SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1530871
BAJA APPROVED Ford Performance Gets A Double Victory In Its Bronco DR and Ranger Raptor By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo As the “Official Truck and SUV of SCORE International,” Ford Performance entered two vehicles into the BFGoodrich Tires, 57th SCORE Baja 1000. Both vehicles, the Bronco Dr and the Ford Ranger Raptor, emerged finishing first in their respective classes. “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.” VIDEO- Brad Lovell On The Ford’s Entries In The SCORE BaJa 1000 The Bronco DR was entered into the SCORE Heavy Metal Limited class, led by off-road racer and builder, Brad Lovell as the driver of record. “This year put an exclamation mark on how brutal Baja is,” said Lovell, who has piloted the DR at all races. “It’s said it’s the toughest race in North America, and I do believe that’s true. Having been involved with Bronco DR testing for quite a while, I always wanted the opportunity to race it in the SCORE Baja 1000. It’s what we designed it for, and it’s where we made it spirited, lively, and fun. At the same time, the Ford Ranger Raptor was entered into the Stock Mid-Size class. “This is a stock vehicle with safety upgrades such as a roll cage, racing fuel cell and everything else needed for safety,” said Lovell. The truck is built with advanced FOX suspension, a rugged chassis, and a twin-turbo 3.0L EcoBoost engine and was driven by off-road Ultra 4 champion Loren Healy. “Baja threw everything it had at us this year,” said Healy. “We fought some trials and tribulations during the race, but this amazing Ford Performance team put everything - their whole hearts and souls - into this, in the dark, in the cold, in the rain. I’m really proud of everyone here.” The Ranger Raptor was also equipped with a MoTeC data acquisition system, collecting critical performance data during the race. “One of our top priorities is always to gather as much data as possible, and we see so many varied conditions here that help 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.” “We’ve been down here for over a decade proving out Raptor products,” added Lovell. “I have to give credit to Ford Performance for having the guts to bring a stock vehicle down here. We’ve done it before for the F-150 Raptor, Raptor R, Bronco Raptor and now it’s time for the North American Ranger Raptor to earn its stripes.” The No. 773 Ford Performance Ranger Raptor finished the race in a time of 31:37:10, while the No. 8050 Ford Performance Bronco DR finished in 30:30:06. SJ