If you buy a high-performance car, there's no shortage of factory-backed training programs to teach you how to be both fast and safe behind the wheel.
However, buy a high-performance off-road truck or SUV, and your driver training choices are somewhat limited. Sure, there are schools that can teach the basics of maximizing traction in the soft and squishy stuff, but very few will cover the finer points of rock crawling or high-speed desert pre-running.
Ford is helping to change that with its programs designed around its series of Raptor vehicles, and the latest program is designed for the new 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor.
Similar to the Ford Racing F-150 Raptor Assault School designed for the F-150 Raptor, which has been running since 2012, the new Ford Ranger Raptor Assault School is a standalone program exclusive to Ranger Raptor owners. The cost is included in the purchase price of the truck, though participants will still need to cover their own travel and lodging expenses.
Ford Ranger Raptor Assault School
The program, which supplies its own vehicles for the training, will start in June and run at the Ford Performance Racing School in Tooele Valley, Utah—a location with high desert terrain that's both scenic and ideal for Raptors.
The one-day program features both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction, and teaches participants how to navigate a variety of challenging terrains and maneuvers, including rock crawling, desert racing, climbing, side hilling, and descending.
The Ranger Raptor Assault School joins other Ford driving school programs, including the aforementioned F-150 Raptor Assault School, as well as the Mustang Dark Horse Track Attack, Bronco Raptor Off-Roadeo School, and Bronco Off-Roadeo School. The Bronco program was recently opened to non-owners as well.
