By Thomas Miles
Date posted: June 13, 2023
Ford completed its maiden Finke Desert Race with great success by claiming a class victory with its new Ranger Raptor.
The Australian made Ford Performance Ranger Raptor race truck took on the arduous Finke Desert Race last weekend and conquered it to win the Production 4WD class.
With father son driver/navigator combination Brad and Byam Lovell behind the wheel, the “Blue Oval” completed the gruelling 460km course from Alice Springs to Finke and back again in five hours, 56 minutes and 30 seconds.
Brad Lovell crosses the line to take the chequered flag at the end of the 2023 Finke Desert Race. Image: Supplied
It was the same Raptor that won its class in the 2022 Baja 1000.
Reflecting on the journey, hall of fame off-road raver Brad Lovell likened the Finke conditions to the brutal Baja.
“We had a great time, there’s a lot of variation. We were charging hard, but the Ranger Raptor took it, it is a super tough truck.
“The Ranger Raptor pushed hard the whole time; it took everything we dished out.
“The whoops out there are getting huge. I’m not sure how many suspension cycles we were doing per mile, but it has got to be a record!”
Byam and Brad Lovell wer delighted to finish Finke together as a family and son duo.
It was such an impressive performance it got the tick of approval from Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook.
“The Finke Desert Race is Australia’s toughest off-road race, set in what’s almost the spiritual home of the Ranger Raptor,” he said.
“This was Ford Performance and Ford Australia working together in a true global effort to showcase the ‘Built Ford Tough’ nature of the Ranger Raptor.
“Combined with the expertise of the Lovells, Huseman Engineering and Walkinshaw Performance, this incredible team conquered Finke.”
The Ford Ranger Raptor in action at the Baja 1000 last year. Image: Supplied
Capicchiano and his team has worked on the truck for almost three years and he said a class victory at Finke was a ‘dream come true’.
“The Finke Desert Race is one of the toughest events on the off-road calendar, and one that we’ve wanted to take on for a long time,” said Capicchiano.
“We made it happen with some excellent and committed partners and a small and dedicated team, which grew as the program did.
The Ford Ranger Raptor in action at the 2022 Finke Desert Race.
“Our Ranger Raptor finished as well as it started, and seriously looked like we could drive it back to Melbourne.
“It’s an incredible truck, and we are immensely proud of this outstanding result.”
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