We first caught up with the Bronco R in Santo Tomás around race mile 80. While it might be named the Baja 1000, rarely are 1,000 miles exactly ever raced. This year the contest started and ended in Ensenada for a total of 800 miles.
Teams use chase helicopters to monitor cars' position and condition and to let drivers know of any challenges ahead on the course or competitors coming up behind them.
Controlled chaos reigns in the pits. The Bronco R's chase crew was comprised of Ford engineers and Desert Assassins mavericks from previous Baja 1000 winner Cameron Steele.
A high-pressure fuel system can dump 100 gallons of fuel in 30 seconds. Oh, and that'a a 2020 Ford Super Duty with the upcoming Tremor package doing the heavy lifting.
Johnny Campbell, Dakar winner and multiple Baja champion was one of the seven drivers on hand to pilot the Bronco R. He brought the truck in about an hour ahead of schedule and is kind of a big deal.
The cooling system is a bit of a Frankenstein monster, with an aftermarket radiator, fans from another system and a shroud that was never supposed to live in that rig in the first place.
One fan had seized and the other was not working at full strength. The Ford team decided to call the race, as the next section required elevation gain and the fans, they feared, would not be up to snuff.
Instead, the Bronco R made its way back to Ensenada on the pavement, giving the win to the SCG Baja Boot, a remake of Steve McQueen's car that won the Baja 500 in 1969.
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Discuss: Ford Bronco R takes on the Baja 1000
Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion.