"Mike Lovell has always wanted to be a motor mechanic ever since the tender age of 14. He worked hard and built his experience, eventually joining Brookspeed in 2005.
He quickly established himself as a vital member of the team in his position of Workshop Manager & Race Engineer, and thought nothing of working through the night if an engine needed rebuilding. He had a warm and engaging personality, and was able to form a rapport with Brookspeed customers – often going that extra mile to ensure that he provided the service they came to expect. He was always keen to learn and grow his vast knowledge, and could pretty much turn his hand to any engine – anything from a humble generator, up to supercars and powerboats.
When the opportunity arose for him to be involved in amatuer racing he embraced it whole-heartedly, jumping at the chance to pilot the boat. He loved every second of it – living his dream.
Mike was very popular and much loved by his colleagues and his peers in the motor racing community. He touched the lives of many during his short time, and we all feel stunned at his loss. There is nothing that can salve this great sadness, and love and thoughts go to his family and friends.
Mike, I miss you immeasurably.
Martin Braybrook
Brookspeed
Since the incident in Weymouth, the powerboat racing community has united in grief to express its sadness at the loss of Mike Lovell and to send us their heartfelt tributes.
A most sincere thank you for all the messages. Our thoughts remain with Mike's family and friends, and we will ensure that his family receive all your messages.
If you would like to add your words below they will be incorporated into a book of condolence and passed to Mike's family.
If you would like to add a message on this page. Please use the form below.
Mike,
Since I and the Mission Motorsport Team joined P1 Superstock racing at the start of the season, you were nothing but friendly, welcoming and always ready to lend a hand or support. You typified the best qualities of a powerboat racer - competitive, yet sportsmanlike and a real gentlemen.
You will be sorely, sorely missed by us all and we can but aspire to match your qualities and character in our own lives.
God bless for a speedy journey to a peaceful harbour.
Nige Hindmarsh
Nigel Hindmarsh
London
Mike,
I don't really know what to say mate, I am completely lost for words!
You've been a great friend to me and you've always been there when ive I needed you.
I'm honoured to have been a part of your life, it was never a dull moment from having a sneaky burger king to trying to keep up with you down the lanes.
I don't know what to do with myself now your gone, I feel lost.
I will cherish my memories forever.
Till we meet again, never slow down.
Matt. X
Matthew Pratt
Hedge end
Mike
I remember the time when we were at your mums house and she had just brought the new roller ball dyson, I remember me and you testing it out in the front room and I hoovered something up and it made a nasty noise... You told your mum I broke it and she was gonna slap me, Thanks for that mate
You will never be forgotten as you have made such a strong impact on so many peoples lifes, Make sure you race up there mate and sleep tight, You were a good man
Ricky
Southampton
Extremely Saddened to hear of your great loss Tracy; from one of your childhood friends Penny Street - god bless you and all your family xxx
penny moore
Southampton
Mike
You were a great person to know and I have some good memories of you.
I will never forget the day you jumped out on me when I came to take kids out, I jumped out my skin and you found that highly amusing.. haha
Also the time when you helped fit the yale lock on my front door and within a week it was off because I lost the key and had to kick the door in.. you also found that amusing.
You were one of the good guys who had a big heart for all that knew you.
Such a sad loss R.I.P and sweet dreams xxxx
Kerry
Southampton
Fond memories of Mike, a happy fun loving, easy going, likeable friend, who always had a smile. We had lots of happy times with the racing and on the road together, lots of shared meals and always a joke. You will be missed.
Rest in peace, from Irene & John.
Irene & John Elkin
Southampton
Knowing Mike as a young man when he joined Southampton Sea Cadets, he very quickly showed his talent for all things that moved on the water. Even from an early age if you gave Mike a boat of any variety he could with in about an hour show his boat handling skills.
Whether it be Power Boating, Sailing or Kayaking, Mike loved them all striving to get better, go further, and gain the next qualification.
A very practical guy Mike gave up many hours to maintain the Unit boats no matter what the weather. Always smiling and with a cheerful outlook Mike just got on with the tasks as they were presented.
There are many of us still at Southampton Sea Cadets and in the wider Sea Cadet Community, who are proud to had the chance to serve alongside Mike and watch him develop in to the guy that so many people loved and respected, he will be missed by all the members of the corps past and present that knew him, Mike will always hold a special place with in the history of the Sea Cadets of Southampton.
On behalf of all the Sea Cadets
Lt (SCC) Mark Lampert RNR
Commanding Officer
Southampton Sea Cadet Unit
Mark Lampert
Southampton
Mike,
It was about 9 years ago when I was first lucky enough to be introduced to the charming, sweet, kind and friendly man Michael you were. You were always a happy, smiling man who strived so hard to be the best at all you committed yourself too. We had many good times together as friends and as a couple. You left so many good memories with so many people, which alone speaks volumes about the truely wonderful man you are. I feel privileged to have spent special moments with you recently and am thankful for the time we had together, I will never forget who you!!
My deepest thoughts and condolences go out to all who knew him but especially his lovely family of who he cared so much for, and then to his friends. He is a true loss to so many and I, like so many, am devestated by the loss of a young man who was so thoughtful, caring and loving of so many others.
You will never be forgotten Mike, your Mum did a wonderful job bringing you up and helping make you one of the finest young men I have ever known!!
With all my love, for a beautiful man who was taken too soon, and to his family.....
Gone but never forgotten Michael,
You'll always be in my heart xxxxxxx
Jade Baker
Winchester
Mike, I have so many amazing memories from our 4 years together at Brookspeed. Firstly Winning the championship 2 years in a row with the Porsches we built together, and the fun we had in the pit lane along the way. We had a laugh away from work too, go karting, mountain biking, track days to name a few.
When we were given the opportunity to race the boat, we never looked back. My highlight from this year has to be our podium at Cowes. It was an absolute honour to be on that podium with you.
I have so many more memories I will cherish.
You will never be forgotten.
RIP mike, my colleague, my team-mate and my best mate
Luke Elkin, Brookspeed
Southampton
Mike, I literally cannot put into words how I feel! You have been like another brother to me for the past 4 years and I have such great memories including you singing non-stop to Birmingham and back last year!!
You will always be in my heart and thoughts.
Party hard up there and keep singing.
Love you always
Love your sis Shell
Xxxx
Shell Curtain
Eastleigh
Words seem inadequate to express the sadness we all feel for the tragic loss your family are suffering. Although I only knew you for a short time you made a lasting and memorable impression. Your love for racing and the new challenges ahead, your patient and of course that infectious smile.
It has been my pleasure to have know you.
Good Night and God Bless.
Yours Sincerely Karen Cable Xxx
Karen Cable
Drighlington
With my heartfelt sympathy to Tracy and her family - no words can ease the pain that I know you are experiencing. I am so sorry for your loss - the tributes I have read leave me in no doubt that Michael touched many lives and will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with you xxxx
Karen Harvey
Locks Heath
My pupils and I who were so happy to watch the race are very sad and send our most sincere thoughts to the family and friends.
ghislaine Bourles and class
COLLEGE NOTRE DAME DES CHAMPS
PLACE JACQUEMART
26100 ROMANS SUR ISERE
FRANCE
No name entered
I was privileged to be able to work with Mike. i worked with him for 3 months before he past and could see he was ambitious, clever and one of the nicest guys to work with. I wish to send my deepest condolences to Mikes family, Friends and the Brookspeed/ Peters and May team, I could see he loved you all very much. I will also like to thank Mike for having the time and patients to teach me.
Kindest regards
Mark Parsons
Mark Parsons
Southampton
My son Michael. I am so sorry everything has been taken away from you in your prime at such a young age. I am glad I got to spend time with you on your last day. Mark, Caitlin, Matty and Lexy and me miss you so much and our lives will never be the same.
Goodnight son.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tracy Lovell
Southampton
Please accept our deepest condolences in this time of sorrow. The Lovell Family and Friends are in our thoughts and prayers.
Gene & Amanda Stephens
P1-USA Chief Inspector/Starter and P1-USA Race Secretary/Scorer
Gene and Amanda Stephens
Tampa, Florida, USA
Michael, As we were before, so stuck for words at losing you at such an early stage in your life. You were a wonderful lad and we are proud to have had you as our Grandson. We will miss and love you forever
Love & kisses
Nan & Granddad L
xxxxxx
Nan and granddad L
Southampton
Mike, I first met u when you came to pick the kids up from nursery and you could instantly tell you were a lovely guy and that the kids adored you,
you are going to be greatly missed by everyone who knew you and especially your mum, mark and the kids.
you are an amazing guy and a credit too your mum who i know u have made very proud
r.i.p Mike I will look after them for you I promise xxxxx
kelly
Chichester
Many a long night many laughs with great friends and memories made never to be forgotten.
Sleep well Mike till we meet again
Teri Hunter
Southampton
Deepest condoleces to family & friends.
P1 Evolution: Team SEAREX
Gino Passchier
De Haan, Belgium
I have realised by reading all the messages everywhere and by all the people that turned up at your funeral son how very special you are to a lot of people (but very very special to me) Michael you are a one off who should have been allowed to go to the top in whatever you did, and cant understand why you were taken so early. Michael you will always be with me, Mark and the children who so desperately miss you but we know you will always be there for us, talking to us and watching us. You just remember what you said to the children "Your boyfriends or girlfriends will have to get passed me first then mum before they get to take you out!!!!" We love you, goodnight son. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tracy Lovell
Southampton
I met mike just over 10 years ago.
We met in the car cruising scene and always had a smile when we was near a fast car. You will be missed mate i have many memories that will always stay with me.
Who could ever forget that contagious smile.
Bye for now mate till we meet again.
Richard Mollet
southampton
Mike, it was a pleasure and a honour to know and mess about with a man with a heart as big as yours, we've had many funny days and nights up hedge end and in the civic. You will never be forgotten and we will meet and race in heaven together. So I won't say bye, I will say see you later. Once again, i will never meet a kind and great mate like you again. Keep smiling.
Chris
Southampton
R.I.P mike. A true gentleman taken far to soon god bless and sleep tight. Gone but never forgotten. all our love Amy, Richard and the boys Xx
amy sharpp
eastleigh
Mike
Such a shame you have been taken from us to soon. I'll always remember you with a smile on your face. You were a honest fun loving and caring person who could do anything you set your mind to these are some of the reasons I chose you to be Alexis godfather. I'll never forget pancake day at my nans when she would only eat the homemade toffee sauce from your pancakes no one else's was good enough along with the 2 wedges of lemon how she didn't pull a face I do not know. And christmas days fighting for the last bits of pudding or watching u all try and beat each other at helicopter racing jugling and stils there was never a dull moment. I hope that the place you are in is a happy place and that you have all the cars boats and everything else u love to keep you from ever getting board.
You were truley a great guy and will be missed by so many people
We will always remember the good times and never ever forget you sleep tight mike.
All our love
Nicole Rich and Alexis
XxxxxxxxxxX
Nicole Thorpe
Eastleigh
You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers, God bless you Mike, rest in blisfull peace.
Julie Cross
Eltham, London
G Man......
It's been a pleasure being your friend, we've known each other a good 7 years now and you've always been there to count on.
The countless memories of our drifting fun, destroying so many rear tyres. You'd always push me to try harder at drifting till the one day I got it spot on while you watched.
Then there was the crazy nights out in Icon and Diva and the OC :)
We had lots of memories at Brookspeed working on the MK1, well you working me watching and asking many questions then always wondering back over to the Viper and looking all over it wishing to drive it :)
I could sit here and write page after page on memories like you getting a telling off from the Old Bill after you attempted to drive round the car park with Daz in the flat bed of the pick up when the police caught you lol.
But some memories are best kept untold, accept for you boasting about one in particular to Olly back in april lol I guess he only believed you when I backed the story up.
Well you'll never be forgotten buddy, wish you was still here. I've still got the texts from you clearly showing how excited you was at the P1 Races, and how much you wanted to beat Stoneman :)
You're memory will always live on bro. You're forever young now and I know you'll be racing till the end of time where ever you are.
Miss you lots bro. Sleep well and take care of us all when its out time to join you.
Richie Rich x
Richie Rich
Fareham
michael,
you were my oldest friend. we've known each other since we were only 2 years old and i still remember our play school days :) we stayed close friends all the way through little school, middle school and secondary school and its hard 2 accept that you've been taken away from us all already. regrettably we drifted apart when we left cantell but were reunited just over 4 years ago by our friend georgina and i thank her for that. my thoughts go out to your family at this difficult time.
goodnight, sleep tight friend
xxxx
melissa bayliss (was brown)
southampton
Mike I don't know how to sum up what's happened or how I'm feeling in words. I miss you so much mate. I and everyone tried to give you the best send off ever and you'll never be forgotten. I know your still around even if I can't see you. It's a sunny Sunday and all I wanna do is go out on the Mountain Bikes with you, but can't. Thank you for letting us know your still around with the music incident and giving us a smile with the fuel in the Golf. Me and Dan will never forget that. The void in our lives that you have left will never be filled, I'm just pleased that we had the laughs we did and I will never forget the memory's I've got. I hope where ever you are your having fun and I know it won't be slowly :-). I hope you finally get to ride that superbike we talked about cause I know you'd love it. I think how much you were thought of was clear on Friday, so many people had respect for you, it was really nice to see. You did well mate. I'm going to miss you mate but I know you'll still be with us all.
Olly Gill
Southampton
A true Racer
Mick Pritchard
Hamble
I knew Michael through his Mum Tracy and know how proud she was of him and his achievements and rightly so a lovely son taken too soon. Tracy what can I say my heart goes out to you as a Mother it is the ultimate loss, I have thought about you constantly in the last few weeks. My love especially to you and all the family. My Debbie x x
Debbie Bunday
Eastleigh
Such a sad loss, thoughts to the family, may he rest in peace.
Arron Perry
Dubai-UAE
So glad you it was a great turn out for you Micheal, I will miss the sound of the g60 as you drive passed me on way home and your beeming smile. You where loved by so many and will be missed!
P.s memories of the silvia midnight drifting up portsdownhill, was amazing and still give me a big smile and goosebumps thank you for that feeling buddy :)
Much love Joshua (jc) and family x x x
Joshua crow aka j 2 da c and family
Southampton hants
Dear P1 family
I want to thank you all for your kind thoughts and support. I am sorry i didnt get to speak to all of the teams that attended Mikes funeral. Mike was very lucky to have shared his passion for speed with you all, race teams and the P1 team.
It was such a relief to see Dan doing so well and i do hope that he finds the strength to return to a sport he loves. I can assure you all that Mike would wish you all to carry the championship forward and to vue his enthusiasm and results as a part of the evolution of the P1 Superstock championship.
Luke, myself and the larger Brookspeed family have lost the most wonderful person we could wish to have known.
I can assure you all that Brookspeed are going to embrace Mikes legacy, and Race On !
Martin Braybrook, Brookspeed
Southampton
We only worked with Mike and Luke this season at P1, but what a pair, always smiling and never a grumble, they just loved their racing. Sleep well Mike x love Kat and Chris x
Kat and Chris
Wigston
G-man, you are one of the first people I met when I moved down here. We have had some really good times. All of them make me laugh at how awsome they were. Youre a legend, no two ways about it. You will be sorely missed my friend, and it was a true honor to carry you with the boys out of the church.
See you on the other side big man.
Cutters x
(p.s, think you still owe me a fiver! haha)
Paul Cutcliffe
Southampton
Today is a day that should not be happening.....
We all have a chnace to say goodbye to you today and it will be the last time we can do this... you were an amazing time and we had some amazing times together!!!! Always laughing when you were around, you may be gone for now but u will never be forgotten.. you will always be a massive part of our lives!!
We miss you more than you could ever understand!
see you again someday
all my love vicky
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
RIP mike sweet dreams,
Vicky Porter
Southampton
Mike, it was a pleasure to of met you this season & an honour to of raced agaisnt you! it was clear from the start of the season you had a talent for racing.
From the first race in Plymouth until the last race in weymouth i dont think i saw you with out a smile on your face! Always happy to chat and laugh about the race & who beat who or what happened this time, no matter how much bad luck you'd had that race!
Its clear from all the message from your friends an family that you were a very kind and special person, you will be missed by us all and your laughter & personality especially in the pits will never be forgotten!
My thoughts are with your family and friends!
"Life is measured in achievemtns, not by years alone" - Bruce McLaren
I think given how many people have left messages on here, Facebook & the people coming out to say good bye tomorrow, you have achived what many will never do in a life time - You should feel proud looking down mate!
Rest easy!
Andy
Andy Wilby - Typhoo
Fleet
Mike in the short time I knew you you managed to leave an impact on me and Aaron of IFX Racing. You kindly out of goodwill picked our boat up from Southampton when it was forgotten which just demonstrates the kind of lovely bloke you were, if you could do that for somebody you had known only a few months then there must be some very lucky people out there who had the great privilege of knowing you longer. In Weymouth we had two great races in the first you taught me how to drive by overtaking us literally as we crossed the line. I remember you coming up to me just before your last race and giving me a hug and wishing me luck in our next battle.. You also told me I wouldn't pass you again this weekend much the competitor x :) from my short experience and time spent with you I thought you were a gentleman and a squire and I shall miss you deeply x rest in peace dude x
Nick Williams
London
