Vaughn Gittin Jr. Details Las Vegas Bound Ford Bronco: Video

August 9, 2024 9:32 am

Ford Bronco Raptor Vaughn Gittin Jr. - Exterior 001 - Front Three Quarters

Ford Performance driver and founder of RTR Vehicles Vaughn Gittin Jr. is no stranger to the Ford Bronco, as he’s owned more than one example of the sixth-generation SUV thus far. Gittin Jr. has also spent his fair share of time behind the wheel of the Ford Bronco not only on the pavement, but also off, blasting across the desert and even rock crawling that particular model on numerous occasions. Now, Gittin Jr. is set to drive a Ford Bronco in this year’s Best in the Desert race on August 16^th, too.

The 2024 Best in the Desert Race spans 500 miles of rugged terrain between Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, offering up an array of surfaces including sand and rocks. As Ford Authority recently reported, Ford Performance will be tackling this particular event in its FPRS Race Bronco with Ford Performance Racing School instructor and Baja champion John Williams behind the wheel, too. As for Gittin Jr. – and co-driver Loren Healy – they’ll be taking on this same event in their Bronco Raptor that won last year’s Baja 1000.

To prepare for this upcoming race, Gittin Jr. and Healey replaced some worn out parts on their Bronco Raptor and put around 100 miles on it testing in the desert, though this particular racer isn’t exactly unmodified. Rather, it’s quite similar to the 4600 Bronco racer in that it has a longer wheelbase, more power, and some extra weight out back. However, Gittin Jr. also notes that this Bronco is a bit more stock than many might expect, save for the requisite safety equipment.

There are some upgrades present here, ranging from additional lighting – a necessity for racing in the desert at night – along with a custom push bar and skid plate, a modified air intake to keep the dust out of the engine, and a few other tweaks. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how this Bronco Raptor fares next week, even though it has already proven itself at Baja.

We’ll have more on the 2024 Best in the Desert race soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Bronco news and continuous Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.