Johnson Valley doesn’t care who you are.
It doesn’t care what you’ve won, what you’ve built, or where you came from. It only cares whether your machine - and the people behind it - are prepared to learn what the terrain has to teach.
King of the Hammers has, by default, never been about one race. It’s a maze of choices. Rocks or speed. Precision or punishment. Build it light or build it strong. Every line you take has consequences, and every mile leaves a mark.
In 2026, Ford Racing isn’t choosing just one line.
We’re bringing our largest racing effort yet to Hammertown - not to make a statement, but to listen, test, and understand. Because the only way to truly earn your place in Johnson Valley is to meet it on its own terms, from every angle, and carry those lessons forward.
Trailhead One: Desert Challenge
Some paths are worth returning to, especially when they still have something to teach you.
In 2026, we’re bringing back the 3.5-liter F-150 Raptor that earned its 2025 Baja 1000 victory, driven by Brad Lovell. Alongside it, the same Bronco Raptor that proved itself victorious in Baja - twice - driven by Loren Healy, will take on the desert once again. John Williams III will be behind the wheel of his familiar Ford F-150 Raptor R.
This isn’t the same terrain as Mexico, which means more lessons learned at speed, over distance, and under sustained punishment: lessons that continue to shape how we think about durability and how we can make better products for our customers.
Different platforms, shared learning.
Trailhead Two: Every Man Challenge (4600)
This is where the bridge between our customers and our racing becomes unmistakable.
The 4600 class is about discipline and trust in the platform. It’s about seeing how close production-based Broncos can stay to their roots when the environment strips away comfort and predictability. Where the Desert Challenge meets open Mojave with speed, the Every Man Challenge is a battle of boulders.
More Broncos than ever before will be lining up this year. With drivers like Brad Lovell, Bailey Cole, Bailey Campbell, John Williams, John Rants, Josh Attebury, Kendall Glines - and Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healy pulling double duty - this effort reflects the broader Bronco community. Racers, builders, engineers, and customers all asking the same question: What really matters when the terrain stops being reasonable?
These Broncos retain stock transmission and engine - and that’s exactly why this class matters.
Trailhead Three: Unlimited (4400)
If you want to understand where the limits are, this is where you start looking for them.
Our 4400 Bronco entries are purpose-built for the hardest lines Johnson Valley can throw at you. As the premiere class in Ultra4 Racing, this is where ideas are stress-tested until only the ones that work remain.
Vaughn Gittin Jr., Loren Healy, and Jason Scherer bring decades of experience navigating the harshest race in the country.
These Broncos are here to expose reality.
Final Notes
Shortcuts don’t work at King of the Hammers.
Out here, there’s no hiding behind plans or expectations. Vehicles get pushed. People get tired. Decisions matter. You find out pretty quickly what holds up and what doesn’t.
That’s why we come here the way we do. To see how our vehicles perform when the environment is in control, not us. When reliability and trust in the vehicle matter more than anything else.
What we take away from Johnson Valley doesn’t end when the race is over. It feeds directly into how we think about durability, capability, and the real-world use our customers put these vehicles through every day.
For Ford, owning off-road means showing up year after year, listening to what the terrain teaches, and using those lessons to build better trucks and SUVs.
So in 2026, you won’t find us focused on just one line.
You’ll find us out there, learning wherever the trail leads.
