Byam have, back since they were, you know, just learning to walk, come out to short course races. And they’re out there learning and being part of a community. What I want for them to find in life is the same passion that I’ve found out of racing. I hope that’s racing, and I hope I can give them a hand along the way to get there.
But I think ultimately what’s going to drive them day over day to be happy in life is picking their own passion. Racing is something that takes all of you. I spend all my work time thinking about racing and all my free time thinking about racing. We’ve found a way to make it work, and it’s right there in our face all the time.
But it’s kind of really what we’re about, and it’s a family mission.
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Brad Nelson is an AMSOIL Technical Writer II who develops content about lubricant technology, product performance and vehicle maintenance. He works with engineers and product specialists to translate testing, application requirements and approved performance claims into clear customer guidance. Nelson’s work includes AMSOIL Blog articles, AMSOIL Magazine features and technical explanations concerning motor oils, gear lubricants, vehicle systems and maintenance practices.
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