This week’s Truckin Pullin’ video features a Ford SVT Raptor F-150, leaving me to wonder if there is anything that the Raptor cannot do well. The Raptor is one of the most capable factory built off-road trucks of all time, so whether you are racing through the desert or creeping through a thick forest on a hunting trip, the Raptor is just about unstoppable.
The Raptor is also great for rock crawling, mudding and every day driving, but this video shows us that a near-stock SVT F-150 can lay down an impressive effort when hooked to the puling sled.
The is a bit slow moving at the beginning, as we see the driver of this Raptor F-150 wiggling around to get lined up with the sled, so you can jump to about the 50 second mark if you are in a hurry.
Once the green flag drops, this 6.2L Raptor begins to work its way down the course with a surprising amount of ease. We see this high performance F-150 cruise past the 150 and 200 mark, and it looks as though the driver is well on his way to the end of the course when the truck screeches to a halt…much to the dismay of the crowd.
"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.
