DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford Racing is returning to one of off-road racing's toughest proving grounds with a newly developed 2026 Ford Bronco Raptor race truck, set to compete in the 59th SCORE Baja 1000 with drivers Brad Lovell, Loren Healy and Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Scheduled for November 13, the 2026 Baja 1000 will take competitors on a 964.96-mile loop through Baja California Sur, marking the first time in the event's history that the race will be starting and finishing in San José del Cabo. The course will challenge teams across a demanding mix of desert, mountainous and coastal terrain.
Built around the production Bronco Raptor's 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 and FOX Live-Valve shocks, the new race truck, revealed at the third edition of Raptor Rally, represents the latest evolution of the race-to-road development philosophy from America’s Race Team: taking the capability customers know from Raptor and pushing it further through the demands of desert competition to create better products.
“We’ve raced the previous truck for thousands of miles through some of the harshest conditions Baja can throw at us, and it proved itself again and again,” said Kristen Goslawski, Off-Road Motorsports Supervisor, Ford Racing. “So rather than starting from scratch, we took everything we’ve learned over the past several years and made thoughtful improvements where we knew they could make a difference. When you start with such a strong production platform, you can spend less time addressing the fundamentals and more time finding the limits. That’s what makes this next chapter exciting: we’re at a point where we can start pushing the pace. And the best part is that everything we’re learning along the way helps us continue making Raptor better.”
The new Bronco Raptor incorporates a series of developments informed by those lessons learned in racing, including improved cooling and air induction systems, increased dust filtration capacity and revised suspension components designed to withstand the punishing terrain of Baja.
Those improvements will face a particularly demanding test in 2026. The nearly 1,000-mile course will expose the truck to extended periods of high-speed desert racing, heavy dust and changing terrain, placing significant demands on cooling, filtration, suspension performance and overall durability.
Among the most significant updates are new front and rear bump stops, engineered to better manage severe suspension impacts while improving tire contact with the terrain. The truck also features a Ford Racing Parts 3.0-liter engine calibration and developmental chassis calibrations intended to support future production Raptor applications.
“There are three things I’m most excited about,” said Brad Lovell. “We’ve added hydraulic bumpers which is a tried and true thing to do in the desert to give you more capability in the suspension. We’ve also found ways to accelerate harder and improve durability under acceleration - and improve braking - so we can go over bumps faster now. We can drive harder to get there.”
A new carbon-fiber roof retains the unmistakable Bronco silhouette while providing improved water shedding and protection for occupants and onboard electronics. Additional updates include a revised SCORE-compliant roll cage maximizing room for its driving teams, 37-inch BFGoodrich KDR3 race tires, Method Race Wheels and Baja Designs lighting.
For Ford Racing, the Baja 1000 is both a test of endurance and an opportunity to develop, validate and refine technologies in conditions that are difficult to replicate anywhere else. With a race time limit of 40 hours, the event demands far more than outright speed, requiring sustained performance, mechanical durability and disciplined execution across hundreds of miles of unpredictable terrain.
The 2026 SCORE Baja 1000 marks another chapter in Ford's long-standing relationship with Baja and off-road racing, one rooted in the understanding that lessons learned through competition can help shape the vehicles customers drive. As Ford Racing celebrates 125 years since Henry Ford's first racing victory, that philosophy remains central to its pursuit of performance, durability and continuous improvement, on the racecourse and beyond the finish line.
