Terribles Town 250 in Primm, Nevada Huge Desert Off Road Race

In the Terrible’s Town 250 Race at Primm, Nevada Brad Lovell watched a trail of dust rise ten miles away from where he was standing in Pit No. 2. The 250 is called the Richest Off-Road Race in Nevada because off-roaders consider it the jewel of desert off road racing.

The so called Richest Road Race in Nevada is the Terrible's Town 250 Race, photo by Chad Jock Photography
The so called Richest Road Race in Nevada is the Terrible's Town 250 Race, photo by Chad Jock Photography

Brad Lovell and his Torchmate Teammate did not see a boulder buried in silt and knocked out a front suspension link, photo by Chad Jock Photography
Brad Lovell and his Torchmate Teammate did not see a boulder buried in silt and knocked out a front suspension link, photo by Chad Jock Photography
“This is my third desert race,” said Lovell. “I am still awestruck by the power, violence and danger of these machines. Anyone other than a fighter pilot would be shocked at the sight of an unlimited desert truck screaming through the terrain.”
Torchmate Desert Truck surrounded by a plume of dust on the 250 mile off road course in Nevada, photo by Chad Jock Photography
Torchmate Desert Truck surrounded by a plume of dust on the 250 mile off road course in Nevada, photo by Chad Jock Photography


Brad Lovell is getting ready for the SCORE Baja 500 and a WE Rock race in Cedar City, Utah, photo by Chad Jock Photography
Brad Lovell is getting ready for the SCORE Baja 500 and a WE Rock race in Cedar City, Utah, photo by Chad Jock Photography

The 250 mile course is intense. “Our Torchmate Teammates started the race and the 19 starters in our class were spread out over the first few miles,” he said. “We could feel the tension in the pits. I caught sight of the leader as the truck floated over bumps like a hovercraft. The truck lurched sideways suddenly but the driver never let off the throttle. He got it straight again and shot by us at well over 100 mph. The roar of the engine was deafening and the top layer of dirt and rocks pelted our pit trucks over twenty feet away.”

Lovell said he fidgeted for the next three hours waiting for his leg of the race like a little boy at Christmas. “I felt the excitement and all sensibility left,” he said.

Finally they blasted out of the pits into the desert. A mile later they passed by a $400,000 pile of burnt rubble. A few hours before it was a high end race truck. “There were no camera crews, no fire personnel and no tow truck,” said Lovell. “There was just a defeated former off-road truck smoking in the sun, and a reflection of the seriousness of desert racing.”

Lovell and teammate Bill Koontz continued on, weaving through the sand washes and bouncing over the whoops. They reached speeds of more than 101 mph until one huge bolder buried in silt jarred their truck. “We felt a strong vibration and heard the sound of metal on metal,” said Lovell. “We had a broken front suspension link. We went another 55 miles on a loose and clanking wheel and still managed an 8th place finish.”

Brad Lovell believes in K&N products. “These serious courses require the filtration K&N filters provide,” he said. “K&N protects our engines on these tough desert courses.”

The Torchmate Ranger is getting repaired for the upcoming SCORE Baja 500. In the meantime Lovell will head back to the rocks for Round 2 of WE Rock in Cedar City, Utah on May 2.

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