New Ford Ranger Raptor to compete in gruelling Baja 1000 race

Ford has announced that its new Ranger Raptor pick-up is to compete in the extreme Baja 1000 race.

Widely regarded as one of the toughest off-road events in the world, the race takes place on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico and sees competitors tackle treacherous deserts, steep drops and huge inclines.

Ford Performance worked with Australia’s Kelly Racing to get the Ranger Raptor ready for the Baja 1000, with a range of motorsport alterations. It has, however, been designed to comply in the ‘stock’ class, which is meant to show the capability of pick-ups available to the general public.

It has then been developed by America firm Lovell Racing who will also race the truck at the Baja, which begins on November 18.

Brian Novak, off-road motorsports supervisor at Ford Performance, 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. We are excited to compete in this extreme event with Ranger Raptor.”

During the race, Ford will also run the Ranger Raptor on Shell’s low carbon biofuel, which is said to be made from 30 per cent sustainably sourced materials.

The Raptor is the most extreme version of Ford’s best-selling Ranger pick-up, with this new model bringing some major improvements – including the introduction of a more powerful 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo V6 engine, a sports exhaust system and a bespoke Fox suspension setup.