Kelly-built Ranger Raptor conquers Baja 1000

The Kelly Racing-built Ford Ranger Raptor has conquered the gruelling Baja 1000 event in Mexico.

Ford Performance enlisted Kelly Racing — the former factory Nissan Supercars team — to build its Baja 1000 Ranger Raptor.

The Ranger Raptor took out the Stock Mid-Size class on Sunday AEDT.

Ford and Kelly Racing took the vehicle from the production line to a race-ready truck in a 10-week window.

It’s a significant victory for Ford and Kelly Racing given the nature of the Baja 1000.

The Baja 1000 is the most gruelling off-road race in North America.

Run since 1967, the Baja 1000 is a non-stop 1000-mile sprint through the Mexican desert.

The event must be completed within a 36-hour time limit.

The deserts caught out the likes of Toby Price and Paul Weel, whose Trophy Truck burst into flames earlier in the event.

Weel and co-driver Preston Schmid were the occupants at the time, and got out of their vehcle safely.

The Aussie-built Ranger Raptor, meanwhile, is now a Baja success story, complete with Supercars ties.

The vehicle that completed the event was an Australian market version, complete in right-hand drive.

Bathurst 1000 winner Todd Kelly played a leading role in the Baja effort.

The vehicle was built and tested in Australia, with running completed in the Outback before being sent to Johnson Valley for further testing.

The Ranger Raptor was driven by Baja veterans Brad Lovell, Loren Healy and Jason Hutter.

The father-son team of Andy and Danny Brown also drove the car.

The entry was overseen by Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer Curt LeDuc.

Per the rules of the Stock Mid-Size class, modifications to the vehicle are kept to vehicle and crew safety items.

Further modifications can be made to wheels and tyres, driving and safety lights, underbody and vehicle protection, and the 160-litre fuel cell.

Brian Novak, Ford Performance Motorsports Supervisor, was delighted by the result.

"I’m just so proud of the Ford Performance Australia team, the Ford Performance North American team, Lovell Racing, Motec, Herrod, Kelly Racing, Method Wheels," he said.

"There are so many people who were a part of this program. It’s a stock engine, a stock transmission, a stock driveline in this truck.

"It was just flawless. I couldn’t have asked for a better race. I’m just so proud of everyone who worked on this program."

Prior to the event, Kelly detailed how "intense" the 10-week build was.

"It wasn’t until I got my hands on it and drove the thing that I realised just how impressive it is," Kelly said.

"The powertrain, the chassis, the suspension have been built to do Baja, so all we had to do was work within the rules of the class and fit the cage, the fuel system, and safety gear.

"I was lucky enough to do a lot of the driving during the shakedown testing in the Outback and I was completely blown away with how capable the truck is out of the box.

"I was finding that I was pushing it as hard as I could across dunes and along rutted tracks and yet the truck still felt like it had heaps left to give."