photoneffect
Full Access Member
While this is true, the trap speed is very telling. While a better driver might be able to pull a better time, this is largely due to knowing how to launch the vehicle. Trap speed is largely unaffected by a good or not so good launch. The Raptor being a Raptor is laden with quite a bit more weight, not to mention drag and the power advantage it enjoys isn't enough to overcome the additional mass it carries.
Except that’s not really true based on real world data. There have been multiple guys posting slips from the track in the high 90s and I’ve heard at least one who inched his way up above 100 with a very good launch. I’d call that a pretty big difference. I guess the actual weather and track conditions are going to play a role in this, but why is Motortrend always so bad at this stuff? Reminds me of the time TFL wouldn’t use launch control to time the GTR because they said it wasn’t a real test. I get the Raptor isn’t a drag car and I could give two craps if a stock F150 lights it up all day, but it’s just baffling how bad these guys are at the automotive part of the automotive journalism.