A new name and attitude are rolling into Johnson Valley, perfectly suited for the brutal landscape of the Mojave Desert. Ford Racing today debuts the Bronco Raptor 4600 that will compete in the Ultra4 stock-based vehicle class at King of the Hammers, an unforgiving blend of desert racing and extreme rock crawling described as the toughest single day off-road event in the world.
Going forward, Ford’s Ultra4 4600-class race vehicles will now compete under the Bronco Raptor 4600 name – highlighting how closely this race program is tied to the production vehicle that inspired it. Bronco Raptor 4600 also unites Ford’s stock class competition efforts with the Ultra4 off-road racing inspiration that’s shaped Bronco Raptor from the start.
This move advances Ford Racing’s strategy to establish Raptor as the global benchmark for high-performance off-road trucks and SUVs. Competition serves as both a proving ground and a development tool, driving real-world learning that helps inform future customer vehicle developoment. Bronco Raptor 4600 is a critical pillar of that approach.
Ultra4 has multiple race classes, from two-wheels to unlimited, but it’s the 4600 stock racing class that’s tied most closely to production trucks and SUVs customers can buy. Often called the “Every Man Challenge,” the class has strict and clear rules. Vehicles must retain their factory architecture and operate within tight limits on suspension and performance modifications. What’s left is a test of balance - durability, reliability, and driver decision-making across a mix of desert and rock terrain.
“Bronco Raptor was born from Ultra4 inspiration, and the Bronco Raptor 4600 brings that relationship full circle,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Racing. “It’s also a clear expression of how Ford Racing is evolving. We’re aligning our programs more closely and being more intentional about how racing connects back to our vehicles. Ultra4’s 4600 class rewards discipline and durability, and that makes it a natural home for the Bronco Raptor philosophy.”
When the Bronco Raptor was first introduced, it was engineered to handle the same mix of challenges that define Ultra4: high-speed desert sections, slow technical rock crawling, and everything in between.
That same mindset carries into the Bronco Raptor 4600 program, where the goal isn’t to build around the rules, but to learn within them. Tires no larger than 35-inches and production-based components puts the focus where it belongs: suspension tuning, component durability, and driveline reliability. It’s a proving ground that rewards thoughtful engineering and long-term durability, not shortcuts.
More broadly, the Bronco Raptor 4600 acts as a connective thread across Ford Racing’s off-road efforts. From Ultra4 in North America to desert racing and global rally raid programs, Ford has aligned its competition vehicles under a shared Raptor identity - one built on learning, durability, and showing up ready for the toughest environments off-road has to offer.
Five Bronco Raptor 4600s will compete in the 2026 King of the Hammers “Every Man Challenge” to attempt to earn continued podium finish success.
