Quick Review: Raptor - Born in Baja is Rocky for pickup trucks

June 28, 2009

Filed under: Motorsports, Trucks/Pickups, Etc., Videos, Ford, Lifestyle

Raptor: Born in Baja — Click above to watch video

Autoblog went to the premiere of Raptor - Born in Baja, and while the film is on the long side, it’s an enjoyable flick. We wrote before that the truck “only” came in third (out of four total trucks in Class 8), but to complete the Baja 1000 at all is an accomplishment — especially when the overall attrition rate is close to 50%. Throw in a truck that had been built in three months and hadn’t been tested in any other race before and you’ve got a little adventure on your hands.

The motion picture provides plenty more. There’s never a good time for things to break, but the Raptor R selected a couple of the most abysmal moments to get sick: it was compelling irony to watch the whole race team wearing “Built Ford Tough” t-shirts gathered around a truck that wouldn’t begin 90 minutes before the race began.

And if it wasn’t the Raptor, it was other trucks in the road holding things up. Still, not only did they get it started, but the Raptor R got to the end with all of its panels and, as far as we could see, no dents — and it came within minutes of taking second place.

But you’ll have to watch the movie to truly glimpse the eye of the tiger… and the thrill of the fight. You can view it on Speed TV on Sunday, July 12 at 4 p.m. EST — and when you do, look for Pickuptrucks.com’s Mike Levine, Jalopnik’s Ray Wert, and our own Drew Phillips who make cameos during the SEMA coverage. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer after the jump.

Gallery: Raptor - Born in Baja