- How Do I Get Into The Off-Roadeo?
- What’s The Point, Other Than To Have A Blast?
- What Did We Learn?
- Is It Worth Attending The Off-Roadeo?
It's a day Bronco Raptor owners will never forget.
When Ford launched the Bronco Raptor Off-Roadeo School to teach you how to hoon, leap, and desert-run like a boss in the super-SUV, we thought, “That looks like fun!” And as it turns out, we weren't wrong.
When we hit the first of two off-road courses, the coach sent us wide through the dusty first corner before cutting in as he said, “We're going to unwind the wheel as we accelerate and straighten out before we hit the hill.” He did exactly that, aiming at the obstacle, which was more ramp than a hill, and feeding in enough throttle to send us airborne in the Bronco Raptor. I had been airborne in a Raptor Bronco before, but it was a soft arc compared to this deliberate jump.
That was my introduction to how Bronco Raptor owners can now learn what their vehicles are truly capable of through Ford in controlled conditions under the more than capable coaching of its expert staff. This was the course that environmentally shows what it's like to run Nevada's own Mint 400 race.
The other course is more comparable to conditions faced in the Baja 1000 race. To get there from the Nevada Off-Roadeo's base camp, it's an hour-long trek through desert trails, a rocky box canyon, and fantastic views for those not paying attention to the rocks and coaching staff.
Then it was my turn to head into that corner and get the Raptor straight for the jump, which isn't as easy as it looks when you're trying to maintain momentum and then get more power down in the dust. After that, the rest of the course involved a slippery banked corner, hard turns with rocks to avoid, climbing a rock face, and, finally, sending it over a blind crest to end the lap.
The second course is much tighter and includes silt and ruts as well as requiring more braking from speed. It's a course that, when pushed, guarantees your helmet will get banged on the top of the door if you haven't developed the neck muscles for off-road racing.
It's a blast, and the best way to learn what the Bronco Raptor can do.
How Do I Get Into The Off-Roadeo?
All you need to do is buy a Bronco for a complimentary credit. With any purchase of a Ford Bronco, including the deceptive-looking Bronco Sport, comes the opportunity to visit the Bronco Off-Roadeo for a full day of off-road experience at one of its locations, driving the same model of vehicle that you own. Raptor buyers, however, get access to the Raptor Off-Roadeo.
Currently, there are four locations in the US: Gilford, New Hampshire; Horseshoe Bay, Texas; Moab, Utah; and Mount Potosi in Nevada.
The Nevada location only hosts the Raptor Off-Roadeo and is currently the only location that does so. While the experience is designed for the owner only, they can bring up to two guests at an additional cost. Vehicles are provided, but owners are responsible for accommodation and transport costs to the venue.
What’s The Point, Other Than To Have A Blast?
As well as being a huge amount of fun, the idea of Off-Roadeo is to take the equivalent of your own vehicle into challenging situations with coaching from experts that include, in the Raptor Off-Roadeo, experienced off-road racers. Something we would say is essential for those that aren't off-roaders with a ton of experience who want to get the most out of their Braptor.
The first thing we were coached in was dealing with rocky terrain on the trails leading out to the tracks, something that's essential if you don't want to end up stuck in the wilderness with busted tires. The second was the scanning technique for reading the terrain when moving at a more-than-leisurely pace.
What Did We Learn?
This writer has plenty of experience off-road at low speed, so I got to learn a lot, even though our media experience was truncated. The old adage of “as slow as possible and fast as necessary” ingrained for all other off-road disciplines goes out the window when it comes to desert running.
You would never, for example, square up to a hump and lean on the throttle knowing the vehicle's wheels will leave the ground. Instead of picking your way through the terrain, you're scanning back and forth ahead and using race car techniques like leaving braking until late and making sure it's all done in a straight line before entering a corner. All while trying to be mechanically sympathetic to the vehicle.
I also learned that off-road endurance racing must be even more physically and mentally punishing than we already believed. And that's despite how insanely good the Bronco Raptor's suspension is at soaking up the bumps and lumps. It was amusing following another Raptor and watching just how frantically the suspension was working while knowing we were going over the same terrain and not feeling what we were seeing.
Is It Worth Attending The Off-Roadeo?
The Bronco Off-Roadeo experience is without a doubt one of the best things you can do if you've bought a Bronco and intend to take it off-road in any manner. In the case of the Raptor model, it could be considered essential as its abilities are so different from any other mainstream off-road SUV. When you buy a BMW M car or an AMG, you go to an advanced driving school to learn how to handle your car, and this is no different.
The Bronco Raptor is primarily designed to go quickly off-road, but it can also take on everything from mud plugging to rock crawling. And, of course, jumping, which is something you certainly won't find many other automakers encouraging with their off-road offerings.
Beyond just the educational and safety benefits of doing the Off-Roadeo, it's also a huge amount of fun, and the coaches are a precious resource at any experience level. Frankly, it seems foolish not to go. If you own a current-generation Bronco or have one on order, head over to the site and see what's available and where.
Keyword: Ford Bronco Raptor Off-Roadeo Experience Teaches You How To Hoon