At their cores, Ford?s Focus RS hatchback and F-150 Raptor super pickup are tools?tools designed to perform at the highest levels on- and off-road, respectively. Unlike the far more common vehicles from which they?re spawned, they?re capable of being pushed to limits most drivers aren?t necessarily equipped to reach. Of course, capability is pointless if the wielder of said tool doesn?t know how to exploit it. Enter Ford Performance Racing School, where instructors are tasked with making sure the tools aren?t wasted by the people purchasing them.
With every purchase of a Ford Performance vehicle such as the RS and Raptor, the buyer gets a free course at the school. Travel and lodging are not included, but vehicles, fuel, and tires are part of the deal?so you won?t have to drive your own baby. It?s kind of like every car and truck has a Willy Wonka golden ticket in the glovebox, except instead of a guided factory tour with Mark Fields in a top hat, owners get a full day of professional training and practice at a top-of-the-line facility. There are currently five vehicles you can purchase that qualify you for four different Ford Performance schools. The Focus RS opens up the RS Adrenaline Academy, the Fiesta and Focus ST the ST Octane Academy, the F-150 Raptor the Raptor Assault, and the Mustang GT350 and GT350R the GT350 Track Attack. The Raptor and RS are the most recently introduced, so Ford invited us to northern Utah to get a taste of these programs.

The exclusive ho...