The Ford Bronco DR debuted way back in November 2021 as the hardcore, off-road-only racing version of the road-going SUV – notably, packing the 5.0L V8 Coyote engine underhood, along with a bevy of modifications. However, it was a few years before the Ford Bronco DR made its official racing debut at the Norra Mexican 1000 Rally this past May, where off-road racing legend Brad Lovell piloted the SUV to a win in the Heavy Metal class, as well as 15th overall. Now, the Ford Bronco DR is set to take on another daunting challenge at the 2024 Baja 1000.
The Ford Bronco DR will make its debut at the 2024 Baja 1000 on November 15th, which represents the 57th installment of that iconic off-road race, according to Bronco Nation. This year, the Baja 1000 will ask racers to complete a single loop from Ensenada to Ensenada, covering 860 miles, though that route through the Baja Peninsula of Mexico changes every year. Regardless, the Ford Bronco DR will be competing in the Heavy Metal Limited class with Brad Lovell and Roger Lovell behind the wheel, along with a full team of drivers.
“It’s pretty exciting for us to be racing the Bronco DR in Baja, as we’ve been campaigning for it all season,” Brad said. “The D.R. won both the NORRA 1000 and the Vegas to Reno race this year and is now running in the Heavy Metal Class. It looks like a pretty challenging course. You know when you’re running a loop race, it’s more technical and there’s going to be areas of silt but I think we’re in really good shape. We’ve spent lots of time prepping the truck and it’s proven out to be Baja tough, so we’re excited to get down there and do what we’ve intended to do with this truck and that’s race the Baja 1000.”
Lovell certainly has plenty of experience at the Baja 1000, where he’s competed “somewhere between twelve and fourteen times,” he noted, and as such, he’s already got a strategy nailed down for his latest attempt. “We’ve done quite a bit of logistics to figure out the race and I’ll be starting with my brother Roger, and we’ll race through to BFG Pit #2 which is about race mile 277. At that point Jason Hutter and Paul Blangsted will get in. We have them doing the night shift, which is probably the hardest, most technical section, where you really have to persevere and those guys have a lot of passion to get the vehicle through. Scherer will be in for the finish line, starting from San Phillipe, which again is rough. He has a lot of expertise the rougher the terrain gets so I have a lot of confidence in him as well.”
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