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Group Of F-150 Raptor Owners Leave Their Mark SLINGING SAND ON MICHIGAN’S SILVER LAKE DUNES
Mark
Enjoy!FordRacing.com said:By Neil Clapp
Ford Performance Group
HART, Mich. -- In the Mustang world, clubs and active owners like to spend their time getting together for auto shows, car cruises and track days. But those venues don’t hold much appeal for owners of one of Ford’s most visible performance vehicles – the F-150 Raptor SVT pickup. In fact, car polish, parades and pavement are things rarely included on a Raptor owner’s “fun-filled weekend” list.
Let’s face it: Things changed when Ford introduced the F-150 Raptor SVT 4x4 for the 2010 model year and opened itself up to an all-new kind of performance vehicle enthusiast. Off-road truck guys are of a different breed. They would rather have more dirt than wax covering their paint, and things like fender flares and mud flaps are more important to them than a shiny set of wheels. And that’s precisely why we jumped at the chance join a group of Raptor owners who decided to head to mid-Michigan’s western shore for a day fun and frolicking at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes.
In addition to the SVT Owners Association, more than a few new online enthusiast communities have sprung up in support of the Raptor SVT pickup since the truck’s release, and it’s no wonder. Having a suspension designed for pre-running a Baja off-road race, the newest Raptor is now available exclusively with a 6.2-liter V-8, producing a best-in-class 411 horsepower and 434 foot-pounds of torque. That means it also packs plenty of power for anything you can throw at it, whether it’s desert trails, logging roads, gravel, dirt, snow, or – as we found out on a blustery weekend in October – even sand.
We got the heads-up for the outing from an old friend, Mark Rowe, who had worked at the former SVT Info Center and went on to manage the Contour Enthusiasts Group (CEG), a large online community dedicated to fans of the Ford Contour, SVT Contour, Ford Mondeo and Mercury Mystique. After buying his Raptor, Rowe had become involved in the off-road enthusiast community and had recently handed off his leadership of www.Contour.org to devote more time with his Raptor buddies and FordRaptorForum.com.
Rowe and fellow Raptor fan John Turnsek, who is the parts manager at Meegan Ford in Mount Pleasant, PA, had heard from their friend, Jason Kanakry (another Raptor owner), that he was organizing a Raptor owner fall get-together along the western shoreline of Lake Michigan before the dunes there were closed to vehicle traffic for the season. (Michigan’s Silver Lake Sand Dunes were chosen because they are the only dunes east of Utah were you are legally allowed to drive a private motorized vehicle on the sand between April 1st and Oct. 31st.) Both Rowe and Turnsek readily agreed to attend and bring their Raptors. Although it would have been easier and cheaper for them to make the 400+ mile trip together in one truck, the idea of riding shotgun instead of being at the helm of their own Raptor was considered cruel and unusual punishment.
Since Rowe still had old connections in Metro Detroit at Ford, he decided to get in touch with his club contact at the Ford Performance Group to see if Ford Racing could help arrange a visit to his old workplace, the SVT office in nearby Allen Park, MI. He was hoping to possibly show his buddy Turnsek around, and perhaps even meet some Raptor SVT engineers.
After we sent a few emails and made a few phone calls, the plan was for them to arrive at the Ford Racing building so that Rowe could say hello to old friends, and from there head off to SVT Headquarters where we had arranged a walk-around of the 2013 Raptor with some of the SVT design and engineering team. After all, there’s nothing like getting a few off-roading tips right from the source!
When we arrived at SVT, Chris Pavia (one of Raptor’s lead engineers) had the visiting owners meet with a small group of employees who were involved in a variety of aspects of the Raptor vehicle program. Pavia pointed out the major design changes that have been incorporated into the 2013 Raptor. Rowe and Turnsek got an up-close-and-personal review of the Raptor’s new bead-lock wheels, front-mounted camera, and new-for-’13 “Terrain” paint color.
Pavia explained in detail how the design process evolves into the testing phase, and how all of that work brings about adding new features to the production vehicle. In turn, the SVT team was thrilled to hear directly from people who use their trucks to the fullest, and all talked about the enjoyment that comes from owning a Raptor.
After the walk-around session the guys hit the road, while we decided to drive out to the dunes the next morning to meet up with Raptor group before they ventured out onto the sand. It was going to be a typical cool and breezy autumn day in Michigan, but with the spectacular fall colors peaking in the area at this time of year, everyone was expecting a wonderful view from the top of the dunes. The Silver Lake Sand Dunes comprise one of the largest sand deposits on Lake Michigan, stretching across some 2,000 acres and nearly three miles of coastline. This would be the perfect place for a group of off-roaders to explore the capabilities of a Raptor!
We met up with the group at the entrance to the dunes at around 9 a.m., and it was easy to tell everyone was chomping at the bit to get rolling. Kanakry of FordRaptorForum.com was the first to introduce himself, as he was the brains and brawn behind organizing this event and needed to bring everyone in attendance up to speed on the day’s schedule.
When the talk turned to vehicle prep instructions for the event, it wasn’t about having spray detailer and tire shine, but instead about the use of tire gauges for proper air pressure, and attaching flags to the vehicles to comply with rules of being on the dunes. After 30 minutes of discussion and preparation, we were finally ready to hit the sand.
Having driven across the state in a Mustang GT, we parked our Ford Racing fleet vehicle and hopped-in with Turnsek, who was already strapped-in and prepared to test what the SVT engineers had created the Raptor to do. The first “test hill” was approximately 200 feet high, and with it being our and John’s first time ever diving on a dune, we quickly discovered that there is a lot of skill involved in successfully navigating a truck in the sand. Knowing when and how much to throttle up and down and when and how hard to use the brakes is key to mobility out here. Even a Raptor is prone to digging itself down to the running boards if you don’t control wheelspin properly. And finding the right angle to climb and descend in and out of the mounds of sand can play an even more important role to keep your vehicle upright and rolling in this environment.
We found that hours (and gallons of fuel) quickly evaporate when you have acres and acres of wide open sand to jump and speed through. We made a few driver stops and held some impromptu meetings on the top of the dunes looking out over Lake Michigan. The view from that vantage point was amazing, and the excitement that was shared discussing the capabilities of the Raptors had everybody’s eyes lighting up.
When Kanakry was told how much “air” he got over one jump, he simply wouldn’t believe the witnesses because he felt his Raptor’s suspension had absorbed the shock of landing all too easily – but was finally convinced once he was shown some digital photos of his Raptor in flight. Our time on the sand left us impressed with the Raptor as well, as two-foot bumps on the flats barely felt like small potholes while John had his Baja-capable raptor hitting speeds of up to 70 mph in no time! A couple of attendees even had their children strapped in the back of their Raptors and heard no complaints from the kids, thanks to the smooth ride – all a true testament to Raptor’s remarkable ability.
After our day on the dunes with this group, we were told that regional organized Raptor off-road events like this one have been popping up all over the country. With the Raptor being so capable and fun on almost any kind of terrain, there really isn’t a location in the United States where owners wouldn’t be able to enjoy everything this truck has to offer.
Being able to attend an event like this was an absolute thrill for us, and provided an experience that we won’t soon forget. Our thanks to Mark, John, Jason, FordRaptorForum.com and all the attendees for the opportunity to explore the dunes with them, and for all the hospitality they showed to the Ford Racing guy who drove there in a Mustang. (We know that showing up to a Mustang show with a dirty car will most certainly get you some looks, but we learned that if you show up to a Raptor meet in a clean truck, you better be prepared to take some heat!)
Turns out that Raptor owners all across the Midwest are already being courted to attend another Michigan event planned for late January, 2013 – one that is sure to put their trucks to the test: The SnoBall 500 – Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Raptor Run. You can bet that if we get to cover this 500-mile winter marathon, we’ll hitch a ride in a Raptor and leave the Mustang GT at home!
Mark
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