The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Prepares for Off-Road Racing Series

PEKIN, Ill. – There’s a new creature in the desert that you should be aware of. The all-new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is preparing for an off road race series called the 2016 Best in the Desert.

The racing series will really put the all-new Raptor to the test in every terrain with a tough stretch of courses. The core of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is a purpose-built fully boxed frame made from more high-strength steel than the outgoing Raptor now.

A lot of features go into the Ford Raptor to make it the ultimate off-road truck, and some of those features are the same in the actual production Raptor like:

• Torsen front differential to improve off-road capability further, significantly increasing grip for the front end and allowing the truck to pull itself over obstacles and up steep grades – even when traction is split between the front tires
• First-ever dual exhaust and new Ford Performance 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels with next-generation BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires enhance off-road performance

Greg Foutz, owner of Foutz Motorsports, Ford’s truck builder and primary race truck driver said,” This is the most stock truck I’ve ever seen in my time building Ford race trucks. Without custom technology or other modifications, this all-new Raptor is ready to prove the toughness and performance in the Best in the Desert series.”

The Raptor has plenty of modifications to make it a beast on the trail including:

• Race-optimized three-inch-diameter external-bypass front and rear Fox Racing Shox similar to Raptor’s segment-exclusive internal-bypass Fox Racing Shox
• Race-optimized front and rear springs raise ride height to gain additional ground clearance and provide increased compression rate to handle extreme terrain
• Custom-fabricated roll cage
• MasterCraft seats with five-point harness safety belts and window nets
• LED light bars
• Racing fuel cell
• Lowrance GPS
• RacePak digital dash and data logger

The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor prepares for an off-road racing series with its drivers Greg Foutz and Tim Casey, who are both champions of numerous stock full-class desert races.

The F-10 Raptor runs off Ford’s second-generation high-output 3.5L EcoBoost engine and a all-new 10-speed transmission for better efficiency.

The power distribution between the rear and front wheels is done with a new transfer case that combines the best traits of clutch-driven, on-demand all-wheel drive with durable, mechanical-locking four-wheel drive. This will help send power to the wheels in slippery conditions.

The off-road technology has formed into an all-new Terrain Management System which lets the driver select different modes to optimize driving dynamics to environmental conditions. There are six preset modes:

• Normal mode for everyday driving
• Street mode for higher-performance, on-road driving
• Weather mode for rain, snow or ice
• Mud and sand mode for muddy, sandy trails and terrain
• Baja mode for high-speed desert running
• Rock mode for low-speed rock crawling

If you’d like to see this truck in action, here are the following Ford F-150 Raptor dates and locations:

• Parker 425, Parker, Arizona, Feb. 4-7  
• Mint 400, Las Vegas, March 10-14
• Laughlin Desert Classic, Laughlin, Nevada, May 5
• Vegas to Reno, Nevada, Aug. 17-20
• Bluewater Challenge, Parker, Arizona, Sept. 10-Oct. 6
• Pahrump Nugget 250, Pahrump, Nevada, Dec. 1-4

We look forward to seeing updates on the racing series as it begins this weekend! Looking for a truck to take you on adventures? Velde Ford has plenty to choose from. Take a look at the 2016 Ford F-150, it may not be the Raptor, but it’ll still get you where you want to go.

At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit Velde Ford located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com

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