With the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show right around the corner, we look back at the Battle of the Builders from last years show. Last year Racer Engineering out of San Jacinto, California participated in the build.

Racer Engineering’s Dave Dondel and their luxury pre-runner.

This was not the type of company that you figured would be in a battle of the builders. Most people would assume that it would be a company that manufactures motorcycles or hot rods, but they took a completely different approach, building a pre-runner.

The cab of the Ford Raptor sits on a tube chassis that was created by Racer Engineering.

The build started with a stock Ford Raptor, and thats where the complete overhaul started. Racer Engineering bought a new motor, transmission, wheels, tires, and shocks, but they built everything else by hand.

The truck features 4.5-inch King shocks, 42-inch BF Goodrich tires, 800 horsepower racing motor, and complete tube chassis built by Racer Engineering. Everything that went into the truck is top of the line.

The price tag to duplicate a build like this, $750,000. This is definitely a truck built for the off-road elite.

As nice as the truck looks sitting there, the abuse and torture that it can handle surely surpassed anything else that was in the competition. This year’s SEMA Show will feature another group of builders like Dave Dondel and Racer Engineering, all battling to take home the title of SEMA Show Battle of the Builders, champion.