We Desert Race in the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

When Ford asked if we wanted to fill the third seat in the Foutz Motorsports 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor pickup truck during the 2016 Best in the Desert Mint 400, all we could do was stare in disbelief. Eventually we were able to say yes.

Ford has partnered with Foutz several times in the Best in the Desert and Score Baja races in order to punish its pickups in conditions that can't be simulated at the proving grounds. Ford engineers are on hand at each race to support the race teams and gather data for improving the pickup. This race was no different.

The Raptor was one of 68 entered in one of several limited classes for the March 2016 race. Technically, the factory stock full-size truck class (aka Class 1200) had one only competitor, the Raptor, so winning its class meant finishing the race. It's worth noting only 19 teams in the limited categories finished the race.

The factory stock class is open to production vehicles; they cannot have modifications beyond those necessary to meet the Best in the Desert safety requirements. Each vehicle is required to have a roll cage, fire suppression, a fuel cell (instead of a regular gas tank), window netting and five-point harness belts for all occupants. Beyond that, the Raptor was as close to a stock pickup as anything entered in the race; it had stock BFG tires and rims, Fox Racing shocks, factory body panels and interior electronics along with a factory chassis. In the name of full disclosure, however, the springs on the race truck were similar in design but slightly stiffer than what we'll see on the 2017 Raptor due out later this year. They provided about 1.5 inches more ground clearance (maybe for a "competition" package to be offered at a later date?). Ford also sent the Foutz race team another Raptor for display purposes, but it ended up serving as a spare parts bin after a race mishap.

Off to the Races

The race was broken into two 92-mile laps, the first driven by Tim Casey and navigator Travis Leach, and the second driven by Greg Foutz with navigator Bill Rante. We rode along with Casey and Leach at the start of the day, so we had a relatively clean course when we crossed the start line at 7 a.m.; however, by the time the second lap with Foutz, Rante and another journalist started about four hours later, the course was horribly dug up and rutted from more than 600 vehicles driving over the same route. That included the extremely fast Pro Class with vehicles making more than 800 horsepower and sporting 40-inch aggressively treaded tires. The second lap took about two hours longer than the first. Much of that extra time was due the Raptor suffering a sheared-off head on an attachment bolt for the lower control arm. Happily, the pickup was close to the first pit where the parts were quickly replaced.

Being the only entry in our class had its perks because we were able to get in front of many of the slower buggies, Volkswagens and side-by-side razors at the start of the race. We didn't have to do as much weaving and passing when rumbling up on the competition.

Much of the course followed remote cell-tower trails and power-line roads that did not offer much passing or runoff room. During the first 5 miles of the snaking course that headed due east directly into the sun, Casey had to be careful about running up on a half-dozen rigs already broken on the side of the course. The smart teams sent a person to warn approaching competitors while the driver tried to make repairs.

From Where I Sat

I sat in a middle bucket seat in the back of the SuperCab Raptor, which gave me a bird's-eye view of how well Casey and Leach worked together. There was a constant flow of information back and forth: subtle warnings, notes about speed and the route ahead, or suggestions about pace and smoothness. My only job was to keep an eye on the rearview mirror right above my head to check for speeding traffic coming up from behind. Although Casey also checked his mirrors, later he kindly described my intermittent warnings as a "nice benefit." Such was my contribution to the race. Much of my attention was focused squarely on the horizon and how well this stock truck handled the remote Nevada desert (near Las Vegas).

The Raptor was probably the only vehicle in the race with power windows, air conditioning and satellite radio. Those turned out to be nice benefits. In some of the more isolated sections of the course, silt and dust created visibility and breathing issues. Unlike many other teams, we were able to put the windows up, engage the air conditioning in recirculation mode and have our cab cool and clean in just a few minutes. Likewise, we enjoyed music during the race (Casey and Leach favor Ozzy's Boneyard station) as we transitioned from the remote backcountry to the spectator-packed technical sections of the course.

It was impressive to watch Casey use Ford's new 10-speed, paddle-shifting transmission and high-output twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost, both of which are debuting on the 2017 Raptor. Keeping engine revs up to make sure at least a few tires are always digging the dirt was pretty easy, but diving into hidden silt beds or getting caught in deep, rocky tire ruts proved challenging. Quick and responsive downshifts were the only thing that saved us. For the worst parts of the course, Casey locked out the top five or six gears and just ran up and down the first four or five gears. (Check out What We Learned for more details) Engine and transmission (neither of which were modified in any way) temperatures stayed reasonably within the proper limits.

Of course, as nice as it was to have quick-shifting gears and instant power, the most important job drivers have is to avoid large rocks. This became especially important when making slow-speed sharp turns or high-speed runs along empty dirt roads. Watching Leach and Casey tackle this task was like watching longtime dance partners wend their way through a complex piece of choreography. They instinctively guided and warned each other about what was ahead or where their next move should be.

The most interesting parts of the course were the pits at miles 29 and 72, where spectators gathered and cheered for their favorite teams when they rolled in for water, fuel or repairs. Our team only stopped at Pit A for a visual check of the undercarriage because of a hard hit at mile 25 after a particularly tight corner. We were making great time later in our lap and didn't need to stop at Pit B. And while a race like this is all about speed and suspension travel, our other favorite part of the race came around mile 64. That's where competitors romped through a quarry that provided some ridiculously technical challenges and obstacles, all speed limited. Spectators lined the steep walls and small hills for good views. Our team thought blasting some metal was a fun way to show the crowd we were in a stock pickup truck.

Finishing Our Race

The final fun section of our lap came near the end, when the course ran straight through the middle of a dry lake bed, so Casey opened the throttle wide. Thanks to some small adjustments to pickup's computer, our truck was not speed limited. We had the smoothest ride of our day cruising right around 110 mph before slowing as the trail out of the lake bed ran back into the hills.

By the time we got back to the start line, heading into the Foutz Motorsports pit area to make a few repairs, switch drive teams and top off the fuel cell, we had spent three-plus hours averaging a not-so-impressive 30 mph, much of the time testing the limits of the harness straps on our shoulders and around our waist. Thankfully, we didn't have to use our catheter (another story for another time) or the zip-close bags (in case of vomiting) during the race. Thank you Dramamine.

As we pulled into pit I just wanted to relax, but our three teammates were chomping on the bit and eager to start the next lap. They'd spent the three hours we were on the road listening to our progress by the radio and taking notes about the course. We quickly hustled out of their way.

Their leg of the race was a little slower, largely due to deeper ruts and more broken-down competitors along the route. Foutz's team hit a rock hidden in sand, and that's what sheared the head off the lower control arm bolt on the passenger side of the pickup. First it made funny sounds, then it affected the steering. By the time they pulled into Pit A, that spare Raptor came in handy, donating its lower control arm bolt to replace the original. The entire diagnosis and fix took about an hour before they were once again on the course at full speed.

By the time the Raptor made it across the finish line and onto the podium for a few quick photos and a "You Finished!" interview, it was close to 5 p.m.; about half the entries that started the race finished it.

More Raptor Racing

Foutz Motorsports is taking this pair of Raptors to the remaining Best in the Desert races, and it's the odds-on favorite to win the factory stock class championship. More important than winning the series, though, is what Ford engineers learn at each race. The mountain of data they're compiling benefits the racers, Ford and ultimately, consumers.

Whether Ford will offer a Mint 400 special-edition F-150 Raptor remains to be seen, but in the meantime, performing long-term durability testing through the desert race season is bound to help Ford build a stronger and more capable off-road pickup truck.

At least that's the plan.

Cars.com photos by Mark Williams; manufacturer images

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