Ford Performance to field Ranger Raptor T1+ in Dakar Rally

Ford, through its high-performance and motorsports division Ford Performance, will field the Ranger Raptor T1+ in the 2024 Dakar Rally.

Per Ford, the first step in the multi-year plan to compete in the Dakar Rally is to finish and learn in collaboration with longtime partners M-Sport and Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) for vehicle development, servicing, and event management.

“To lead the charge at one of the ultimate global off-road events – the Dakar Rally – has been a goal of ours. We cannot underestimate the enormity of the challenge ahead of us. We need to finish and learn first with Ranger T1+ and partners like M-Sport and NWM, who bring their expertise to bear. Together, we can do amazing things in the sand dunes of the Arabian Peninsula,” commented Ford Performance Motorsports Global Director Mark Rushbrook.

Leading the brand’s campaign in the famed rally race will be a purpose-built, high-performance Ford Ranger racing in the Rally Raid T1+ category.

Ford Performance — together with its partners M-Sport and NWM team — has implemented a series of development phases through 2023 and continues testing with the Ranger T1+, based on the previous generation global Ranger, with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine.

Test races are expected to include Spain’s Baja España Aragón and Morocco’s Rally du Maroc rallies in July and October, respectively, before tackling the Dakar Rally next year

“Our first time in Dakar will be a learning adventure that will help inform how we compete in the future. But as with all racing, we’re not just racing to win, we’re also racing to help build better products for our customers,” Rushbrook added.

Photos from Ford

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