The Baja 1000 is considered one of the toughest races in the world and is unrivaled as the toughest race on this side of the globe. Consequently, Benna Ford is proud to announce that at the event’s end, both the Ford Bronco DR and Ford Ranger Raptor emerged with class wins.
It is difficult to overstate how rugged and punishing the Baja 1000 course can be. This year’s course featured thick silt beds, jagged rocks, hard rain and snow, and Baja’s legendary darkness, which tests the driver’s reflexes as obstacles quickly appear in a vehicle’s light beams.
“The Baja 1000 is brutal,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “It pushes every part of a truck to its limits and demands everything from the drivers and teams. This isn’t just about crossing the finish line—it’s about proving that our vehicles can take on and conquer challenges as tough as Baja.”
Bronco DR Wins Heavy Metal Class
The Bronco DR (Desert Racer) took the win in the Heavy Metal Limited class. It is purpose-built as a desert racer, aimed directly at the Baja competition and similar events. The Baja victory marks its third victory out of three competitions for this year. Driver Brad Lovell and navigator Roger Lovell began the first third of the event, followed by Jason Hutter and Paul Blangsted, who helped secure the DR’s August victory at Vegas to Reno. Jason Scherer and Jason Berger took the checkered flag upon completion of the final leg of the 864-mile race.
“This year put an exclamation mark on how brutal Baja is,” said Brad Lovell, who has piloted the DR at all races. “It’s said it’s the toughest race in North America, and I do believe that’s true. Having been involved with Bronco DR testing for quite a while, I always wanted the opportunity to race it here in the 1000—it’s what we designed it for, it’s where we made it spirited, lively and fun. To understand Bronco’s legacy in Baja and be part of it is overwhelming. Bronco is utilitarian, a jack of all trades, but it has a special spirit and place in Baja.”
Lovel is undoubtedly referring to the Bronco known as “Big Oly,” driven by Rod Gall and Larry Minor. In 1969, it was the first 4×4 vehicle to win the Baja 1000 outright, a feat usually achieved by motorcycles.
Ranger Raptor Wins Stock Mid-size Class
Possibly even more impressive is the showroom-stock mid-size class win by the Ranger Raptor. The vehicle is far closer to stock than the vehicles in the Heavy Metal class. It meets SCORE’s Stock Mid-sized regulations, which allow only very limited performance and durability enhancements. Driver Loren Healy and navigator Eric Davis started the competition before turning it over to John Williams III and Nate Williams, who drove for the middle section. Bailey Campbell and Bryan Crofts took it across the finish line.
Racing as Research
“Baja threw everything it had at us this year,” said Loren Healy. “We fought some trials and tribulations last night, but this amazing Ford Performance team put everything—their whole hearts and souls—into this, in the dark, in the cold, in the rain. I’m really proud of everyone here.”
The Ranger was equipped with a MoTeC data acquisition system to collect critical performance data during the race. “One of our top priorities is always to gather as much data as possible, and we see so much varied conditions here that helps that,” said Brian Novak, North American Off-Road Program Manager. “We’ve taken insights from this program to enhance our durability testing process. When we take this truck back to Dearborn, we’ll analyze every piece and part in detail to see what we can do to make our consumer trucks better.”
Racing improves the breed. You can see for yourself by test-driving the Bronco, Ranger, and Ford’s other 4×4 stars at Benna Ford.
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