TSCO Ford Raptor Luxury Pre-Runner

Jul. 14, 2011 By Jaime Hernandez
Ford Raptor Luxury pre-runner by Stewart’s Raceworks.

Most of us have heard of the pre-runner truck, a concept that originated from off-road racers with the desire and the funds to have a separate race vehicle dedicated solely for running the racecourse before a race. Sometimes it’s a full-fledged Trophy Truck with the comforts of luxury car.

From the ranks of elite Trophy Truck teams come some wicked machines made to run hard on dirt and smooth on the street. One of the most requested luxury pre-runner builders is Craig Stewart and his crew at Stewart’s Raceworks out of Santee, California. With over 25 years of off-road experience, the mastermind Stewart continues to evolve the performance and comfort of the pre-runner.
 
Stewart’s Raceworks was commissioned to build two identical Raptor Luxury pre-runners for Gary & Mark Weyhrich of TSCO Racing, who finished fifth overall at the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

Off-Road.com was invited out for testing of the new TSCO Ford Raptor pre-runner, which was made for Gary and Mark Weyrich, who finished fifth overall at the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 500. As we reported in an earlier in Off-Road.com News, this is not the same truck you might see on the street or Ford showroom floor. It’s a full-blown, hand-built mechanical masterpiece—the first Ford Raptor luxury pre-runner of its kind.
 
Stewart’s Raceworks designed a new fiberglass body that follows the same lines of the production Ford Raptor, but it has a significantly wider and taller stance to be able to accommodate the 39-inch BFG Project tires that cycle 26 inches of travel in the front and 31 inches in the rear.

This new TSCO Ford Raptor has created a lot of buzz in the off-road community. Described as “one of the most spectacular pre-runners ever to grace the pages of Masterpiece in Metal,” Craig Perrone immortalized Stewart’s Racework’s Ford Raptor in the June 2011 issue of Dirt Sports magazine (http://dirtsportsnation.com/). We couldn’t agree more with Mr. Perrone.
 
Inside the cockpit, the Ford Raptor pre-runner is equipped with the latest off-road racing technology and comfort, including A/C, XM radio, dual Kenwood race radios and intercom, 10” Lowrance GPS & Garmin Streetpilot navigation system.  Sit down and enjoy the ride with 6-position power adjustable Master Craft Safety 3G seats, 5-point harness, Momo steering wheel and Trophy Truck-inspired Livorsi instrumentation.  A full roll cage protects the driver and two passengers, and it doubles as a top mount for Fox coil-over and by-pass shocks that control the rear suspension. The entire cockpit is finished off with custom stitching by Friendly Upholstery.

 
The chassis on this Raptor pre-runner is Cad-drawn, 3D modeled and laser cut to a Chromoly tig-welded metal.  Housed under the louvered hood is a Patton Racing 600 hp engine and Rancho drivetrain 4L80 Transmission that has been strategically placed further back to create a balanced 50/50 weight distribution for the truck. Stewart’s Raceworks billet front control arms are matched with Fox 4.0 by-pass and 3.0 coil-overs that offer 26 inches of wheel travel.

 
The twin TSCO Raptor PreRunner trucks both run bead-lock Method Racing Wheels wrapped with 39" BFGoodrich Project Tires. A Ron Davis aluminum radiator and Fluidyne oil coolers are cooled off by three electric fans to keep the 600 hp Patton engine cranking and the Rancho transmission pumping.  A spare wheel and tire sit atop a 70-gallon Harmon Racing Fuel Cell.  The truck has a small toolbox and aluminum Craftsman race jack contained by a Raceworks attachment.

 
The Raptor PreRunner gets moving with a Gearworks 10" housing matched with Pro-Am hubs and 6.0 to 1 XTRAC rear Differential.  The massive trailing arms linked to the housing allow up to 31 inches of wheel travel. Alcon 14” rotors with six-piston calipers produce stopping power.

 The TSCO Ford Raptor pre-runner by Stewart’s Raceworks takes flight in Plaster City, CA.

Stewart’s Raceworks ups the ante with impressive numbers:
• 600 hp Ford V8
• 525 lb.-ft. torque
• 26 in. front wheel travel
• 31 in. rear wheel travel
• Wheelbase: 134 in.
• Length: 228 in.
• Height 74 in.
• Track width: 90 in.
• Weight: 5,900 lbs.

If you want more, make sure to check out the video series that takes us on the journey of how the Stewart’s Raceworks Ford Raptor PreRunner came to life at http://stewartsraceworks.com/video_gallery.php

SOURCE:
Stewart’s Raceworks
http://www.stewartsraceworks.com/


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