Ford Bronco R Prototype Finishes 2020 Baja 1000

November 23, 2020 by Ford

The Bronco R Race Prototype, piloted by Cameron Steele, Shelby Hall and a team of veteran Ford off-road racers, finished the 53rd SCORE-International Baja 1000 in Class 2 in just over 32 hours. The race adds to Bronco's storied history at Baja dating back to 1967.

Sharing in the effort were co-drivers Johnny Campbell, Curt LeDuc and Jason Scherer.

'When Bronco returned we said it would follow in the legacy of the first-generation Broncos that forever changed the off-road landscape – and today's finish demonstrates we're continuing the 'Built Wild' pedigree of Bronco,' said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance motorsports.

Powered by a fully stock Ford 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine and Ford 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, the Bronco R Race Prototype serves as a testbed for Bronco Built Wild Extreme Testing durability regimen and for the final the Baja Mode calibrations for the Terrain Management System™ with G.O.A.T. Modes on the production versions.

A pre-production 2021 Bronco two-door Outer Banks™ series with Sasquatch™ off-road Package also made its first appearance in the Baja Mexico desert.

The successful finish underscores Bronco brand's performance legacy at Baja, which includes the first-ever overall production 4x4 class win in 1969 Baja 1000 – a feat no other manufacturer has accomplished since.

Overall, the first-generation Broncos claimed five Baja 1000 class wins (1967, '69, '69, '71 and '72) and two overall Baja 500 victories in 1970 and 1973. Later model year Broncos (1978-95) continued the legendary winning streak with nine Baja 500 Class 3 wins from 2004 to 2015 and 15 Baja 1000 Class 3 wins between 2002 to 2019.

Ford is the Official Truck and SUV of SCORE-International Off-Road Racing and lead sponsor of the SCORE World Desert Challenge Series, which includes the 2019-22 SCORE Baja 1000 races. Ford is also official vehicle of the Ultra4 King of the Hammers competition. Together, they underscore Ford's commitment to off-road motorsports and serve as a platform to develop the Bronco brand and connect with off-road enthusiasts.

To learn more about Bronco and Bronco Sport, please visit Ford.com/Bronco.

Photo credit: Ford
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