--- title: "Formula D’s Vaughn Gittin Jr. Talks Ford Raptor’s Terrain Management" description: "The pro drifter professes his love for the Ford Mustang, but says he would rather daily drive an F-150 Raptor." date: "2018-05-11" modified: "2018-05-11" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/20793/formula-ds-vaughn-gittin-jr-talks-ford-raptors-terrain-management" categories: - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Racing" tags: - "Drifting" - "F-150" - "F-150 Raptor" - "Ford" - "Formula D" - "king of the hammers" - "Off-Road" - "off-roading" - "pickup" - "racing" - "Raptor" - "vaughn gittin jr" --- # Formula D’s Vaughn Gittin Jr. Talks Ford Raptor’s Terrain Management ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Formula D superstar Vaughn Gittin Jr. may typically be found inside his wildly modified Ford Mustang for the Formula D racing series, but he isn't a stranger to the Raptor. The last time we heard "Gittin Jr." and "Raptor" in the same sentence was when the pro-drifter wheeled the half-ton off-roader around the [twists and turns of the Nurburgring Nordschleife](). As a result, it may appear that Gittin Jr. may actually be developing a bit of a crush on the ol' Raptor, or so we deduce from a brief chat we had with him. [Gittin Jr.]() recently spent some time at the wheel of the new Ford F-150 Raptor at the King of the Hammers off-road endurance race, and needless to say, he learned quite a bit about the pickup truck's various features and its stellar off-road prowess. More specifically, he learned how its Terrain Management System operates. ***The Drive:*** *Vaughn, what would you say is your favorite feature, trick or capability of the F-150 Raptor?* **Gittin Jr.:** It's impossible to narrow it down to one thing, but my overall favorite thing about the Raptor is the fact I can go off-road, hit whoops, jump, slide around, climb crazy terrain and then drive it home to pick my wife up and take her out to dinner in style, and enjoy a comfortable ride on the way there. ***TD:*** *If you could only daily-rive one of them, which one would it be:* [*Ford Raptor*]() *or Mustang?* **Jr.:** I live in Maryland, so we actually have four seasons and I have toys that require towing. The Raptor would be my choice...and you better believe there would be [a Mustang in the trailer]() hooked to the Raptor on the way to the track quite often! So there you have it, folks, Gittin Jr. seems to *really* love the F-150 Raptor. As this [video]() shows, the Baja-inspired Ford pickup features six different driving modes that are designed to alter the truck's behavior depending on the driver's preferences, or the terrain he or she might encounter. These settings include a Normal mode designed for regular street driving, a [Sport mode that amps-up everything]() from throttle response to the transmission's behavior, a Weather mode for icy or snowy conditions, a Mud-Sand mode for, well, mud or sand, a Rock Crawl mode for traversing oversized boulders, and last but not least, the famous Baja mode, which allows the truck to slide the rear end with confidence. https://youtube.com/embed/jxHVfHiytt8 ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()