In a Raptor XT-like race truck, Ford’s new 3.5 liter EcoBoost engine will take on the demanding Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 long-distance desert endurance race later this year, marking Ford’s EcoBoost engine racing debut.
As a demonstration of the durability of the new small displacement offering for the F-150 truck line, Ford will equip the F-150 off-road race truck with a stock EcoBoost engine. The company says that racing the EcoBoost truck engine under these conditions helps validate the testing of the new truck engine.
Because this is the first application of a relatively small turbo-charged engine in a full sized truck line, Ford is pulling out all the stops to show that the motor can take it and still perform. Ford will enter the specially built 2011 F-150 in November’s prestigious long-distance desert endurance race.
Ford says the engine was selected randomly off the line from Cleveland Engine Plant to prove out the rigid durability and reliability tests the engine endured during development.
“The engine going into our race truck for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is the same engine going into the 2011 Ford F-150 that customers can purchase starting next year,” said Eric Kuehn, chief engineer of the 2011 F-150. “No special blocks or structural upgrades. We are fully confident that because of the strict testing the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engines underwent before we started manufacturing, it will take anything the desert can dish out.”
Ford will compete in full-size stock class, which includes competitors with unlimited V8 engines. For safety, a full roll cage is added to each truck. Also allowed for competition are modifications to the suspension, tires and wheels.
Desert endurance racing’s extreme environment is where the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine’s inherent performance advantages – twin turbochargers and direct fuel injection to boost performance – will shine. This strategy produces 420 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,500 rpm and 365 horsepower at 5,000 rpm – all on regular fuel. The EcoBoost truck engine has up to 90 percent of its peak torque available from 1,700 rpm to 5,000 rpm.
“The torque starts right away and is very consistent right up to the engine’s redline. That performance is so key to the duty cycle of an off-road racer,” said Cliff Irey, Ford truck motorsports lead.
Off-road racers – like many F-150 customers – spend most of their time between 20 mph and 50 mph, accelerating and decelerating. Another similarity is the F-150s in the Baja 1000 will be fueled with regular pump gasoline rather than specially blended racing fuel that is almost four times as expensive.
“In addition to durability, reliability and top performance, we expect the EcoBoost to get outstanding fuel mileage to the point of saving one or two fuel stops during the race,” Irey said.
In a side-eyed glance one also wonders if Ford is testing the waters for an Eco-Boost powered SVT Raptor. Hmmm.
