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Cody Rahders drove the number 716 Cognito Motorsports/Polaris RZR XP 900 to victory in the Walker Evans Racing RZR Stock XP class of the Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Racing Series (Shilynn Milligan Photography)

It would appear that Cody Rahders was on fire when he piloted both R3 Motorsports Polaris RZR side by sides to double victories in round five of the Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Racing series at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California.

Cody started the day off right by driving the Cognito Motorsports/Polaris RZR XP 900 to an excellent qualifying run in the Walker Evans Racing RZR class. Cody secured his qualifying position on the third lap with a one-second lead over the number two qualifier. He was driving so hard that during lap four of qualifying the RZR XP900 rolled over and landed on its wheels. Cody said “That happened pretty quick, (I) threw it in a little too hard and it got away from me. Car is good though, so we’re ready.”

Already familiar with the course, Cody Rahders headed out for another round of qualifying in his Cognito Motorsports/Polaris RZR XP 1000 for the Production 1000 class. Cody secured a fourth place qualifying position in the larger field of racers contending the Production 1000 class.

To keep things interesting Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Race Series officials inverted the race start by drawing a number from a hat. For round 5 the number four was drawn which meant Cody would start from the fourth position even though he qualified fastest in the Walker Evans Racing RZR class. This didn’t pose much of a problem for Cody as he worked his way up to second place by the end of lap two. Cody found himself in the lead as the pack came around the course for the third time. He increased his lead over the field and in the end second place finished 1.067 seconds behind Rahders.

Cody Rahders led every lap of the Production 1000 class of the Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Racing series round five in his number 916 Polaris RZR XP 1000 (Shilynn Milligan Photography)

While the inverted start was a mild handicap for Rahders in the Walker Evans Racing RZR Stock XP class, it worked out to his advantage in the Production 1000 class. Having qualified fourth fastest, Rahders was now set to start from the pole position. The race began after the official Toyota Tundra pace truck pulled off the track. Cody jumped off the line to win the hole shot and led the race wire to wire. Round 5 was Cody Rahders’ first win in the Production 1000 class.

After the race Cody Rahders said “There are a lot of really good drivers here and I knew there would be a lot of pressure from the pack but I wasn’t letting that one get away. My spotter Nick let me know where everyone was at and I just drove hard to the finish.”

Cody won the Production 1000 class with a 1.038 second lead over his closest competitor; very similar the finish of the Walker Evans Racing RZR class. Cody and the R3 Motorsports team use K&N products to protect their engines and provide a performance advantage. “K&N filters really help. Huge performance gains are a big factor, and K&N really performs well” ensured Rahders.

Cody Rahders is in an excellent position to win two Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Racing Series points championships in 2014. Rahders is currently in first place in the Walker Evans Racing RZR Stock XP class with a strong 22 point lead over Bryan Carr. Rahders is a mere 10 points behind first place in the Production 1000 class points chase. Just two races remain in the Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Racing Southern California series and Cody Rahders doesn’t plan to settle for second best.

Sergio Pena and Cameron Hayley battled for first place in the last few laps of the JEGS 150 at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio

Pena won the fourth NASCAR K&N Pro Series race of his career and his first since 2011. He denied Cameron Hayley his first K&N Pro Series East win, taking the lead on the final restart on lap 141 and holding on over the last nine laps of the race.

“This is such a great feeling,” Pena said after the race. “I almost forgot what it felt like. Words can’t even describe what this is like. I have to thank Rev Racing, NASCAR and the Drive for Diversity program for having me back this year.”

Sergio Pena celebrates his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race win at Columbus Motor Speedway with a triumphant cloud of white smoke

Pena took the lead from Hayley on lap 120 and led the final 31 laps of the race. Hayley challenged for the lead over the final laps, but was never able to pass Pena.

“It was tough racing tonight,” Pena said. “Me and Ben Rhodes and Cameron Hayley, especially the three of us, were going at it, knocking each other out of the way, giving it back and forth. It’s just great short track racing. Cameron got by me there at the end, but we were able to get the inside back. We were good on the short runs all night.”

Sergio Pena stands on victory lane in front of his Toyota Racing Development Camry after his win in the JEGS 150

Hayley posted his third runner-up finish of the season. He has finished second in two of the past three K&N Pro Series East races.

Scott Heckert qualified fastest in his #34 Project Life Chevrolet and earned himself the 21 Means 21 presented by Coors Brewing Company Pole Award

Ben Rhodes, who won four K&N Pro Series East races in a row and five overall this season, came in third place.

“This place breeds rough racing,” said Rhodes about racing at Columbus Motor Speedway. “I had to kind of use the bumper to get up through here, but there’s really no way you can pass because there’s only one line. I was using my bumper; people were using their bumper on me. It’s part of the racing here.”

Jesse Little, who won the previous K&N Pro Series East race at New Hampshire International Speedway, was fourth. Ryan Gifford was fifth.

Rhodes has a 62-point lead over Hayley in the K&N Pro Series East standings after 11 races. Gray Gaulding, who 15th at Columbus Motor Speedway, is in third place in the K&N Pro Series East standings, 74 points behind Rhodes.

The next race in the K&N Pro Series East is at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1.

This Team Hybrid Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII equipped with a K&N air filter blurs the line between a race, street, and show car © 2014 Eric A. Eikenberry-Photographer

Mark Buffington, owner of a highly modified 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, prefers to break stereotypes rather than follow the norm. Most people would imagine Buffington, who is 57 years old, to have fulfilled his mid-life crisis like other men his age; by purchasing a Porsche, Ferrari, or Corvette. Instead Buffington says “Those are their dream cars. This (EVO VIII) is mine. When they go to the track I’m going to be able to beat them in my four-cylinder Evo.”

The adjustable coil over suspension system gives the 2003 Mitsubishi Evo 8 a very commanding stance with adjustability for the street or track © 2014 Eric A. Eikenberry-Photographer

Mark Buffington’s 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII blurs the lines between race, street and show. His attention to detail and compulsion to continually reinvent his EVO VIII has led to him to describe his car as a piece of art. “I look at my car and I think of it as a piece of art. I enjoy constantly redoing it. A project is never truly finished…” said Buffington. Never contented, Buffington went on to say “The EVO is at the shop again. It will be completely different the next time you see it.”

The owner of this EVO VIII, Mark Buffington, belongs to the Las Vegas, Nevada chapter of the Team Hybrid car club started by James Lin in 1995 © 2014 Eric A. Eikenberry-Photographer

Powering Buffington’s EVO VIII is the Mitsubishi 4G63 engine with an FP Red turbocharger upgrade. The 4G63 motor is a tried and true power plant, and according to Buffington “You can put down nearly 600 hp with it (4G63), and mine makes a little over 500 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque”. The FP Red turbocharger is capable of forcing high amounts of air through the Type “R” front-mount intercooler and into the EVO VIII engine.

Mark’s highly modified 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is just as trick inside the driver compartment as it is outside © 2014 Eric A. Eikenberry-Photographer

Feeding air into Mark’s 4G63 engine is a custom air intake system made by Buffington’s tuning shop in Las Vegas, Nevada. A K&N High-Flow Air Filter was used to meet the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airflow demanded by this 500+ hp 4G63 without sacrificing filtration efficiency and engine protection.

Mark’s 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8 is adorned with beautiful, but functional, carbon fiber aerodynamic components for looks and performance © 2014 Eric A. Eikenberry-Photographer

Buffington is a member of the Team Hybrid car club and belongs to the Las Vegas, Nevada chapter. Team Hybrid was founded in 1995 by James Lin, the current team president, who is based in Oxnard, California. Team Hybrid specializes in import builds for race, street, and show cars. Lin said “We have been using K&N for over 19 years. K&N products increase power, are easy to maintain and clean, while withstanding the test of time.” K&N supports Team Hybrid and Lin’s motto of “May our years of legendary tradition, philosophy, quality, innovation and management continue to make import history.”

Noteworthy modifications of Mark Buffington’s Mitsubishi Evolution VIII include:

Engine/Drive:
Custom air intake system with K&N High-Flow Air Filter
FP Red turbocharger
HKS front mount Type R intercooler
Bored out OEM intake manifold
Perrin fuel rail
I.D. 1,000 cc fuel injectors
HKS 272- and 264-degree camshafts
HKS twin exhaust system
Exedy twin-plate clutch and flywheel
Driveshaft Shop two-piece aluminum driveshaft

Buffington relies on a K&N universal clamp-on air filter to provide airflow and engine protection for his 2003 Mitsubishi Evolution VIII © 2014 Eric A. Eikenberry-Photographer

Suspension/Brakes/Wheels:
K-Sport adjustable coil over system
Whiteline rear control arms
Carbing trunk and front strut tower braces
Cusco bolt-in roll cage
Volk Racing wheels
BF Goodrich tires
Brembo calipers
Stoptech brake rotors
K-sport stainless steel brake lines

Exterior/Interior:
VeilSide body kit
Seibon Carbon hood, truck, and front fenders
APR wing with 12-in. stands and 3-in. extensions
Uehara Motowerks custom side winglets
Bride Zeta III racing seats
Takata Racing pads
Nardi deep dish steering wheel
Sparco pedal set

Whether your car is a fire breathing import on the level of Mark Buffington’s EVO VIII or a Clydesdale-like work truck, K&N has air and oil filters to meet your performance needs. Look up parts for your car here by year, make, and model or use our universal filter search here, to find a custom air filter like the one on Mark’s EVO.

K&N Air Intake System 69-6033TTK is powdercoated in a textured black finish to protect the tube and match the engine bay of the 2013-2016 Mazda 3

The all new Mazda 3 sedan and five-door hatchback models are equipped with forward thinking technology from the factory. The new Skyactive engines, like the 2.0L Skyactive-G engine that comes standard in the 2014 Mazda 3, is designed with fuel efficiency, performance, and lower emissions in mind. Skyactive technology is also incorporated into the transmission, body, and chassis components to help increase efficiency without sacrificing performance.

Performance Air Intake System 69-6033TTK from K&N Filters is designed to increase horsepower and torque for 2013-2016 Mazda 3 2.0L models

The 2.0L Skyactive-G engine is rated at 155 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque from the factory, but reducing air intake restriction can help this advanced engine perform even better. Owners seeking some extra boost in the power department can now install the 69-6033TTK K&N performance air intake system.

The 69-6033TTK from K&N is precision-engineered to be a simple-to-install performance add-on. The backbone of this intake system is a free-flowing mandrel-bent aluminum intake tube which helps to minimize restriction, allowing your engine to breathe easier. A venturi is incorporated into the tube to straighten airflow resulting in improved drivability and power gains. A durable textured black powder coated finish is applied to the tube, providing a cohesive appearance under the hood that will look great for years to come.

2014 Mazda 3 2.0-liter Skyactive-G gains an estimated 5.5 more horsepower

K&N equips the 69-6033TTK with the oversized RU-4960XD air filter, providing a large surface to help increase airflow while providing outstanding engine protection. The filter is made with K&N’s famous high-flow filter media so it’s washable and reusable and can even go up to 100,000 miles between cleanings, depending on driving conditions. To top it all off, a heat shield shrouds the air filter under the hood, helping to deflect engine heat away from incoming air.

All of the design features of the 69-6033TTK performance air intake system work in harmony to deliver increased performance. On the dyno, 69-6033TTK produced an estimated additional 5.5 horsepower at 4982rpm and an equally helpful 5.65 pound-feet of torque at 4938rpm over the factory system.

The 69-6033TTK performance air intake system is an excellent upgrade for 2013-2016 Mazda 3 sedan or 5-door models with the 2.0L Skyactiv-G engine. With simple to follow instructions and no need to make any other modifications to the vehicle, you’ll be on the road in approximately 90 minutes with more horsepower under your right foot.

If all that weren’t enough, K&N backs the 69-6033TTK with the industry-leading K&N Million Mile Limited Warranty. If you’re looking to take your 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Mazda 3 sedan or 5-door models with the 2.0L engine to the next level, look no further than the 69-6033TTK Typhoon air intake system.

K&N Air Intake System 69-6033TTK is designed to provide a lifetime of increased power on the following Mazda models:

2016 MAZDA 3 2.0L L4 F/I
2015 MAZDA 3 2.0L L4 F/I
2014 MAZDA 3 2.0L L4 F/I
2013 MAZDA 3 2.0L L4 F/I - Eng. Skyactiv

For all K&N Mazda 3 air intakes visit the Mazda 3 Air Intakes page on KNFilters.com.

Sitting in third place worked to Jesse Little’s advantage as he was able to avoid a wreck and bring home a win in the Granite State 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Jesse Little was ecstatic to have his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win and was able to hand his mother the trophy as a birthday present

With one lap to go Jessie Little, who hails from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, drove around a crash involving the race leaders and on to his first career victory in the Granite State 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race. Little was ecstatic to have his first win and of all days he did it on his mom’s birthday. Little said “It’s an amazing birthday present that I can hand her that trophy.”

Up until that final lap Nick Drake was leading the race in his number 15 Napa Auto Parts Toyota. A bold attempt by Brandon Jones to take the lead resulted in both racers crashing. Nick Drake was quoted as saying “We thought we had the win, but we were taken out coming for the checkered flag.” Drake went on to say “The 33 just drove right into us, there’s nothing else we could have done.” Nick Drake would finish 24th in the Granite State 100, and Brandon Jones in the number 33 Wolfpack Energy Services Chevrolet would cross the line 21st.

It looked as if Nick Drake would get the win in his number 15 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota but was taken out by Brandon Jones’ failed attempt to take the lead

Eddie MacDonald used his second place finish in the Grimm Construction / Exit Realty Chevrolet SS as practice for his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut that same weekend

Ben Rhodes headed into the Granite State 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with hopes of matching the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East record of five straight wins. Rhodes’ chances looked pretty good as he had the fastest qualifying time and started from the pole position. He spent most of the race battling for position among the top five, but an infraction on a restart late in the race resulted in a penalty and an uncharacteristic finish near the back of the pack. After the race Rhodes said “The race at New Hampshire was disappointing, but that will be our mulligan for 2014. We’ll move on and be ready to contend for the victory again next weekend.”

Eddie MacDonald drove the number 71 car to a second place finish just .313 seconds behind winner Jessie Little. Cale Conley followed in third place with Jay Beasly and Chad Finley rounding out the top five finishers.

Ben Rhodes spent most of the race battling with the top five drivers but a penalty caused an uncharacteristic 22nd place finish in the Granite State 100

17-year-old North Carolina native Jessie Little got on top of his car to celebrate his first time on victory lane in the Granite State 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Ben Rhodes is still leading the series points championship with Gray Gualding 62 points behind in second place and Cameron Hayley right on Gualding’s heels with only three points separating the two racers. Jessie Little and Brandon Jones are 4th and 5th respectively in the points chase.

The Jegs 150 at Columbus Ohio Motor Speedway is the next NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.