TOOELE, Utah — Utah is well known for its ruggedly beautiful terrain so much so that Ford Performance Racing School just invested in a new, one-of-a-kind property designed especially for off-road training.
Owners of an F-150 Raptor and Raptor R have the chance to learn about what their vehicle can do in extreme off-roading conditions at the property in Tooele.
Austin Robinson has been instructing and racing for more than 35 years, winning his class in off-road races such as the Baja 1000. He joins other world-class instructors at the "Raptor Assault Program."
"Off-roading is really in my heart," Robinson explained.
While many new owners of The Raptor will never take the vehicle to its limits in normal life, drivers can gather from all over the US and Canada to Tooele to learn what it can do.
"We have the Baja-style terrain that we can run and then the slow mobility hill climbs," Robinson said. "Not to mention the sand dune and the salt flats and off-road terrain…so it’s just a really good setting to be in."
Participants of the course pay just under $1,500 for the program, which includes dinner, a handling course, rock crawl hill ascent and descent, a trail ride, jump exercise and an off-road course.
Closed tracks for the school take guests into the Oquirrh Mountains for a taste of famous Utah mountain views and terrain.
The school expects around 1,200 participants this year.
"I think a lot of them look at it as an experience of a lifetime because it’s not just learning about the truck and driving technique but going out on the trails and up into the mountains," Robinson explained.
As the program is new, leaders say they are looking to expand to even more racing instructing opportunities as more owners turn to see just what their vehicles are capable of.
