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The next-generation race-prepped, stock Ranger Raptor finished the SCORE-International Baja 1000 atop the stock mid-size class, then drove on public roads back to its base in Riverside, California after the race. The near-flawless Ford Performance global effort is fueled by a low-carbon biofuel from Shell, showing that a commitment to sustainability does not require compromising performance.
RIVERSIDE, CA – November 20, 2022: A next-generation Ranger Raptor, race-prepped but still stock and street-legal, finished the SCORE-International Baja 1000, one of the toughest and most prestigious off-road races, in first place in the stock mid-size class, then drove back to its home base in Riverside, California.
“This is the Baja 1000, one of the toughest off-road races in the world,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “This is a major vindication for Ford Performance and our vehicles to earn the Raptor badge. This effort has been a global effort for Ford Performance from the start, with Ford Australia doing the design and initial development signoff, then shipping it to the States and working with all our partners to include all available resources for this common purpose. It takes a good truck and it takes good people. We have proven that we are both on a global level.”
“What we have is a great global team working on a great global truck in the Ranger,” said Brian Novak, Off-Road Motorsports Supervisor, Ford Performance. “Ford Performance Australia put their heart and soul into this project with Kelly Racing to get us started. When we took it on the North American side with Lovell Racing and Huseman Engineering, it all came together seamlessly. There were so many people came together to do this, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
“It’s truly amazing,” said Brendan McGinniskin, Motorsports Engineer, Ford Performance Australia. “Spending the night out there chasing the truck was something I had never experienced before, and it was a unique experience of going to the race. It was very cool and would not have been possible without all the expert chase crews that we’re here. Everyone came together and even the few moments we had weren’t going to stop us from crossing the finish line together.”
The near-flawless run in the grueling desert test was fueled by a low-carbon biofuel from Shell, which was seamlessly fed to the stock powertrain’s next-generation Ranger Raptor as it traversed hundreds of miles of desert terrain with only basic maintenance and system checks next to a refuel stop.
“This effort has shown that there is no compromise in performance,” added Novak. “Here we are, finishing the Baja 1000 and winning our class, all on a biofuel. It’s awesome that it’s all done on a stock Ford Performance powertrain, too. It’s great to work with Shell on this project.”
The race team, managed by Baja legend Curt Leduc, saw incredible stints at the hands of four driver/co-driver pairings of Brad and Byam Lovell (Lovell Racing), Jason Hutter and Paul Blangstead (Fire Guys Racing), Loren Healy and Eric Davis (Fun-Haver Off-Road), with ARB’s Andy and Danny Brown anchoring the race.
“Coming here and entering this event has been on our bucket list for years and years, said ARB Managing Director Andy Brown. “It’s never been put together before, so to be with Ford is fantastic. The Ranger Raptor? Unbelievable, what a truck. It feels ready again. I can’t believe how reliable it is, how strong, how strong, how it handles, how it goes, how it stops. Just a complete package. the road? Hell. It was rough and we did the pre-running but honestly the track was so cut up and different that we felt like we were tackling it for the first time. But we’re up for a challenge, and the group we’re with here, and the truck, are perfect for it.
“We’re off-roaders at heart, so this is huge for us,” said Danny Brown, Regional Export Manager, ARB. “Dad has probably been racing for 40 years, I’ve been racing for 20-odd years, I think. It’s a pinnacle of our sport, for sure. Physically, it’s almost as hard and it’s a big it’s an honor for us to come here and drive for Ford. To help this great group of drivers finish this very tough and challenging course, every piece of the puzzle has to be perfect.”
The Ranger Raptor race truck finished the race without any major incidents or repairs, and took the checkered flag in such good condition that the Ford Performance team decided to drive the vehicle back to its base in California following the event, which pays tribute to the 2017 Baja 1000 effort with a stock F-150 Raptor, which similarly returned home following the legendary off-road racing test. The Ranger Raptor also drove to Mexico from California before the event.
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