More often than not, competition vehicles only mimic their street-legal counterparts and underneath the skin is a collection of specialized components that nowhere resemble anything found in a production car. But when you see this offroad racing truck, there is no doubt as to what its purpose is. From the tall stance, knobby tires, useless load bed and growling motor, it’s all racer.
PMC Racing campaigns this truck in desert races across Arizona and the surrounding areas. As with any serious racer, a lot of time, money and labor has been lavished on this vehicle. Although its outer skin resembles that of a Ford F-150, this truck is built on a tube chassis with an integrated cage. The driver is centrally located in the cabin. Attached to this chassis are custom suspension links with 26 inches of travel in front and 36 inches at the rear. King shocks with remote reservoirs control jounce and rebound.
The engine is a 408 cubic inch Ford with an output of 800 horsepower, with the transmission connected to a 10-inch rearend. 37 inch tall tires on 17-inch wheels make up the rolling stock and the brakes have 6-pot calipers. The Trophy Truck class that this racer is entered in specifies a minimum weight of 4,500 pounds. Assuming a weight of 5,000 pounds and 800 horsepower, performance calculations give the power-to-weight ratio of this truck as equivalent to that of a Ferrari F430 or a Corvette Z06.
Even with suspension travel measured in feet(!), racing across the desert in a vehicle with the performance of a Ferrari isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. But the engineering and attention to detail that these teams give to building up their vehicles can be appreciated by any gearhead.
Inspiration for this post here.
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