Hit the desert today, wow!

Galion

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Love the Ranger Raptor, Coming from a Tacoma V6, all I can say is that this truck is a monster on the sand dunes. I only aired down to 25 front, 20 rear and it soak up the dunes great, Fox 2.5 long travel suspension outperformed my Taco Bilstein by far. Very fun!

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Chris M

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How did you get a ROW Raptor in NC?
I wondered that too...but look at his profile. Two locations, the other in Peru....
But the first thing I asked myself was how did he find "desert" in NC?
 

Msfitoy

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I wondered that too...but look at his profile. Two locations, the other in Peru....
But the first thing I asked myself was how did he find "desert" in NC?
Maybe he's at the beach dunes?
 


Msfitoy

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Them's tall dunes, my friend.
LOL you're right...that looks like Michigan sand dunes or maybe somewhere in the middle east?
 

Chris M

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Google search shows dunes like that in Peru.
So I'm betting he's there taking those pics.
 
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Galion

Galion

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Haha, I am originally from NC but this is the Peruvian central coast, great dunes down here. Actually, this was one of the stages of the 2019 Dakar rally. Photos courtesy of NBC news



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P. A. Schilke

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Haha, I am originally from NC but this is the Peruvian central coast, great dunes down here. Actually, this was one of the stages of the 2019 Dakar rally. Photos courtesy of NBC news

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Hi Folks,

Had a sit down with Robby Gordon many years ago...he proposed doing a Dakar in a F150 highly modified truck taking the Trophy/Trick Truck to the next level. While interested, I realized we were putting all our Eggs ($) in one bucket so to speak... Since my tenure of managing Ford's off road racing effort filtered money down to the grass roots level...to abandon these racers for a problematic one time effort, I offered Robby up to pull funding together from other sources and we could cough up some money for a Built Touch door decal etc, but we could not forsake the stock class participants for such a one time a year expensive program... Robby was never successful at Dakar but I have to say he was one very talented driver...

Bit of a back story....We were running an IndyCar race in Motegi Japan....There was a pre event party hosted by Honda. We Indycar officials were gathered together when I fell to the floor due to someone taking my knees out. It was Robby.... He was driving IndyCars at the time. So looking up and then regaining my stance, Robby introduced his drop dead gorgeous girlfriend to me and the group... He told his GF....this is the only guy that ever whupped me on a race track... Sheesh....It was in a SCCA Racetruck test mule I had on the handling track at Ford, in the first test Robby every had on asphalt. Anyway....Ego flattered...incredible driver. More mature now for sure but absolutely fearless...
 
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Galion

Galion

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Hi Folks,

Had a sit down with Robby Gordon many years ago...he proposed doing a Dakar in a F150 highly modified truck taking the Trophy/Trick Truck to the next level. While interested, I realized we were putting all our Eggs ($) in one bucket so to speak... Since my tenure of managing Ford's off road racing effort filtered money down to the grass roots level...to abandon these racers for a problematic one time effort, I offered Robby up to pull funding together from other sources and we could cough up some money for a Built Touch door decal etc, but we could not forsake the stock class participants for such a one time a year expensive program... Robby was never successful at Dakar but I have to say he was one very talented driver...

Bit of a back story....We were running an IndyCar race in Motegi Japan....There was a pre event party hosted by Honda. We Indycar officials were gathered together when I fell to the floor due to someone taking my knees out. It was Robby.... He was driving IndyCars at the time. So looking up and then regaining my stance, Robby introduced his drop dead gorgeous girlfriend to me and the group... He told his GF....this is the only guy that ever whupped me on a race track... Sheesh....It was in a SCCA Racetruck test mule I had on the handling track at Ford, in the first test Robby every had on asphalt. Anyway....Ego flattered...incredible driver. More mature now for sure but absolutely fearless...
Great story Phil. I saw him race a Hummer H3 buggy on the 2012 Dakar Rally, RG didnt win but he stole the show, that guy was nuts!
 

P. A. Schilke

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He was on the Dale Jr. Download a while back talking about how he started the Stadium Super Truck Series. It was a great interview.

Hi Shea,

Typical Robby....never a loss for words. When I gave him his exposure to pavement at the test track, SVO called me to ask my assessment of him.... I told the North American Director, Lee M that I had never seen someone that possessed the car control he had. Little did I know that would lead to Mailing my test mule and me down to the St. Petersburg SCCA Truck race. Robby was just a young kid and I swear he had ADD.... It was exhausting. He had his girlfriend at the time who spoke in thrid person which was weird. Race did not go well due to loss of brakes on the test mule...should have changed the brake fluid on the test mule. After the race I got a call from Jim V, his team owner in the Mickey Thompson Stadium series and in the Desert Racing series at the hotel. Jim just chuckled at my recap... And so it went.

Robby cost me about $20,000 at the Dearborn Inn hotel. Robby was in town for a public appearance and I sent my Motorsports Coordinator, Paul E. to the air port to pick him up. Paul had a prototype F150 4x4 and I admonished him to not let Robby drive the truck....Well...Robby pleaded with Paul to let him drive and Paul caved...Big Mistake as when they pulled into the Dearborn Inn, where we had booked a Room for Robby, Robby turned the truck onto the freshly manicured front lawn and proceed to do donut after donut....really tore up the lawn in the front of this 5 star hotel on the Ford Grounds. Paul sheepishly told me what happened and by the time things calmed down I was out $20,000 from my budget for a new lawn .....Sigh.... Robby's words to me....Sorry Man! That was it.... Proverbial Loose cannon....

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co.
 

NvrFinished

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Hi Shea,

Typical Robby....never a loss for words. When I gave him his exposure to pavement at the test track, SVO called me to ask my assessment of him.... I told the North American Director, Lee M that I had never seen someone that possessed the car control he had. Little did I know that would lead to Mailing my test mule and me down to the St. Petersburg SCCA Truck race. Robby was just a young kid and I swear he had ADD.... It was exhausting. He had his girlfriend at the time who spoke in thrid person which was weird. Race did not go well due to loss of brakes on the test mule...should have changed the brake fluid on the test mule. After the race I got a call from Jim V, his team owner in the Mickey Thompson Stadium series and in the Desert Racing series at the hotel. Jim just chuckled at my recap... And so it went.

Robby cost me about $20,000 at the Dearborn Inn hotel. Robby was in town for a public appearance and I sent my Motorsports Coordinator, Paul E. to the air port to pick him up. Paul had a prototype F150 4x4 and I admonished him to not let Robby drive the truck....Well...Robby pleaded with Paul to let him drive and Paul caved...Big Mistake as when they pulled into the Dearborn Inn, where we had booked a Room for Robby, Robby turned the truck onto the freshly manicured front lawn and proceed to do donut after donut....really tore up the lawn in the front of this 5 star hotel on the Ford Grounds. Paul sheepishly told me what happened and by the time things calmed down I was out $20,000 from my budget for a new lawn .....Sigh.... Robby's words to me....Sorry Man! That was it.... Proverbial Loose cannon....

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co.
Yeah, I believe it! I raced dirt bikes in SCORE during a period in the 90's. I heard a few Robby Gordon stories. I once read somewhere how in his early years racing off road he was running a testing session out in the desert. I think it was the Venable Racing Hay Hauler truck. Apparently he was reporting something wrong with the engine and the mechanic kept saying it was fine. He made the mechanic get in the truck so he could show him. Apparently the guy was so shook up after the ride that he believed anything Robby said of the motor after that.

He almost ran me over in a trophy truck when he came up behind me during a Baja 1000. And I thought I was moving out at over 80 mph! Shortly after he passed me he went off course and I decided to follow. Needless to say, it was a shortcut he new about. I begin to think I made a bad decision because he was not so slowly disappearing off in the distance and I had no idea where I was heading. I was left to try and follow the dust trail.

I then came flying over a rise and saw him parked in the middle of the road - broke. I had to stop and ask directions. After he had a chuckle he told me how to continue on. It did save time and I surprised our small pit crew and my rider replacement (who was off in the bushes taking a wiz) with my early arrival.
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