Ford Performance Is Taking The New Ranger Raptor To The Baja 1000

Ford will tackle November’s SCORE International Baja 1000 race in a specially-equipped Ranger Raptor, a vehicle that was teased over the weekend.

Ford Performance worked alongside Australia’s Kelly Racing to build the special Ranger Raptor while Lovell Racing will develop and race the truck during the event, kicking off on November 18. The vehicle has already been tested extensively in Australia before being sent over to the U.S. for final development and testing.

The one-off Ranger Raptor has been built to SCORE’s stock class. While limited technical specifications have been announced about it, we know that it will run on Shell’s one-third blend of biofuel that mixes ethanol and bionaptha.

“Demonstrating low-carbon fuels in performance settings like the Baja 1000 can help bring biofuels and other clean energy technologies to scale more quickly, and help to make them more available and affordable for everyone,” global director of Sustainability, Compliance and Homologation at Ford, Cynthia Williams said.

Read: US-Spec Ford Ranger Reportedly Coming With A Longer Rear Bed

Various other alterations have been made to the Ranger to get it Baja-ready. These include the fitment of a large snorkel, a bespoke front fascia will a bull bar and skid plate, a massive LED light bar, and a new set of wheels and tires. The bed has also been modified to hold two spare tires and plenty of tools.

“By entering this event, we’re building on the hundreds of thousands of kilometers of development testing and pushing the Ranger Raptor to new extremes,” off-road motorsports supervisor of Ford Performance Brian Novak added. “The Baja 1000 is a demanding event and a well-known proving ground for off-road vehicles. We are excited to compete in this extreme event with Ranger Raptor.” The Baja 1000, held on the Baja California Peninsula, is considered one of the world’s most prestigious off-road races, attracting competitors from around the globe eager to take on its miles of treacherous desert terrain, steep drops and tough climbs.”

Ford has competed in the Baja 1000 in both the F-150 Raptor and Bronco in recent years.