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Ford Performance celebrated a two-truck victory in the 2024 Baja 1000 with the Bronco DR and Ford Ranger Raptor in the heart of Baja California.
Ford Performance celebrated an extraordinary achievement as the Bronco DR and Ford Ranger Raptor emerged triumphant in the 2024 Baja 1000 after navigating hundreds of miles of brutal terrain, proving their strength in one of the toughest races on Earth.
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The purpose-built Bronco DR won in the Heavy Metal Limited class.
The Bronco DR, a purpose-built desert racer created with the spirit of Baja competition in mind, added another victory to Bronco’s storied Baja legacy in the Heavy Metal Limited class. At the same time, the Ford Ranger Raptor, based on the production truck available worldwide, delivered a win that speaks to its capability on and off the showroom floor in the Stock Mid-Size class.
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The Stock Mid-Size class-winning Ford Ranger Raptor is based on the production truck available worldwide.
“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.”
This marks the third win of the year for the Ford Bronco DR, which has been victorious in every race it has taken on in 2024. Brad Lovell and navigator Roger Lovell led the charge for the first third of the Baja 1000, 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 final leg of the 864-mile race.
The Ranger Raptor’s triumph shows that racing success doesn’t have to come at the expense of real-world capability. The Ford Ranger Raptor truck is built with advanced FOX suspension, a rugged chassis, and a twin-turbo 3.0L EcoBoost engine – the same engineering that is available in the global production truck.
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The No. 773 Ranger Raptor was engineered to meet Baja class regulations. It was outfitted with key modifications to enhance performance, safety, and durability.
Loren Healy and navigator Eric Davis took the Ranger Raptor for the first part of its journey, then handed the keys to John Williams III and Nate Williams, who drove it for the second. Bailey Campbell and Bryan Crofts took it across the finish line in the last part of its 736-mile Baja trail.
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The Ford Bronco DR has been victorious in every race it has run in 2024.
The No. 773 Ranger Raptor was specifically engineered to meet SCORE’s Stock Mid-Sized Class regulations, tailored for the demanding terrain of the Baja 1000. This factory-built truck was outfitted with key modifications to enhance performance, safety, and durability in the grueling off-road environment.
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The Baja 1000 is a fight against nature itself. The course included silt beds, rain and snow, jagged rocks, and Baja’s legendary darkness.
The truck is also 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 such 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.”
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