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2005 Ford F-350 - Off-Road Pit Stop


 2005 Ford F350 Jack

Out back, a Knapheide utility bed is used in place of a standard pickup bed and provides plenty of storage for tools and spare parts. The crew is also equipped with a MIG welder, generator, battery charger, compressed air supply, and a nitrogen bottle for shock refills on the race trucks. The chase truck must also carry a few of its own spares such as belts, hoses, and an extra air compressor.

To handle the added weight over the rear axle, the leaf packs were re-arched and a few extra leaves added along with supplemental air spacings. The front suspension and shocks work well in stock form.

 2005 Ford F350 Front View
The entire team fleet-including the tractor-trailer, two Trophy Trucks, and five chase trucks-all sport the same paint scheme to make G&R Racing easy to spot.

The guy who pays the bills must think highly of his crew as they travel in the comfort of a fully loaded leather interior. Inside you'll find necessities such as the Lowrance GPS unit, XM satellite radio, IonEarth real-time satellite tracking gear, and a Kenwood FM transceiver used for race and team communication.

FUEL TO GO
Perched on the bed is a large, polished 100-gallon aluminum tank and tower apparatus fabricated by Geiser Brothers. When lifted into place at a pit stop, this becomes a remote fueling station for the race trucks. Race gas is carried in steel drums in the truck bed or on a trailer. Once the tower is raised, an electric pump transfers the fuel to the tower tank where it waits to be dispensed to the race truck. From what we're told, the wide 2-inch fueling hose fills significantly faster than the one at your local gas station.

 2005 Ford F350 Kc Lights
Chase trucks often get caught out in the boonies deep into a race. Four KC Hilites halogens perched above the front bumper help at those times.

FURTHER SUPPORT
The race radios and satellite telemetry help the team locate each other, but that is further enhanced with the flamed paint schemes on the team vehicles. The splashy pigment was sprayed on by Orlando Auto Body in Mesa, Arizona.

Above the cab, amongst some of the tubework, is a Geiser-built folding rack that holds a healthy half dozen KC HID lights. Should the sun begin to set during a race, the light bar is removed from the chase truck and transferred to the race truck. The lights are the new trick 70-watt carbon fiber KC Pod lights.

You can easily see that a well-bred race team relies very heavily on their chase crew, and vehicles such as those featured in this article are vital to the team's success. To find out more about the G&R Racing Team or to check out all of their race results, you can visit their Web site at: Gnrracing.com.


 2005 Ford F350 100 Gallon Fuel Tank
Geiser Brothers fabricated this 100-gallon fuel tower that lifts up into place above the bed. Once in the upright position, fuel is pumped from the storage drums up into the tank and is then ready for dispensing by gravity feed to the race truck.
 2005 Ford F350 Interior View
Inside the four-door cab is room for the crew and their communication gear. A race radio allows the team to talk to drivers and other support members, and satellite tracking helps with following the location of the race trucks.
 2005 Ford F350 Light Bar
The chase trucks also carry the large light bar used on the race trucks. During daylight hours, the light bar rides facedown on the top of a chase rig. Should nightfall approach during a long race, the bar is quickly transferred over and pinned onto the race truck.

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