Ford Performance Adventure Days Bring Off-Road Action to Employees

The Broncos, Rangers, and Raptors of the Ford Performance motorsports fleet have been tearing through the desert locales of off-roading circuits, including Baja and Dakar, and now that experience is being shared with employees in Dearborn. Ford Performance Adventure Days recently launched the first in a series of recurring events planned through this fall at World Headquarters. 

Attendees of the kickoff event had the opportunity over three days in late-March to experience a pair of off-road simulators. An iRacing off-road racing simulator allowed drivers to take a Ford Performance off-road vehicle through a re-creation of the same course where Loren Healy and Vaughn Gittin Jr. secured two podiums at last year’s Crandon World Championships in their off-road racing-prepped Broncos. In another experience, a Bronco Raptor ride-along simulator took participants on a ride in a fully outfitted vehicle through the trees, rocks, mud, hills, and curves of different off-road courses as seen by Healy. 

“Ford Performance Adventure Days’ is an opportunity to show the company what it is we do, why we do it and why it matters to them. On top of that, it is just a lot of fun. We are just getting started,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance. “There is a lot more to come. A lot more off-road. A lot more race cars. A lot more of everything that ties them into the very DNA of Ford.”  

Ditch your desk  

Finance Analyst Stephen Ernst is familiar with computer-based simulators, but he typically sticks to tracks and street courses, so getting jostled about in a full-size Bronco was a new experience. Wearing a Mustang GT3 jacket on a chilly and windy day, Ernst said he enjoys seeing Ford Performance succeed on a global stage.  

“I really do enjoy it when we go out there with vehicles that have a specific niche purpose and they’re doing it really well or at the top of their classes,” he said. 

Caleb McLean, an incident manager from the Global Contact Center, was drawn to an F-150 Raptor on display in the south parking lot of WHQ, where the event was held. He grew up a truck enthusiast and takes pride in working for a company with such a popular truck lineup.

“I love everything about the F-150 Raptor,” he said. “Its performance, its aggression, its aesthetics. It gives you everything you want in a truck as well as speed for someone who likes sports cars. And then you get the off-road aspect; it’s a lot to get into. I’m hoping to get one someday.”

Don’t miss out 

Future events in the monthly series are scheduled to include vehicle ride-alongs, Raptor RC truck racing, and a Ford Performance off-road showcase. The next event, which includes a chance to ride-along in a 1,000-horsepower Bronco known as “El Bandito,” is scheduled for April 29-May 1. The series continues through the fall with later events focusing on motorsports like sports car racing, NASCAR and Formula 1, among other series. Stay tuned to @FordOnline and the @BlueOvalNow app for more information about how you can participate!