Some nights just mean more than others. On a single evening at the newly built RTR Lab Farmington in New Mexico, we marked two milestones worth celebrating in a big way. The grand opening of our off-road headquarters and Ford Racing's 125th anniversary came together under one roof, and we invited over 250 guests to share it with us. Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healy hosted, and what followed was a night that captured everything the RTR off-road program is built on.
The Ready to Rock Raptor Owner Experience
For the first time ever, we hosted the Ready to Rock Raptor Owner Experience, inviting out all Ford Raptor owners to an off-road adventure day with Vaughn and Loren. Departing from the RTR Lab Farmington, we ventured off into Chokecherry Canyon, right in the backyard of the new Lab. Over a dozen F-150s and Bronco Raptors joined us for the excursion, with riders of all experience levels. Vaughn and Loren made sure no one was left behind and offered pointers along the way.
Race Truck Ride Alongs
Once back at the facility, Vaughn and Loren fired up their Ford Racing Bronco 4600 race trucks and started strapping guests in for ride alongs. For anyone who has never experienced a purpose-built 4600 race truck at full send, this was the moment to see what the Ford Bronco Raptor could really do.
Bronco RC Experience
The RTR Off-Road team built a dedicated mini dirt course on site to showcase the FMS 1:18 FSC18 Bronco RTR truck, a scale replica of Loren's iconic 1,000HP Ford Bronco. FMS brought over a dozen examples of the machine to the event, giving attendees a chance to get behind the wheel and take it through the course. Whether you were eight or forty-eight, the smiles were the same.
Opening the Doors
With the experiences wrapped up, it was time to open the Farmington facility to the full crowd and celebrate. Over 250 guests walked through the doors of a building that two years ago existed only on paper, now fully operational and buzzing with energy and everything off-road racing. As Vaughn put it: "The grand opening and Ford Racing 125th anniversary party was epic!" We couldn’t agree more.
A Private Look at What is Coming
The night closed with something nobody outside of the RTR team had seen yet. Guests got a private pre-screening of the upcoming Loren Healy and El Bandito Pikes Peak documentary, a film that tells the full story of what it took to get a 1000HP Ford Bronco up America's Mountain for a class win at the 104th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. We dimmed the lights, hit play, and the room was locked in from start to finish. We can’t say much more than that yet, but it’s coming soon and you are going to want to watch it.
125 Years of Ford Racing, and Counting
Ford Racing has been a part of American motorsport culture since 1901, and 125 years later the legacy is stronger than ever. Celebrating that milestone at the RTR Lab in Farmington, surrounded by race trucks, off-road terrain, and a community that lives and breathes this stuff, felt exactly right. Here is to the next 125.
