2017 Ford Raptor F-150 is Going Racing

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Ford Motor Company has announced that the 2017 Raptor F-150 will compete in the Factory Stock class of the 2016 Best in the Desert racing series. This will allow the company to show that not only is the new Raptor Build Ford Tough – but it is tough enough to handle the rigors off off-road racing.

“The all-new Raptor has the DNA of a Baja race truck, with a purpose-built engine, chassis and suspension that enables it to travel fast over challenging desert landscapes or crawl over rocky terrain,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Performance.

Per the rules of the class, the Raptor F-150 race truck will have the exact same 3.5L EcoBoost V6 that powers the street version – right down to the power-choking emission components – although they are allowed to add a Ford Racing dual exhaust setup. The 10-speed automatic transmission and the advance four wheel drive systems will remain untouched as well, but the standard Raptor shocks and springs will be swapped out for more race-friendly units, which will also give the Raptor a bit more ground clearance. Finally, the only other “performance modification” made to the Raptor F-150 race trucks is a set of 17 inch beadlock wheels wrapped in street legal BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires.

In terms of safety upgrades, the 2017 Ford Raptor F-150 race truck will have lightweight race bucket seats with racing harnesses, a roll cage, a huge light bar, the necessary navigation/communication gadgets and a fuel cell.

The first racing action for this new Raptor F-150 comes in early February, when the truck heads to Parker, Arizona, for the first leg of the 2016 Best in the Desert series.

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.


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