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Prepared for next-generation racing, the Ranger Raptor finished atop the SCORE-International Baja 1000 Intermediate class, then returned to its base in Riverside, California, on public roads after the race. Shell’s low-carbon biofuel was the source of Ford Performance’s near-flawless global effort, showing that a commitment to sustainability doesn’t require compromising on performance.
RIVERSIDE, CA – November 20, 2022: The next-generation Ranger Raptor, race-prepped but kept in stock and street legal, finished first in the SCORE-International Baja 1000, one of the toughest and most prestigious off-road races in the world. in storage in medium class, then returned to his 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 of Ford Performance Motorsports. “This is the ultimate test for Ford Performance and our vehicles to earn the Raptor badge. This effort has been a global effort for Ford Performance from the beginning, with Ford Australia doing the design and initial development, then shipping it to the States and working with all our partners to bring together all available resources to achieve this common goal. It takes a great truck and it takes great people. We have proven that we have both at a global level.
“We had a really good global team working on a really good global truck in the Ranger,” said Brian Novak, Ford Performance off-road motorsports supervisor. “Ford Performance Australia put their heart and soul into this project with Kelly Racing to get us started. When we took it over on the North American side with Lovell Racing and Huseman Engineering, it all came together seamlessly. So many people have just come together for this and I couldn’t be prouder.
“It’s really great,” Ford Performance Australia motorsport engineer Brendan McGinniskin said. “To spend the night out chasing a truck was something I’ve never experienced before and it was such a different racing experience. It was so cool and wouldn’t have been possible without all the expert chase teams we had out here. Everyone pulled together and even the few tense moments we had didn’t stop us from crossing the finish line together.
A near-flawless run in the grueling desert test was powered by Shell’s low-carbon biofuel, which fed seamlessly into the back-up powertrain of the next-generation Ranger Raptor as it covered hundreds of miles of desert terrain with only basic maintenance and system checks. next to gas stations.
“This effort showed no compromise in performance,” added Novak. “Here we are, finishing the Baja 1000 and winning our class, all on biofuel. It’s so impressive that it was all done with a Ford Performance powertrain, too. It has been exciting to work with Shell on this project.
The race team, led by Baja legend Curt Leduc, saw incredible work from four driver/co-driver pairings: Brad and Byam Lovell (Lovell Racing), Jason Hutter and Paul Blangstead (Fire Guys Racing), Loren Healy and Eric Davis (Fun-Haver Off-Road ), ARB’s Andy and Danny Brown anchored the competition.
“Coming here and entering this event has been on our bucket list for years and years,” said ARB Executive Director Andy Brown. “It’s never come together before, so to be here with Ford has been just fantastic. The Ranger Raptor? Unbelievable, what a truck. Looks like it’s ready to go again. I can’t believe how reliable it was, how strong, how strong, how does it handle how does it go how does it stop. It’s just the complete package. The track? hell. It was rough and we did a pre-run but to be honest the track was so cut and different it felt like we were doing it for the first time. But the challenge is what we came for and the group we came here with and the truck were perfect for that.
“We’re off-roaders at heart, so this is really important to us,” said Danny Brown, ARB Regional Export Manager. “Dad has been involved in racing for probably 40 years, I’ve been racing for 20 years, I think. This is definitely the pinnacle of our sport. Physically it’s about as hard as it gets and we’re very honored to come here and drive for Ford. In order to help this large group reach the finish line on this extremely tough and demanding course, every piece of the puzzle had to be perfect.
The Ranger Raptor Racer completed 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 after the event as a tribute to the 2017 Baja. 1,000 effort with the stock F-150 Raptor, which drove home after a similarly legendary off-road test. The Ranger Raptor also traveled from California to Mexico before the event.
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