SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/726957
THE SUPERCREW MODEL HAS A 144- INCH WHEELBASE AND SITS SIX INCHES WIDER THAN THE STANDARD F-150. has many of its own parts that had to be smoothly integrated." With the use of military-grade aluminum alloy in key areas of the truck, Ford shaved 500 lbs. off the Raptor's weight, making it more agile off-road. With a lighter body, however, the 2017 Raptor is anything but fragile. It was still developed with Ford's experience in Baja and was re-designed from the ground up, to handle the desert racing environment. "We spent time in the desert and dirt terrain and made sure that before the vehicle gets to the customer, it's been proven in this environment," said Greco. "Our Chief Program Engineer, Jamal Hameedi, built the first generation Raptor and is an avid enthusiast of Baja desert racing. He had his thumb on everything that we did and he ensured we were paying close attention to what the customers want. Everything about this truck is about its development and testing in the desert environment." Much of the 2017 Raptor's testing and overall capabilities led to the development of its new suspension system that has race-proven components, as well as advanced terrain management technology. Starting with a look under the fenders, SCORE racers and fans will recognize the Fox racing shocks that were built to Ford's specifications. The shocks are three-inch diameter internal bypass shocks that provide more suspension travel and are designed to prevent the Raptor from bottoming out. When combined with its Terrain Management System, the 2017 Raptor can provide maximum traction under a variety of conditions. The system provides six different modes that extend from Normal to Baja, Weather, Street Performance, Mud & Sand, and a Rock mode for crawling. "The use of a suspension management system is an evolutionary thing for high-performance products," said Greco. "Lots of other Ford products have smart drive modes, including high-performance vehicles like the Shelby which has it as well. They've become very popular and it's a natural evolution to bring it to the Raptor." 063 SCORE JOURNAL