Ford is taking a good idea and making it better — or at least different — offering new Bronco Raptor owners a chance to learn how to drive it in an Ultra4 Racing style experience.
Modeled on the successful Bronco Off-Roadeo experience, new Bronco Raptor owners can head out to Las Vegas — on their own dime — for a free day of conquering desert dunes and severe rock crawling at a specialized course set up just minutes from the Vegas strip.
Owners will drive Ford-owned Bronco Raptors, not their personal vehicles.
“Bronco Raptor customers want to experience their SUVs in the Ultra4-inspired habitat it was developed for,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.
“Just like the King of the Hammers race, our Bronco Off-Roadeo Raptor Experience for our customers combines all of the thrilling and unforgiving terrain and conditions of the Mojave Desert with professional off-road instructors and school-provided Bronco Raptors for a Built Wild experience.”
Learning to drive
The experience comes with the purchase of a 2022 or 2023 Bronco Raptor and takes new vehicle owners out to an exclusive basecamp at Mount Potosi, which is the home of Bronco Off-Roadeo Nevada. While it shares the facility with the roadeo drivers, it’s a separate experience based on Ultra4 racing.
In fact, the company turned to Baja and King of the Hammers champions and world-class off-roader drivers like Vaughn Gittin Jr., Loren Healy and Brad Lovell, plus industry- leading off-road experts like Bob Burns that helped curate the trails and training scenarios.
“There’s never been a high-performance, off-road SUV like Bronco Raptor that you can drive from showroom floor to the most remote and challenging places,” said Dave Bozeman, vice president, Ford Customer Service Division, and vice president, Enthusiast Vehicles, for Ford Blue.
“Bronco Raptor Off-Roadeo is like the masters level course of our Off-Roadeo experiences. We’re teaching owners the skills needed to experience every bit of capability from their Bronco Raptor so they can gain confidence and responsible mastery in the outdoors.”
More of a good thing
The move comes on the heels of the recent expansion of the Bronco Off-Roadeo to Bronco Sport owners last November. All 2023 Bronco Sport owners and order-holders now receiving complimentary Bronco Off-Roadeo adventure access and trail guide instruction.
The Off-Roadeo began a few years back with just one location and now there are four in Texas, Utah, New Hampshire and, as mentioned, just outside Las Vegas. Each location puts drivers through a daylong test across miles of curated trails while teaching them about the capabilities and performance of their Bronco two-, four-door or Sport SUV model.
More than 31,000 owners and their guests have participated in the Off-Roadeo since it opened its doors. Bronco Raptor owners participating are responsible for paying for their own way out to Las Vegas, as well as food and lodging.