Conquering the Desert In a Ford Raptor R At the Raptor Rally

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor changed the game for factory off-roading. Jeep had well-established itself as the benchmark for rock crawling, but the Raptor arrived as a street-legal trophy truck. Now in its third generation, the Ford F-150 Raptor spawned Raptor variants of the Bronco SUV and midsize Ranger pickup.

Ford’s Raptor program has proven to be wildly successful for the automaker and beloved by the brand’s faithful. The Raptor name combines impressive off-road capability with shocking everyday usability. Raptors are so ubiquitous within car culture that it’s hard to believe the first Raptor model arrived only 15 years ago.

With a total five Raptor models offered so far in the United States (three generations of F-150, one generation of Bronco, and one generation of Ranger), Ford created the Raptor Rally to celebrate the community that has formed around its subbrand. It also takes the opportunity to mine those dedicated fans for feedback to put into future Raptor models.

Ford invited us out for the second installment of the Raptor Rally and lent us a 2025 Ford F-150 Raptor R. Tantalized by the prospect of putting its supercharged, 720-hp 5.2-liter V-8 to work, we packed our bags and hit the road.

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Road Trip to the Rally

The 2025 Raptor Rally was held in Lake Havasu, Arizona, a popular spot for those who love boating, fishing, and off-roading. We got started early with a 7:00 a.m. departure to beat most of Los Angeles’ nefarious traffic. The Raptor R proved itself to be a comfortable road trip cruiser, with its indulgent V-8 belching on every overtake.

It wasn’t long before a Ranger Raptor pulled up next to me, the driver ecstatic to see someone else on the way to the event. He pulled up an iPad from the passenger seat with the Raptor Rally flyer on the screen. Our caravan was eventually joined by a red first-generation F-150 Raptor.

We arrived in Lake Havasu right as the gates opened, joining a quarter-mile-long queue of Raptors from all models and generations waiting to get into the event. To give you a sense of exactly how many Ford models showed up for this event, the line snaked for about another quarter mile into the parking lot, up to a tent where we received some other goodies for participating, as well as a unique identification number for our windshield.

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Parked amongst hundreds of other Raptor pickups and SUVs, it was impossible not to feel a sense of belonging. With a little under 2,500 miles on the odometer, our stock F-150 Raptor R stood out amongst other modified and personalized rigs. After admiring the some of the other metal that came out for the Rally, we headed inside for our orientation.

After hearing Ford’s opening remarks and a brief panel discussion with presidents from four of the eleven Raptor clubs participating in this year’s rally, we cruised around the basecamp to check out some of the activities on offer. Radio control car company Traxxas offered over a dozen RC Ford models for rally participants to drive over mini dirt-track and bouldering courses.

We tried our hand at Ford’s Bronco Raptor video simulator, which used a real Bronco Raptor, a widescreen display, and hydraulic actuators that move the chassis and provide the feeling of high-speed offroad racing. It would have been a lot cooler if we could have driven the simulator, instead of merely watching video footage, but we had plenty of real-life driving ahead of us. After the afternoon’s excitement, capped by a beautiful sunset over Lake Havasu, we returned to our hotel for a good night’s sleep before the next day’s adventures.

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Raptoring 101

As part of the planning process for the Raptor Rally, each participant chose their own itinerary tailored to their interests with options ranging from workshops to driving activities. As guests of Ford, we got a sample platter of the variety of experiences available to Raptor Rally attendees.

Our day started with “Jump Your Raptor,” which is exactly what it sounds like. We joined a cadre of other Raptor pilots at Standard Wash, an off-highway vehicle (OHV) area just south of Lake Havasu and filtered through a checkpoint where we were given our helmets and radios for safety.

An instructor gave our group, which included former Formula 1 driver and Ford brand ambassador Daniel Ricciardo, a quick tutorial on how to properly jump an offroad vehicle. The key: get set up right to nail the landing.

As instructed, we configured our F-150 Raptor R to its Baja drive mode and manually selected second gear for the best launch. This setup is best for driving fast on loose surfaces and uncorks the loudest exhaust profile, which Ford warns is not street legal. It also disables the truck’s creep on idle, so you can launch from a standstill without having a foot on the brake.

At the start line, we got our truck pointed toward the dirt ramp ahead of us and parked at the start line. All clear signal received, we pinned the throttle to the floor, and all 640 lb-ft of torque from the snarling, supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 shot us forward. With the Raptor’s nose aimed squarely at the jump, we held the accelerator to the floor until the moment before the tires took flight, then lifted off the gas to let the revs drop. Our truck sailed through the air and came down with enough force to eject our water bottles from the cupholders.

We laughed hysterically for minutes after our trip on Raptor airlines, not only in disbelief that we got so much hang time but also that everything went so well for what was my first official off-road jump. We didn’t have much time to recompose ourselves, however. As soon as we returned our helmets and radios, it was time for the next set of driving exercises.

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First up: rock crawling. Ford’s instructor told us to put our Raptor R test car in Rock Crawl mode, which engages the rear locking differential and 4Lo in addition to adjusting the F-150’s settings for tiptoeing over boulders. Those driving Raptor models with Ford’s Trail One Pedal Drive were told to enable it for better control over the obstacles.

When it was our turn to navigate what can only be described as a pond of rocks, the guide asked us how difficult a route we’d like.

We got as far as saying “It’s Ford’s truck,” but he cut me off with something to the effect of, “Say less” before sending me through a challenging route over some of the most substantial boulders on the course. We had never used Trail One Pedal Drive, so it was tricky navigating the aggressive terrain while getting used to the sensation of controlling a supercharged F-150 with one foot. With the help of the guide’s hand gestures and instructions, we traversed the rocks and avoided a catastrophic mishap other than a blow to the underside of the sideboard. The instructor kindly reminded me that they’re made of aluminum because this sort of thing is expected on the trail and acknowledged that he gave me a challenging trial because we said the truck was a loaner. Sorry, Ford!

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Pride bruised but F-150 Raptor R intact, it was time to take on some steep hills. The first challenge was to use Trail One Pedal Drive to drive along a steep slope that would tilt our truck sideways. Easing up the grade with the window down so I could listen to the section’s driving instructor, we took it easy and tried to hold the pedal as still as possible in order to keep the cab steady. Gently steering the right tires up the hill, we saw the Raptor R roll 30 degrees to the side, via the digital display in the instrument cluster, at the steepest point in the exercise.

Afterward, the instructor’s congratulations and fist bump helped soothe our ego from the sideboard grazing a few minutes ago, too.

In the next demo, we made short work of a simulated failed attempt of a steep hill climb. Approaching a steep incline, we set the speed control to 5.0 mph and then stopped when we got to a cone placed near the top of the slope. On the way down, we set the crawl to 2.0 mph and reversed without incident. Then we were tasked to drive all the way up a hill with the control set to 5.0 mph and then descend, nose down, at 3.0 mph. We were overequipped for this exercise with our 2025 F-150 Raptor R and breezed right through.

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Graduating to Fast Off-Roading

Having done some Raptor-appropriate activities to kick off the day, it was time to see what a 2025 Ford F-150 Raptor R could do in the hands of a pro. We followed a trail that was long enough to make us wonder if we were heading in the right direction. Eventually it led to a precipice over an expansive quarry where a gaggle of folks were watching a cloud of dust rip across the bottom of the basin.

Bursting from the plume was a Ford F-150 Raptor, tearing up a rutted rally stage. Then a rollicking exhaust note and the whine of straight-cut gears drew our attention to the other side of the quarry. It was none other than the Ford Raptor T1+, the automaker’s Dakar Rally race car, driven by Ricciardo. For motorsports dorks, this was hog heaven.

Helmet in hand, it was time for a hot lap in one of the F-150 Raptor Rs, driven by none other than Loren Healy, two-time King of the Hammers champion and five-time Ultra4 offroad racing series champion. Healy gave me a hot lap befitting a champion with lots of power slides and jumps that put my earlier attempt to shame. Healy is the real deal, and so is the Raptor R.

My adrenaline subsided over deli sandwiches back at our lakeside basecamp. Returning to Standard Wash, it was time for our final activity of the day. Ford signed us up for the Performance Blue Trail, one of four routes the automaker mapped out for its Raptor drivers. Our trek leader outfitted us with radios so he could warn us about sharp turns, tire-killing rocks, and make sure no one got lost in the wilderness.

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Having practiced the fundamentals of off-roading all day, it was time to put them to use with some proper Raptor rallying. Our jaunt through a snaking path with tons of elevation changes showed what the 2025 Ford F-150 Raptor R does best.

With Baja mode enabled once again, we were encouraged to keep up our speed because Raptor’s dual-valve Fox shocks control compression and rebound better once the truck is at a brisk clip. Using the paddle shifters to keep the engine in the powerband, we unleashed the rally driver within, as our convey pummeled the uneven terrain.

The Raptor R’s steering is direct and responsive, communicating everything the front wheels are doing. After watching a first-generation F-150 Raptor kick out its back end in front of us and feeling our third-generation Raptor R to do the same thing a moment later, a quick twitch of countersteer was all that was required to bring the truck back in line.

Our guide had us rest near some desert art, a giant spider with plastic animal skeletons strewn underneath. Our crew took the time to admire one another's trucks and adjust anything in the bed that came loose. The driver of a Bronco Raptor offered everyone chilled water from her cooler. We came to this Raptor Rally as strangers and then bonded over a shared love of everything off-road.

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No one wanted our trail run to end, but we had to get back to basecamp in time for the closing ceremony. Clouds of dust bathed our trucks and limited our visibility as we got rolling once again, challenging us to maintain a close enough following distance so we wouldn’t get lost while hanging far enough back to see obstacles on the trail ahead. We were grateful for the yellow third brake light on the gen-one Raptor ahead of us, allowing us to see its position through the filth.

Once we returned to the staging area, it was farewells and pats on the back for a good day’s drive Then Ford sent things out with a bang, with drivers Bailey Campbell, Loren Healy, Brad Lovell, Mitch Guthrie Jr., and Vaughn Gittin Jr, and the unveiling of a new F-150 Raptor race car bound for the Baja 1000.

In his final appearance of the event, Ricciardo chatted with Ford host Jim Beaver and Will Ford III, the general manager of the new Ford Racing brand (which replaces Ford Performance). Beaver asked Ricciardo if he had any itch to race in Baja in the future, to which the former Formula 1 star responded, “Baby steps” before fondly recalling his time in the T1+ racecar. “I got a lot more than I bargained for. It was frickin’ awesome, but I’ve got a lot to learn,” Ricciardo said. “Ask me in a few events’ time.”

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Third Time’s the Charm

Niche automotive events hosted by mainstream brands risk coming off as corporate and inauthentic. Not so with Ford’s 2025 Raptor Rally, as the community’s enthusiasm made it feel like a Raptor family reunion. The event had its share of growing pains, but participants showed a great deal of patience as they waited through long lines to enter the event on day one. On day two, there was a lot of hang time between the scheduled activities as participants queued for a single pass through the various stations, but the excitement never dimmed. That said, with only two days of festivities in total, it seemed like everyone was left wanting more, especially more time on the trail.

Which is a good sign. While only a decade and a half old, the Raptor community is as tight knit as they come, and the second running Raptor Rally was a warm and welcoming convocation of Ford offroad enthusiasts of all generations and levels of experience. Seasoned veterans with first-generation Raptor trucks rubbing shoulders with first time four-wheelers is what it’s all about.