Corona, CA – As the dust settled and the time ticked down, Team Total Chaos Fabrication charged the Nevada desert and crossed the finish line in 5th place in class at the 2017 Mint 400. Underpowered in the world of 7200 trucks and running in the Unlimited race, with 7 DNF’d vehicles in the class, Nicole Pitell-Vaughan drove every last race mile and brought the Toyota Tacoma across the finish line virtually unscathed.
It was an overcast and windy day at this year’s Mint 400. And while many were focused on the party aspect of Vegas and the spectacle of the Mint, Team TC was focused on the task at hand, knowing they were bringing a knife to a gun fight. However, Pitell-Vaughan was racing the Nevada desert and with reports of an absolutely brutal course, she made a plan and stuck to it.
The 116-mile lap was run 3 times, so the plan was to drive solid for the first lap and sort out the track, race the 2nd lap, and bring it home on the 3rd. All things went according to schedule on lap 1, but lap 2 was a game of survival with the Trophy Trucks that started an hour earlier roaring through. So with lost time on lap 2, and only 10 ½ total hours to complete the course inside the time limit, Nicole had clear air and charged hard, setting a blistering pace on lap 3. They passed vehicle after vehicle broken along the track – not surprising considering the refrigerator-sized rocks and deeply rutted course. The team stayed inspired by the fans and teams who cheered them on, as the pump gas, door-banger Toyota on 35” BFG Mud Terrains, purchased off the shelf at Tire Rack, put the hammer down to get to the finish.
To learn more about Total Chaos Fabrication and TC components, log on to www.chaosfab.com.
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