The Bronco R prototype made its competitive debut in a manner both memorable and epic – racing through the desert wilderness in the SCORE Baja 1000. The Bronco did fairly well for its first time battling the sandy course, but ultimately staggered to a halt 580 miles in. The exact cause isn’t certain, but with this year bringing some of the worst weather ever for a Baja 1000, it’s not surprising that the Bronco fell short of completing the run. Ultimately, the overall victory went to Baja natives Alan, Rodrigo and Aaron Ampudia, a formidable team of brothers who completed the grueling event in a mere 16 hours and change.
The Bronco prototype’s debut was in part a way to honor the famous overall win of Rod Hall and Larry Minor, who 50 years ago drove a Bronco to victory at the 1969 Baja 1000. No 4×4 auto has managed to repeat the feat since then. While the prototype generated some buzz at this year’s SEMA show, the SCORE Baja 1000 was its first opportunity to test its mettle under the sort of conditions for which it was built.
The Ampudia brothers had experienced some success at previous Baja 1000s, but this iteration gave them their first overall triumph. Alan started the race and drove to race mile 350; Aaron took his place and brought their Ford Raptor to mile 695, with Alan returning for the remainder of the course. Rodrigo navigated for his two younger brothers, guiding them to their impressive victory.