2022 brought some new team sponsors and more importantly a new focus and drive for the Camburg Kids. The last couple years racing while successful, have also been a much-needed learning experience with necessary seat time. This year the kids are excited about taking that knowledge and gained confidence and applying it. For their first race of the year, they’re now rocking KMC’s forged Mesa beadlock wheels that are stronger and lighter and Optima’s new high performance “PureFlow Technology” Yellow Top battery.
The M.O.R.E. McKenzie’s 250 race was 5 grueling laps out in Lucerne Valley, CA which is known for some of the roughest & highly technical desert terrain out there. This area recently hosted the King of the Hammers event so quite a bit of the race course was still torn up from that. The day prior to the race they were able to prerun the course in Goodman’s iconic Bronco which was an added bonus for sure. They got to see firsthand what they’d be up against. On race day Cody Campbell, Zach Zaiden and Corey Campbell would be sharing driving duties in their Class 1400 Camburg Racing Ford Ranger.
Cody started the race and immediately got into his groove and rhythm. Around mile 12 though he got tangled up in some rocks and had a bit of some down time. He got back under way and charged through his first lap and was in 2nd place. Lap 2 was pretty uneventful which is a good thing. Everything was running great and Cody was running a great pace slowly catching the leader. At the end of lap 2 Cody pulled into main pit for a driver change and fuel but the team noticed a substantial power steering leak. They pulled the hood off and ended up topping off the system with power steering fluid.
Corey got in the truck and they were back under way onto lap 3. Even with the lengthy pit stop they were still in 2nd place. He set a pace he was comfortable with making sure to give the fans at mile 29 a little air time. The truck was working awesome and the FOX shocks were handling everything Corey could throw at them. At the end of lap 3 he came into main pit for fuel and to top off the power steering again. Kyle the co-driver ended up getting out and Cody got back in his place. Lap 4 would have the Campbell brothers both in the truck. We can’t confirm or deny any in truck fist pumping through mile 29 as they aired it out and also setting the fastest 4th lap time. Still sitting in 2nd place they pulled into main pit for the last driver change and power steering fluid with one last look over.
Zach now got into the truck to take it to the finish line with Cody. He had some pressure on his shoulders to either better or at minimum keep their 2nd place position; which he was up for the challenge. By this time the course was pretty rough and attrition was starting to come into play. Running a similar pace as they did prior, around a 1/3 into the last lap they saw the leader pulled off to the side. Not knowing their issues, Zach knew he had to continue with the pace to stay up front and insure the win. In off-road racing things can change instantly and nothing is guaranteed. With his foot to the floor, Zach crossed the finish line in 4 hrs 51 min and secured Camburg’s race win.
“The kids have no problem going fast, the hard part is knowing when to go fast and being strategic about it. They’re learning that part and today it paid off with a win. It’s exciting to see them be successful and having fun racing at the same time.” – Jerry Zaiden
“Seeing them run up front all day and take the win is awesome. It makes the long hours and hard work worth it for all of us and they’re learning something new on and off the track every race. The race starts long before the green flag drops on race day with prep and testing.” – Jason Campbell
Camburg would like to thank all their sponsors, team members and fellow racers for the opportunity to be racing with them and being a part of the next generation of young racers.
For more information on Camburg products, videos, photo gallery and race program; check out their website www.camburg.com. Make sure to follow them on Instagram, YouTube and on Facebook @CAMBURGRACING
The Camburg Kids 2001 Ford Ranger Edge showcases Camburg’s suspension and racing parts along with their sponsors. For the front suspension the truck is outfitted with Camburg’s race series long-travel kit that utilizes their 2.50 front race hubs, FK heims and uniballs and a HOWE steering box with FOX’s 2.5 coilovers, 3.0 bypass shocks and 2.5 bump stops. The rear suspension is made up of Camburg’s 4-link kit connected to their 4.00 rear axle housing running their 3.25 race hubs. With FOX’s 2.5 coilovers, 3.5 bypass shocks and 2.5 bump stops there is plenty of control in the rear. The chassis and suspension are coated with STEEL-IT for optimum corrosion resistance and protection. Powering the truck is a K&N filtered 600hp Moruzzi built LS engine with a Magnaflow exhaust mated to a Culhane built Turbo 400 transmission that is fed by a custom Pyrotect fuel cell. A Optima Yellow Top Battery powers the electronics and OnX Offroad provides their GPS navigation. The Ranger sits on 37” General Tire Grabber X3 tires and 17” KMC Wheels forged Mesa beadlock wheels. In the cockpit the kids are strapped into Sparco EVO seats with their Sparco steering wheel and Rugged Radios communication in arms reach along with an assortment of Scosche powersports mounts and accessories. When day turns to night, they rely on their Baja Designs LED series of lights.
