Zac Quinn 
Ford Performance has just announced plans to take its race-prepared Ranger Raptor to participate in Australia’s Tatts Finke Desert Race happening on June 9-12. This is the same Ranger Raptor that conquered the 2022 SCORE-International Baja 1000 in the United States. This continues the global Ford effort that began with the Baja 1000.
Ford Ranger Raptor Race Finke Desert Race: Details
The Ford Ranger Raptor will be competing in the Production 4WD class at Finke, using the same truck that was built by Kelly Racing in Australia before final testing and development by Ford Performance and Lovell Racing. The modifications to the vehicle for the Baja 1000 remain, including crew safety items, wheels/tires, extra lights, underbody/vehicle protection, and a 160-liter fuel cell fitted into the truck. Beyond that, everything else remains in stock from the factory.
With Ford Performance and Ford Australia working together, this program continues to be a true global effort to showcase the Built Ford Tough nature of the Ranger Raptor. Father and son team Brad and Byam Lovell will pair up to drive the vehicle in the grueling desert challenge. An Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer, Brad Lovell runs one of Ford Performance’s key off-road racing teams – Lovell Racing. The Lovells are intimately associated with the Ranger Raptor for obvious reasons, which include being the drivers that won the Baja 1000 in 2022.
The Tatts Finke Desert Race is Australia’s most challenging off-road endurance race, and the 2023 event will mark the first time that Ford and Lovell Racing will compete. Covering a total distance of over 460 kilometers (286 miles) between Alice Springs and Aputula (Finke), the race attracts competitors from all over the world. It is known for its harsh conditions and challenging terrain. The 2023 Tatts Finke Desert Race will run across the weekend of June 9-12 and will likely be just as epic as the Baja 1000 but in Kangaroo land.
