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At the 2013 SEMA show Warn Industries displayed a Jeep JK with an ARB brute conversion and K&N air filter with wrap

If you consider yourself a serious off-roader you’re already very well versed with Warn Industries. Located in Clackamas, Oregon, Warn is credited for developing the first recreational winch in 1959. And, if you’re a weekend warrior wondering how a winch can possibly further improve your off-road experience, here’s the lowdown. A winch can move trail blocking debris, it can help get your vehicle over seemly insurmountable obstacles, and it can drag your buddies’ rigs out of near-impossible situations making you a hero.

Warn focuses on three specific markets, consumer aftermarket, industrial/commercial, and original equipment. With customers in over 65 countries, Warn is one of the world's most recognized and respected brands in vehicle performance enhancing equipment.

Arthur and Sadie Warn started a Willy's dealership in South Park, Washington in the 1930's, and founded Warn Industries some 18 year later. Warn began with one man's vision for converting thousands of surplus World War II Jeeps into practical, on-road vehicles. Arthur Warn's extraordinary invention of wheel locking hubs in fact revolutionized the automotive industry. In the 1990's Warn created the ATV/UTV winch market, and today the company designs, manufactures and markets a full line of off-road equipment and accessories that advance the performance of four-wheel-drive vehicles, ATV's and utility vehicles. And for that reason, every year at the SEMA show in Vegas, Warn continues to be one of the most trafficked of all the booths.

“Warn Industries had a 40x50 display at the 2013 SEMA Show,” reported Warn’s Adel Adams. “The show was well attended and we had many inquiries about our products. The vehicle we featured was a Jeep JK with an ARB brute conversion.”

Other products on the vehicle included a Hi-Lift Slide-N-Lock tie-down system, Currie model 44 Rock Jock front axle and model 60 rear axle, ARB front and rear lockers, Six States drive shafts, Ried Racing steering knuckles, Bushwacker fender flares, a Rubicon Style front axle U-joint and a series 1350 drive shaft U-bolt kit, a transfer case yoke (15033), a Speedy Sleeve (TK99187), a K&N performance air filter (RC-4630XD) and a K&N air filter charger (RC-4630DK).

Warn’s Industrial Division also markets electric and hydraulic winches and hoists to commercial, industrial and severe duty customers. Pretty much every variety of winches designed for professional trade workers and do-it-yourself consumers who need powerful tools to assist them in pulling, hauling, dragging or lifting, you can bet that Warn produces them.

“Warn Industries has reserved an even larger booth at the 2014 SEMA show,” says Adams, “And will be there in full force.”

Dave Martis unleashed the K&N Mustang RTR for the first outing at Sonoma Raceway.

After much anticipation, Dave Martis and the K&N Motorsports team made their first successful appearance in the all new K&N Mustang RTR at Sonoma Raceway on March 15th and 16th. Campaigning in the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) American Iron series, Martis, K&N’s R&D Manager, finished an impressive 4th place in both Saturday and Sunday’s contests.

Martis finished both races of the American Iron series in 4th place.

“The handling needs to be dialed in,” commented Martis after the team’s first weekend of racing, “We were clearly in new racecar territory.”

Packed full of thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing and punctuated by the fiery sounds of V8 thunder, the NASA American Iron class is limited by a power-to-weight ratio aspect and several other key factors intended to keep the cars on an even playing field, despite including nearly every pony car that has been produced in the United States since 1960.

Ford Racing supplied the Mustang body and Martis and his crew built the car entirely in-house.

“The class rules limit the amount of power you can make based on the post-race weight of the car,” Martis explains. “The formula is a limit of 9:1 horsepower and 8.5:1 torque (car’s weight/horsepower and torque).

The RTR’s bold, instantly familiar, K&N graphics running from bumper-to-bumper and side-to-side caught everyone’s attention, drawing them in for a closer look, and then the painstakingly built Mustang’s craftsmanship wowed them. Martis and his crew built the Ford Racing “body-in-white” Mustang from the shell up.

“The car is powered by is a stock 2014 Ford Coyote 5.0-liter engine and it makes 387 horsepower and 391(ft/lbs) of torque to the rear wheels,” details Martis. “The air box was my design and we had it made by the Forecast 3D company using FDM (fused deposition modeling) which is a type of 3D printing. And of course we couldn’t have done this without our partners.”

The K&N R&D Manager designed the exclusive air box and Forecast 3D produced it.

• K&N Performance Air Filter
• K&N Oil Filter
• K&N Fuel Filters
• Ford Racing (the body-in-white)
• Mustang RTR (body parts)
• Cortex Racing (suspension)
• JRi Shocks (shocks)
• Eibach (springs)
• Baer Brakes (brakes)
• Hawk Performance (brake pads)
• Bassani Xhaust (exhaust system)
• Toyo Tires (race tires)
• Lucas Oil (lubricants)
• AEM Electronics (engine management and electronics)
• Optima Batteries (battery)

“For the Sonoma race, I’d like to give a shout out to Filip Trojanek, who owns Cortex Racing. He kindly showed up and provided at-the-track support and advice which helped us improve our lap times. This was a huge help to the team,” adds Martis.

The NASA American Iron series continues April 5th and 6th at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.

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.