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Total Chaos driver, Nicole Pitell -Vaughan, recently invited Jessi Combs to be her navigator in the "Battle at Primm."

The Team Total Chaos crew is no stranger to stiff and fierce competition. However, they recently embarked upon a journey into unknown waters, when they rolled into Primm, Nevada to race in one of the snore series' most popular events . Not only had driver, Nicole Pitell - Vaughan never competed in the "Battle at Primm," but she would also be working with her navigator for the first time - Myth Busters television star, Jessi Combs.

Although Nicole Pitell - Vaughan and Jessi Combs had never raced together prior to the "Battle at Primm," they came out of the gates as a competitive force.

Although Vaughan and Combs had never raced as a team prior to this event, the driver was very confident in her teammate's skill level and abilities. "Jessi is a highly experienced motorsports athlete and has competed in several disciplines of off road racing," ensured Vaughan. "I have high expectations for my navigators, and I knew the 1450 class at this race was very competitive.

The driver said, "We see each other at a few industry events every year. When I lost my three-peat co-pilot who I had been racing with, she was one of my first replacement choices to sit in the right-hand seat when I started looking.".

"We were supposed to race back in October at the Race for a Cure in Barstow. But we had some scheduling conflicts with her world record attempt. . ."

With all of their ducks in a row, the female duo and their crew arrived at the event confident they had the equipment and experience to prove a competitive force. Their Toyota Tacoma was fine tuned and ready for competition, and they were geared up and eager for the waving of the green flag to deem the battle underway. However, in spite of their readiness, it was only natural to feel some sense of uncertainty.

"Actually, I was really nervous to start up front," recalled Vaughan. "I like rear class starts. I knew over half the field ran V8s and, hands down, had more power than Lil-T. I trusted Jessi and that extra set of eyes to keep me from getting punted off of the course. And I knew the truck was set up very well," she explained. We have some of the best fabricators and pit crew in the industry at Team Total Chaos."

The female duo of Nicole Pitell - Vaughan and Jessi Combs proved an effective team, but a mechanical malfunction on the final day of racing left their vehicle strnded and lying on it’s side.

But the nervousness was short lived. And when the battle began, the Total Chaos duo wasted no time establishing their position. Drawing the 11th starting position for the opening day of racing, they managed to finish the event in sixth place out of a field of 54 trucks. Their finish alone was something to be proud of. Only one minute separated fourth and sixth place, which made the accomplishment even sweeter.

Vaughan, Combs and the crew returned to the track the following day with anticipation of what would transpire in the hours to come. Again, they made a run toward the front early, reaching the fourth position. But bad luck lurked farther down the course, as they blew a steering rack seal.

Even though Vaughan tried to maneuver the truck off course and "hang on," the results were not favorable. In fact, the truck rolled over, coming to a stop on the driver's door.

Although the outcome of the final day did not go as hoped for, overall, Total Chaos made an impressive stand at the Battle at Primm, and one can rest assured that the team will continue to make showings in the future.

Nicole Pitell - Vaughn and her team are acutely aware that proper maintenance will play an essential role in their success so they depend upon K&N products for their filtering needs.

"A race is generally won or lost in the garage," she explained. Worn out or damaged components can cause a race car to not perform to its full potential. We have endorsed K&N filters exclusively for over ten years," she continued. K&N is a premium product for daily driving use and race applications. All of our shop pre-runners, race trucks, and daily drivers use either the K&N intake systems or replacement filters. K&N filters are an awesome product."

Looking back at the her recent experience at the Battle at Primm , the driver concluded, "I have to admit, the most rewarding part was how pumped some of the competition was on our position on the opening day, as well as the chick fans who congratulated us after the race. It was very cool to see some women pumped that two ladies were out there racing and battling with the top field of boys."

Dr. Glass and his son Walker were on top of the world after winning their class in the 2014 Mint 400.

The Great American Off-Road Race remade its own history by once again claiming the title as the biggest off-road desert race event on the planet.

Picking up right where he left off last season, Macrae Glass is clearly on a tear, winning the last four contests he’s entered. Yet none were more significant or any bigger than the 2014 General Tire Mint 400 Presented by Polaris.

"This win marks our 4th in a row and 2nd for the year," Glass reported. "We sit atop the points as we head to the Silver State 300 in early May."

Last year The Mint 400 officially became the biggest off-road desert race event on the planet, according to Mint 400 CEO Matt Martelli. This year, The Great American Off-Road Race went even bigger, as it assembled the largest group of world-class off-road racers in the history of the sport. The spectator areas for Saturday’s Unlimited race sold out before the event began, which has never happened before.

Dr. Glass, a Kingman, Arizona chiropractor, would have been well served to hand out business cards at one of the nastiest, bone-crunching races in the world. Held in Jean, Nevada, the four 100-mile loops traversed over ridiculously brutal rock sections, silt, lake beds, and tidal wave size whoops. As a result, the demanding racecourse had a devastating effect on the field of the 335 starters. Only 163 vehicles finished within the time limit, making the rate of attrition at just over 50%.

Remarkably, Macrae Glass has completed 10 races in a row without a flat.

"We survived the legendary Mint 400 to grab the class 8 win!" declared Glass. "This was easily one of the roughest I've raced in quite a while, making the King Shocks/Eibach Springs worth their weight in gold. Our team performed a rare mid-race repair in fine style and my hat goes off to them, as it was truly a group effort. This marks our 10th race in a row without a flat, and our KC HID Pods showed us the way as half the race was run at night."

Matt Klenke rode along for the start of the race, while Walker Glass held co-pilot duties for the balance of the event. "Walker is my youngest son (middle child) and he is coming along nicely in the navigator department," said Glass. "He races dirt bikes too and I think he has a knack for reading the terrain like I do. That helps because he provides a second set of eyes for me. Matt K is a long time crew member, turning navigator. He’s a professional fireman, paramedic, and both did a great job!"

"Walker and his brother Robby will switch off this year in the navigator department," adds Glass. "Next up is the SS 300 in early may, then Vegas to Reno in August."

Cody Rahders recently embarked upon his first race in the XP 1000 class.

Cody Rahders would likely be quick to agree that 2013 was a productive year for R3 Motorsports. "It was a really big accomplishment for myself, to say the least," he recalled. "Finishing every race on the podium really rounded a solid year.

After a stellar 2013 season, Cody Rahders set the standard for the 2014 season during round one of the LOORS.

"My biggest memory was the last race of the season with only a two point lead, " shared the driver. " I wasn't sure how the race was going to play out. But I knew I had to be on my game. So when I came out with the win, it was a great feeling."

When the 2014 season rolled around, the driver was ready to put the previous season behind him and focus on continuing a streak of impressive finishes. Although many races lurk ahead, Rahders set the standard early on.

Rolling into the Glen Helen Raceway, the driver and his crew were eager to get round one of the series under their belts. The team's confidence level was high, as this was the exact location of the 2013 Awards Banquet, where the driver received his championship trophy for the stock RZR XP900 class. Most drivers would have been more than elated to earn the prestigious award, but the pot had been even sweeter for Rahders, as he also received a plaque, rewarding him for the logging the greatest combined points during of all the LUCAS regional competitors throughout the season.

Lining up in the Stock RZR XP900 race, Rahders wasted no time fighting to the front of the pack at the waving of the green flag. Although the victory lap was eventually his, that was no indication the win came easily. In fact, it went down to the wire, the type of competition fans love to see.

There was little time to savor his victory though, as Rahders was on the verge of embarking upon a new adventure. He was scheduled to experience his first race in the XP 1000 class.

Qualifying fourth on the opening day and with a four-place inversion, the driver was situated at the pole position. Fourteen cars were prepared to battle it out in his class. However, the field also consisted of 12 drivers competing in the SR1/Unlimited UTV class.

At the waving of the green flag, Cody Rahders didn't tarry, maneuvering his way through the conglomeration of SR1 racers. The driver quickly reached the front of the pack, and led his class for the first nine of the 12-lap event.

Things were looking promising. But anyone who is familiar with the sport of racing will be quick to agree that it isn't over until the waving of the checkered flag deems a winner.

In fact, Following a late-race restart, Rahders happened upon a lapped SR1 driver who wasn't content with allowing the leaders to continue their quest toward the finish line. During this particular battle Rahders' competitor evidently missed a shift, forcing Cody to slow.

In turn, Cody Rahders fell behind two of his fellow XP Production 1000 class competitors. With less than two full laps remaining, the he lacked sufficient time to catch the two other drivers, and crossed the finish line in third place.

Although he would have obviously rather led the pack at the waving of the checkered flag, Rahders did manage to earn a spot on the podium during his first-ever Production 1000 race.

However, the driver is eager to make a few changes on set up here and there and is anticipating even better finishes in the near future. Of course driving skills play a predominant role in the outcome of each race, but Rahders and his crew are also certain that proper maintenance is of utmost importance.

Experience has taught the driver that it is essential to take all steps to ensure one's engine does not fail. One of the keys is protecting their internal components from the harsh and unforgiving environment they tackle during every event.

That in mind, he and the rest of R3 Motorsports are strong advocates of using the best filtering products on the market. In turn they depend upon K&N products to keep the dust and grit out of the engines, and where it belongs.

"K&N filters really helps," he ensured. "We get huge support with anything we need for the truck and the RZR. Huge performance gains are a big factor, and K&N really performs well.

As the 2014 season is just underway, Cody Rahders and team R3 Motorsports have aspirations of yet another run of productive races. With a little luck and a lot of perseverance, one would suspect that the driver and his crew will experience their share of much coveted time on the podium in the races to come.

SEMA featured 2014 GMC Sierra crew cab truck built by Jendro's Customs

Ask anyone that attended the 2013 SEMA show in Las Vegas and their response will pretty much echo Brian Jendro's sentiment. "This year's show was the best it has been in a long time, so it was a great success."

He should know too, last year was his 15th straight SEMA journey. Jendro is a custom car legend who's been leaving his mark in the business since 1987. "I've built over 30 cover vehicles in various magazines and I've also produced over 75 tech articles in various magazines," reported Jendro.

Jendro's Customs GMC Sierra was featured at the 2013 SEMA Show

"I've built many cars for TV shows, celebrities, and professional sports players. I've been on Monster Garage, Monster Nation, Big, and Inside West Coast Customs TV shows as the lead fabricator. I'm very well known for being the first person to air bag cars, trucks, and hot rods. This year I was the first person voted into the Trucking/ Mini Truck Hall of Fame at SEMA."

For the 2013 SEMA show his shop, Jendro's Customs, built a brand new 2014 GMC Sierra crew cab truck. "We did a 3 1/2 [inch] body drop and added a full K&N intake system, a complete custom air ride suspension, with an Accuair air management system. And KMC dub 24'' (s120 shot calla) wheels," detailed Jendro.

Jendro's Customs 2013 SEMA feature vehicle was this 2014 GMC Sierra pickup

Jendro is one of the first guys you pick for your automotive customization team, which is why he has been sponsored by K&N on many past projects. "I also use K&N on all the vehicles we customize at my shop," he adds. "I have found that the fit is always perfect and the performance is second to none."

Jendro will of course return to Las Vegas for the 2014 installment of SEMA, keeping his chain of consecutive shows attended unbroken. "We have a few prospective projects at the moment," he says "along with a custom body dropped 1965 Chevy van we are building. That's my personal vehicle."

"I must thank everyone at K&N for your support and hopefully we can continue to have your full support for our future projects. If you ever want us to build anything for you guys, or help on any projects you're working on, we would always love to help."

Camburg ended the 2013 season with five podium finishes out of six races and the third place trophy for the year.

Jerry Zaiden, President of Camburg Racing, took his first ride in an unlimited buggy at age 14 in Parker, Arizona. He was immediately hooked, and knew he wanted to drive off-road vehicles for a living. The company was started in 1997 and in 1999 began their race schedule in the MDR series racing a 1600 buggy running K&N Filters. They soon moved into the 1450 truck class racing their over the counter Camburg suspension parts with numerous wins and podium finishes along the way. Between their racing successes and suspension system sales and related components, the company has flourished.

Camburg Racing started the 2014 season with a second in class finish at Best in the Desert Parker 425.

From the Baja 1000 to the Best in the Desert (BITD) series and numerous challenging events in between, they have claimed multiple podium finishes and been top leaders in points. When asked what one of his most memorable career highlights has been, Jerry stated without reservation, "Winning the 2012 Vegas to Reno race was awesome!"

From Baja 1000, BITD, and other challenging races, Camburg Racing has claimed multiple podium finishes

Camburg ended the 2013 season with five podium finishes out of six races and the third place trophy for the year. And they started the 2014 season with a second in class finish at Best in the Desert Parker 425. Looks like their new Kinetic 6100 truck is in top form! Jerry went on to say "A 2nd place finish in our new truck is awesome knowing we had very little test time the week of the race. We're looking forward to the Mint 400 for round 2."

With many years of relationship building with K&N, Jerry says they are the only filtration company that has thousands of race wins, technology, and technical background in every form of motorsports. "This is a huge advantage for Camburg Racing."