Confirmed: Ford Ranger Raptor to race in Dakar Rally

Ford Performance’s expansion in world motorsport has continued, with the marque confirming that it will take on the famed Dakar Rally in 2024 with the Ford Ranger Raptor, with long-term plans in place to challenge for outright rally success.

For the initial foray, the Blue Oval has enlisted the support of long-term partners M-Sport and Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM), with a vehicle based on the previous-generation global Ford Ranger, as fitted with a 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine.

The outfit will take on multiple warm-up events this year in preparation for the event scheduled for January 5-19 in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, for the 2025 event, Ford Performance and their World Rally Championship partner M-Sport are developing an all-new, custom-built Ranger Raptor designed specifically for Dakar’s T1+ class regulations, utilising lessons learned from the current platform.

Full technical details of the 2025 machine have not been released.

Confirmation of the Dakar program follows in the footsteps of the Ranger Raptor proving successful in the Production 4WD class at the 2023 Finke Desert Race last weekend, with the crew of Brad and Byam Lovell registering a class record for the gruelling 226km Finke to Alice Springs leg, which now stands at 2h51min.

The Australian-developed machine was the same that won its class in the 2022 Baja 1000.

“To lead the charge at one of the ultimate global off-road events – the Dakar Rally – has been a goal of ours,” said Ford Performance Motorsports global director Mark Rushbrook.

“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.

“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.”

The announcement of the Dakar Rally program comes in the same week that Ford unveiled its GT3 Mustang program, which is destined for the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hour.

Ford has subsequently confirmed that the model is earmarked to be a starter in the 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour, with the deadline for next February’s event proving too tight to develop a program.

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