{"id":30541,"date":"2023-02-19T14:47:30","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T18:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=30541"},"modified":"2023-02-19T14:47:30","modified_gmt":"2023-02-19T18:47:30","slug":"ford-saddles-up-bronco-to-ride-in-the-super-bowl-of-american-off-road-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/ford-saddles-up-bronco-to-ride-in-the-super-bowl-of-american-off-road-racing","title":{"rendered":"Ford saddles up Bronco to ride in the Super Bowl of American off-road racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Johnson Valley, California<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Late January in Florida means the start of the sports-car racing season on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Some of the auto industry\u2019s greatest brands \u2014 Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Lamborghini, Lexus, Porsche \u2014 field 24 Hours of Daytona racers in a demonstration of cutting-edge technology and raw speed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But on the other side of the continent another epic, late-January endurance race is emerging as a manufacturer test. Except this race features SUVs on the high dunes of the Mojave Desert.<\/p>\n

King of the Hammers is America\u2019s greatest off-road race and an emerging battlefield for brand supremacy as SUVs now dominate the vehicle marketplace. Ford Motor Co., which has made a name for itself in sports-car racing with Ford GTs and Mustang GT4s, is determined to make King of the Hammers its playground, too.<\/p>\n

\"Ford<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Just a week after a Mustang GT4 dominated the production-based Pilot Challenge race at Daytona, Ford swept the podium in the production-based 4600 Class here for the second year in a row. With 100,000 spectators in attendance (compared to 50,000 at the Daytona 24 Hour), three Broncos put their stamp on the week, beating out competitors in Jeeps and Toyotas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe style of racing is very different, and the vehicles that do the racing are very different, but what\u2019s common is the passion of the fans,\u201d Ford Performance chief Mark Rushbrook said here. \u201cWhether we\u2019re talking to a Mustang fan at Daytona or a Bronco fan out here, it\u2019s great to be able to connect with (fans) and show them what we are doing for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n