A specially-prepared race example of the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor will compete in this year’s International Baja 1000 event, demonstrating its off-road-conquering capability.
The rally-prepped model was built by Ford Performance with the help of Kelly Racing from Australia, while America’s Lovell Racing will continue to develop and race the beast. Although a Ford F-150 Raptor and even the new Bronco has been used in the event previously, this will be the first Ranger for the team. Ford Performance off-road motorsports supervisor, Brian Novak, said:
“By entering this event, we’re building on the hundreds of thousands of kilometres of development testing and pushing the Ranger Raptor to new extremes. The Baja 1000 is a demanding event and a well-known proving ground for off-road vehicles.”
The Ranger Raptor will compete in the SCORE stock class, which is designed for production models. Aside from the various safety additions to the off-road ute, such as a full roll cage and harness belts, extra under-body protection and a front bull bar, the Ranger will run on Shell biofuel. It’s a blend of ethanol and bionaphtha.
This is the perfect event for the new Raptor. After all, it was originally developed in similar conditions as those experienced in the Baja event. Hardcore Fox Racing suspension, big brakes and tyres, and the awesome twin-turbo V6 engine lend themselves perfectly to rough rally racing. There’s even a Baja driving mode in the standard production model.
The Baja 1000 will start on November 18, taking place on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Check out the video below for a taste of its development.
