Bronco Crushes Ultra4 Stock Racing Class at King of the Hammers
The Bronco Brand and Ford Performance are on top of the world after dominating the 2022 King of the Hammers Ultra4 stock-class race. The Bronco 4600 stock class race vehicles achieved a podium sweep, proving the strength and durability of their Built Wild™ off-road racing legacy. The ultra-tough off-road race series in Johnson Valley, California is notoriously difficult, but Bronco models proved that they can take on any challenge.
The recently revealed Bronco Raptor was also at the event, witnessing the race trucks that inspired its creation. The Bronco Raptor features elite off-road technology and hardware that were inspired by the Ultra4 Off-Road Racing Series, making it the perfect vehicle for off-road racing.
Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance Motorsports global director, stated that the commanding 1-2-3 finish of the Bronco Brand and Ford Performance at the King of the Hammers Ultra4 stock-class race proves that their Built Wild capability, durability, and innovative design are second to none. The success of the Bronco 4600 racers continues to elevate Ford's motorsports heritage and highlight how the Bronco models can be tuned from the showroom floor to compete in the grueling ULTRA4 stock class series.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Loren Healey took first place in the ULTRA4 4600 stock-class race in the No. 2567 Bronco 4600. The team of Brad Lovell and his brother Roger Lovell in the No. 4621 Bronco 4600 placed second, while Bailey Cole and Jason Scherer came in third in the No. 13 Bronco 4600.
Each of the winning Bronco 4600 race vehicles were built from factory stock Bronco two-door SUV chassis, powered by a race-bred 2.7-liter EcoBoost® V6 engine, and equipped with a competition-tuned High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) System. The same innovative design and durability testing that went into the Bronco two- and four-door SUVs were also applied to the Bronco 4600 race vehicle, which serves as a test bed for Ford Performance parts and accessories.
The Bronco 4600 is the latest in a long line of off-road champs. Following in the footsteps of the OG Bronco that won the Baja 1000 back in 1969, the Bronco 4600 starts with a stock two-door SUV chassis and then adds a competition-tuned High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) System to keep you stable on any terrain.
This bad boy uses a race-tested production 2.7-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 engine with SelectShift® 10-speed automatic and second-generation T-6 chassis. And it's not just a showpiece, either - the Bronco 4600 is a test bed for all kinds of Ford Licensed Accessories and Ford Performance parts, as well as upgrades from independent aftermarket companies.
The Bronco 4600 also learned a lot from the Bronco R Race Prototype that rocked the Baja 1000 in 2019 and 2020. It has a competition-tuned high-performance off-road stability suspension, featuring Fox coil over shocks with remote reservoirs and Fox pneumatic bump stops at all four corners. You'll find Wilwood Engineering brakes and 35-inch BFGoodrich® mud-terrain T/A® KM3 tires mounted to Method Race Wheels 202 Forged Beadlock wheels.
And there's more! Heavy-duty front portal hubs from 74 Weld are mounted to Triton Engineering control arms, and the front has a heavy-duty Howe hydraulic steering rack with cooler. Plus, a factory Dana™ AdvanTEK e-locking differential with RCV custom half-shafts delivers front wheel torque. In the back, Triton Engineering rear links support a Dynatrac ProRock XD60® axle with an ARB 35-spline Air Locker® and Spidertrax Spider 9™ axle shafts and hubs. To finish it off, Ford Performance supplies modified front and rear modular steel bumpers and a Warn® ZEON® winch, while RIGID® LED off-road lights improve visibility in the dark. The inside also gets a custom roll cage by Geiser Brothers and first-ever FIA off-road-certified race shells from Recaro®.
Image Credit: Ford