Cody U. 
Ford has a storied history when it comes to racing the Baja 1000. Arguably most famous is the story of the Ford Bronco known as Big Oly, who dominated the race in the 1970’s. Bronco history aside though, Ford has plans to unleash one of its newest creations on the demanding desert race later this month. Ford recently announced the next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor is going to take on the Baja 1000 this year with the help of some Australian and American race teams. The Ranger will also utilize a special Shell low-carbon biofuel. The fuel is supposed to showcase low-carbon producing alternative fuels in favor of conventional ones.
The green flag drops on the Baja 1000 November 18th. The Ranger Raptor was built in collaboration between Ford Performance and Australia’s Kelly Racing and was specifically created to adhere to the SCORE’s stock class specifications. The class, as the name implies, is meant to showcase the stock capabilities of the vehicles that enter. Piloting the Ranger will be the personnel from the U.S. based Lovell Racing team. A team that is led by a multi-time off-road champion and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer, Brad Lovell.
Ranger Raptor: Specs
The stock Ranger Raptor, which officially debuted in February, could be a force to be reckoned with come race day. Its stock stats include a 3.0L V6 Ecoboost engine capable of 392 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque mated to an automatic 10-speed transmission. The Raptor Ranger also comes stock with 33-inch BFG KO2 all-terrain tires supported by 2.5-inch Fox Live Valve internal bypass shock absorbers.
The Raptor Ranger, from the factory, also sports both an exhaust note labeled as “Baja” as well as a drive mode of the same name. The Baja drive mode heightens all of the vehicle’s systems for peak performance, especially off-road. The Exhaust setting changes the exhaust systems behavior, to be more in line with a straight through system.
The new Ford Ranger Raptor is rumored to have a starting price point below $55,000 when it launches in the United States, in case you wanted one for yourself.
