Ford Performance is gearing up for a return to Alice Springs next month to defend its class title at the 2024 Tatts Finke Desert Race. Off-road racing legend Brad Lovell will once again take the wheel of the Ranger Raptor, alongside his son and co-driver Byam Lovell, in their bid to repeat their 2023 triumph.
The father-son duo previously clinched the Production 4WD class title at Finke with an overall time of 5 hours, 56 minutes, and 30 seconds, including a record-breaking run from Apatula to Alice Springs in 2 hours, 51 minutes, and 18 seconds. The Ford Performance team in Australia has since made several key upgrades to the race truck for the 2024 event.
“The Ranger Raptor is Ford Performance’s global off-road racing platform, and we are proud to return to the vehicle’s spiritual homeland of the Aussie Outback to defend our 2023 victory,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “While the team has been hard at work improving the Ranger Raptor for the 2024 event, our race truck still retains the same engine, transmission, and suspension components that roll off the showroom floor.”
Despite being new to the Finke Desert Race in 2023, the Lovells return in 2024 with valuable experience and a determination to retain their class title. “The Finke Desert Race is truly unique, with a challenging combination of high speeds and seriously massive whoops,” Brad Lovell remarked. “I’m looking forward to facing off against a stronger field of competitors this year and showing what the Ranger Raptor is capable of.”
Ford Performance’s participation will be supported by Walkinshaw Performance, the sister organization of leading Ford Supercars team Walkinshaw Andretti United, with additional engineering support from US-based off-road specialists Huseman Engineering.
The Ranger Raptor, which raced at Finke in 2023 in a similar specification to the Baja 1000, has undergone modifications focused on improving performance at the higher-speed Australian event. These changes include reducing weight and optimizing suspension calibrations. The race truck retains the same suspension hardware and electronics as the standard road-going Ranger Raptor, but now features a new Finke-specific damper calibration.
“We have an exciting challenge ahead of us for Finke in 2024. Last year we came close to securing the overall class record and this year we return against a strong set of new competitors,” said Justin Capicchiano, Ford Performance and Special Vehicles Engineering Manager, Australia. “Finke has an average speed nearly 35 km/h faster than Baja, and by retuning the suspension and cutting weight, the Ranger Raptor will be the perfect weapon for Brad and Byam to defend their title.”
The Finke Desert Race, known as Australia’s toughest off-road endurance race, covers over 460 kilometers between Alice Springs and Aputula (Finke) and will take place from June 7-10. As the Ford Performance team prepares to take on this formidable challenge, anticipation builds for another thrilling showdown in the Outback.
