Latest news with #Baja1000
Wall Street Journal
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Wall Street Journal
2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Special Edition: A Tonka Truck for Grown Ups
Once, a long time ago, I competed in the Baja 1000, the infamous desert race down the Baja California Peninsula, from Ensenada to La Paz. Once was plenty. I soiled my racing suit. I developed hypothermia and severe dehydration and hallucinated as if I had eaten jimson weed. I barfed in my closed-face helmet six times. When our Class 1 buggy crossed the finish line, 10 hours behind the winners, I was wearing a garland of lightly used Mexican food around my neck. I saw a lot of crazy things through the steel mesh windshield of that machine—an open-framed, rear-engine camel cricket with 30 inches of wheel travel at each corner. Among the most amazing were lunatics tackling the same race, the same bone-jarring trails and drenching river crossings, in lightly modified production cars and trucks: the stock class.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Shelby Hall's New Racing Team Set To Debut At NORRA Mexican 1000
Shelby Hall has launched her own independent racing team called Shelby Hall Off-Road (SHO). Shelby Hall, third generation off-road driver and granddaughter of Off-Road Hall of Famer Rod Hall, has never shied away from an adventure. By the time she was born, Shelby's father and uncle were competing, and her mom was a part of the race team. Shelby's parents ran an off-road driving school, and she and her sister tagged along. Many times, Shelby's father Josh Hall took her for a spin in the school's racing truck, his daughter urging him to go faster. After years of driving with her grandfather and charting her own course as an off-road competitor at prestigious events like The Mint 400, the Rebelle Rally, and the Baja 1000, Shelby has launched her own racing team, Shelby Hall Off-Road (SHO). The new team is set to compete in the upcoming National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000 with Shelby co-piloting a Ford Bronco DR with her teammate Brady Melin. "Racing is in my blood," Hall says. "It's an incredible feeling to launch my own team while carrying forward the traditions my grandfather established. The Mexican 1000 is where so much of our family history was written, and I'm honored to continue that legacy on these same challenging Baja trails." Shelby Hall and Brady Melin, co-drivers for the NORRA Mexican 1000. SHO's Ford Bronco DR is a limited-production, factory-built, off-road racer. The 4x4 is designed for high-speed desert racing, and Shelby and Brady will be putting it to the test as the first privateer team to race one. Brady isn't just Shelby's teammate; he is her significant other, and the two have spent quite a bit of time dreaming about this moment. 'I trust him with my life, and it's just going to be so much fun to to embark on this together,' Shelby says. 'We've been in the trenches working on this for a long time.' The SHO shop is in Huntington Beach, California, not too far from where Shelby and Brady live. 'Brady is super laid back,' Shelby says. 'I'm a little more high strung, and so I think that we compliment each other really well. We have a blast in the race car together; he feels comfortable with me and I feel comfortable with him.' Brady is also a master mechanic, and Shelby describes him as a 'MacGyver type" fix-it person. 'If you're out the desert and something goes wrong, he will be able to put something together to get us to our next pit,' Shelby says. Shelby Hall's off-road truck, the Ford Bronco DR. Shelby clearly loves being off road, and she adored hanging out with her late grandfather. They raced together and he pushed her to learn and excel in their family business. When he passed away in 2019, Shelby felt lost; Rod was her best friend, her mentor, and her business partner. Above all, he was her beloved Papa. 'Now I'm launching my very own team, which is something I've been dreaming about since I was a kid,' Shelby says. 'It's something that I didn't know if I'd ever be able to do with without my grandpa.' The back of Shelby's race truck reads 'honoring the legend Rob Hall' on the back. If Rod were still here on this Earth, he would surely be glowing with pride. 'Right before my grandfather died, I was hanging out with him and we were chatting about life,' Shelby remembers. 'He said, 'Shelby, how are we going to get you your own race team?' It would be so cool to be able to show him that I made it happen. And I think he would just be so excited to watch, follow along, and be our biggest cheerleader.' Watch for more from Shelby Hall Off-Road. She's well on her way on her own legendary journey.
New York Times
08-03-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
F1 Academy's Lia Block learned to drift from her dad. Now she's making her own name
Motorsports history is littered with sons of famous fathers following in dad's footsteps and trying to make their own names. Michael and Mick Schumacher. Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bobby and Graham Rahal. The Andretti and Sainz families. Bill and Chase Elliott. The list goes on. But motorsports isn't just a man's world anymore. Advertisement One of the women rising through the racing ranks is F1 Academy driver Lia Block. She's the 18-year-old daughter of Ken Block, who made his name with his rally racing, the popular 'Gymkhana' video series and brands such as Hoonigans before dying in a snowmobiling accident in January 2023. Lia grew up in paddocks and naturally drifted towards off-road racing, eventually becoming a rally champion and later winning the Pro-Stock division of the Baja 1000 with her mother Lucy and the Block House Racing Team just over a year ago. Having become successful in her own right, the Williams Academy driver is now staring down her second full season in single-seaters, wanting to fight for the F1 Academy title. Block is grateful that her father and his reputation opened doors to the motorsports world early in her career, but 'it's been really hard' navigating her career as 'the daughter of.' 'I don't want people (to) think that I'm cheating my way through it because I have a leg up. I do have a leg up into the sport because he was so renowned, and he gave me the opportunities to pursue my career,' Block told The Athletic ahead of the 2024 F1 Academy season. 'But I do try and step away from it just a bit because I do want to create my own personality and I want to be my own self. 'I don't want to be known as his daughter. I have a name, which is hard sometimes because I love being his daughter and I would take that over anything any day.' Although Block's early childhood was when her father competed in different rally and rallycross championships, her earliest motorsport memory happened at a racetrack in Florida. Ken bought her an electric go-kart to use in their driveway. 'It would only go 20 miles an hour,' Block says. So, when she tried her first proper go-kart at around six, she was in for a surprise. Advertisement 'I didn't know that the faster you go, the less you have to turn. I got in this new go-kart, and it was a lot faster. I went into the first turn and went straight into the infield,' Block says, adding, 'My dad held that over my head forever. It was just a funny experience. It wasn't the time I really fell in love with motorsports. I was still trying everything else, but it was just what made me realize, 'Oh, I gotta work hard for this one.'' Growing up, she did gymnastics before switching to competitive dance. Those were constants in her life, even while trying other sports, including basketball, soccer, flag football, tennis and swimming. Block admits, 'That's kind of weird to say — 'Hey, I was a dancer turned racecar driver,' but I think that's something I really loved growing up.' Both of Block's parents raced competitively. Ken secured podium finishes in various rally competitions, including the X Games, the World Rally Championship and World RallyCross. Lucy made her rally debut in 2009 and competed in her first full American Rally Association season in 2022. But they never forced her into motorsports, despite their passion for it. She says, 'My dad had always given me open doors and given me the option to go and do motorsports.' At around 10, she returned to racing. 'It was kind of … on my own merit. And I think once I realized that I loved it so much and I tried all these things, I felt comfortable with myself and just knew that, 'Yeah, I've tried all of this and this is really where I want to go.'' A self-described 'adrenaline junkie,' Block made her start in the Lucas Oil Off Road Series, which was a short-course series that competed in the United States and Mexico, and eventually went into karting. At 13, drifting came more into the picture. 'My dad wanted to teach me how to drive stick. So I'd never learned how to drive stick. I was only 12 or 13 maybe, but he took me in his Ford Escort, and I learned how to drive stick in that,' Block recalls. 'He was like, 'Hey, do you want to learn how to drift? You want to learn how to do donuts?' And I was like, 'Of course.'' Advertisement They filmed a YouTube video of it, which is nothing new for the family considering Ken created the popular 'Gymkhana' videos that sometimes featured different racing stunts like those he and his daughter were doing. 'I looked back at it the other day, and I was like, 'Wow, I was so awkward.' I did not know how to talk to a camera,' Block says. 'He was doing the Gymkhana videos on YouTube for a long time, so he's always been kind of like a crazy person for drifting and making cars do really cool things. So being able to learn how to do donuts and do it like my dad was really cool.' She learned how to drift in other cars but what kickstarted her career and brought her into the media was hopping into Ken's famous 1,400HP Mustang 'Hoonicorn' to drag race at 14. 'I don't know whose idea that was,' Block says, 'but it was probably a bad one.' Block followed in her parents' footsteps in 2021 when she made her national-level rally debut at age 15, competing in the final round of the American Rally Association Championship for the Hoonigan Racing Division. Bitten by the bug, she progressively added more rallying appearances before winning the American Rally Association Open Two-Wheel-Drive (ARA O2WD) championship in 2023, becoming the youngest ARA champ in history at 16. She was the first woman to compete in Group E for Nitrocross and the first woman to drive Pikes Peak, which she did in her father's car (the Hoonipigasus). 'It just makes me feel like I've accomplished something,' Block says. 'I think it definitely gives me a name. People can't just say, 'Oh why is she here?' I've done something, and I think to carry that, no matter where I go in the future, is really special.' But Block took a risk after winning that championship. Williams announced in November 2023 that she would compete in F1 Academy with ART Grand Prix and join the F1 team's academy. And that happened to be the same month she would go on to win the Baja 1000 with her mother. The two disciplines are completely different. 'Kind of have to switch off one part of my brain that's for rallying, switch on the other part that's for open-wheel,' Block said. Advertisement F1 Academy marked Block's single-seater debut. The first car she tested was from Formula Four, which is similar to those in F1 Academy, but she faced a steep learning curve. She went from winning a rally championship to being at the bottom of a different series and learning 'everything from scratch.' GO DEEPER Built with intention: F1 Academy's car was chosen with the series' goals in mind She had three months to prepare for the opening race in Saudi Arabia, and Block remembers thinking at one point, 'Am I gonna be able to do this?' It was a new car, all new tracks and people she'd never competed against in her career. Her goal is to be P1, but with 2024 being a learning year, Block knew winning the championship wouldn't be possible. She qualified P7 for her first race at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, something she said, 'I'll take any day.' She did damage her car's rear wing while trying to pass for fifth during Race 1 that weekend, though it is a memory that she likely looks back on fondly given the aftermath. Back at the Block House headquarters in Utah, wrecked or damaged parts are displayed on the 'Ain't Care Wall.' A description above reads: 'To strive to win at any cost, with zero mechanical sympathy or regard for one's well-being.' Her mechanics took part of that damaged rear wing and signed it. Block says, 'My mechanic said that I can either not come back the next time or come back with the car in half. He said no more of the little crashes.' She brought that piece home from Saudi Arabia to be added to the wall. Given Block's motorsports career to date, her switch to single-seater racing raises a few eyebrows. But as Lucy explains it, this change makes sense for where her daughter is right now. 'She's had a lot of calls for different types of driving. But at this point in her career, she really wants to focus on F1,' Lucy told The Athletic's Jeff Gluck last spring. 'It's something you have to get in at a younger age. She could rally when she's 30. You can't do F1 when you're 30. She knows that, and she doesn't want to look back in 10 years and say, 'Oh man, I wish I would have done that.'' Fast-forward nearly a year, Block is on a Zoom call with The Athletic, sporting a Rockstar Energy cap while at home in Utah. She's still her bubbly self, balancing questions about the significance of this new partnership and how she's prepared to fight for the 2025 F1 Academy title. But the biggest difference is a sense of quiet confidence. Advertisement Qualifying in Singapore last fall was 'the big wake-up moment,' Block says. She secured her best qualifying spot of the season after a last-moment effort promoted her to fourth. She says, 'It was when hard work started to pay off, and it's hard when you work so hard behind the scenes and are doing so much and trying to learn so much, but you don't really see it too much on track, and other people don't see it. 'But that Singapore qualifying, it really felt like I was doing something right. I felt like I could be there, and I deserved that spot.' Block scored a combined 24 points that weekend after consecutive fourth-place finishes, her biggest points haul of the seven-round season. She ended the year eighth with 44 points and now faces her second — and final — season in F1 Academy. That debut season presented a massive learning curve for Block, as she went from winning the ARA O2WD championship to jumping into a single-seater for the first time. She did have higher expectations for herself heading into 2024 because, naturally, she wanted to win. But Block revisited those expectations around the Miami GP weekend in May, and both she and Williams talked about how 'it's just a learning year.' One of the biggest lessons Block learned was patience. 'You have to take these little, small, marginal gains as really big accomplishments, because if you keep building those up, you keep going up the ladder,' Block explains. 'Mentally, just stepping back, you can only control what you can control. Everything happens for a reason, and kind of just go with the flow.' The 2025 season presents a new challenge, with over half of the grid changing from last year and four of the seven drivers who ranked above her last season no longer competing in the championship. The target is to become more comfortable with her car as well as improve working with her engineer and extract the maximum performance from the car each race weekend. Advertisement Block is keen to learn more about the mechanical side of the sport and dive deeper into the Formula One world. 'F1 Academy is the big focus this year. I want big wins, and I want to go for that championship, so it's definitely the main focus,' Block says. 'But I'm looking into doing some rally on the side in between, where we can fit it.' This is where Rockstar Energy, her new sponsor, comes in. It's no secret that motorsports is expensive, and Block says while her father's career opened the door for her, 'I'm an adult now, and I have to kind of pay for everything now.' 'I don't think people know how expensive it is. Only really when you get to F1 is when you get paid,' Block explains, later adding, 'Rockstar, they support me in everything I want to do. They're here for me. Let's go rally this year. Let's go do some big projects as well as F1 Academy. It's super-cool to have them and to be able to fuel my dreams.' Block's next step in her motorsports career will be decided based on how this season unfolds. F1 Academy only allows drivers to compete for two seasons, and she will need to show continuous growth. But rallying is still a big part of her life, a door she hasn't closed entirely. 'I still really love rally and off-road and rallycross and stuff like that,' Block says. 'But I also fell in love with the formula series and F1. I guess we'll just have to see.'
Biz Bahrain
02-03-2025
- Automotive
- Biz Bahrain
5 Things You Need to Know About the F-150 Raptor
Three generations of F-150 Raptor across 15 years have been braving the toughest trails and conquering the biggest dunes. Inspired by extreme desert-racing trucks that compete at the Baja 1000, the F-150 Raptor is Ford's original high-performance off-roader. Here are the 5 things you need to know about the latest-generation F-150 Raptor. Power packed performance The F-150 Raptor's 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 packs 335kW and 692Nm of torque and delivers peak twist low in the rev range (3000rpm), right where you need it for tackling obstacles and hauling heavy loads. Mated to this potent engine is a 10-speed automatic transmission. An innovative torque-on-demand transfer case with automatic four-wheel drive provides enhanced grip in any condition, from bitumen to sand. And for ultimate traction, an electronic rear locking differential is standard. Terrain tamer At the heart of F-150 Raptor's suspension are the advanced FOX Dual Live Valve shocks. Sensors throughout the Raptor take readings hundreds of times a second, analyzing everything from suspension height to chassis movement. This data feeds into a system that essentially 'predicts' what's coming next, pre-emptively adjusting the shocks for maximum control and comfort. New electronically controlled base valves, proven in the heat of desert racing, provide up to 450kg of damping per corner, ensuring the Raptor remains composed even at high speeds. Tailor F-150 Raptor to the terrain Boasting seven selectable drive modes1, F-150 Raptor can be tailored to match the terrain or the job at hand, from driving down the highway to tackling your favourite back road or crawling over rocks in the middle of nowhere. Engine response, transmission behaviour, ABS sensitivity, traction and stability control, even the exhaust note – all are fine-tuned to match the selected mode. Even the instrument cluster and touchscreen graphics change to reflect the Raptor's selected mode. These include Normal, Sport, Slippery, Tow/Haul, Rock Crawl, Off-Road and Baja2. F-150 Raptor's Tech Makes Conquering Trails a Breeze The F-150 Raptor isn't just about brute force; it's about smart technology that makes off-roading easier and more enjoyable: • Trail Turn Assist3: Imagine being able to shrink your turning radius on tight trails, letting you navigate obstacles with precision. That's what Trail Turn Assist does, making even the most challenging manoeuvres a walk in the park (or should we say, a drive in the woods!). • Trail Control™3: Think of it as cruise control for driving off-road. Select your desired speed, and Trail Control™ takes over the throttle and braking, allowing you to focus on steering through tricky terrain. • Trail One-Pedal Drive3: For extreme off-roading like rock crawling, Trail One-Pedal Drive simplifies things by letting you control both throttle and braking with just the accelerator pedal. It's like having an extra set of hands (or feet!) to manage the technical stuff. Aggressive Style: F-150 Raptor's Modular Bumper The F-150 Raptor's design cues feature rugged, aggressive styling inside and out, with a signature look that befits the truck's position at the pinnacle of performance – including a blacked-out grille with integrated marker LEDs and black headlamp surrounds. Disclaimers 1 Driver-assist features are supplemental to and do not replace the driver's attention, judgment and need to control the vehicle. It does not replace safe driving. See Owner's Manual for details and limitations. 2 Baja mode is intended for off-road use only. 3 Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist, and Trail1-Pedal Drive are extra driving aids. It does not replace the driver's attention and judgment, or the need to apply brakes. See owner's manual for details and limitations.
Associated Press
07-02-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
BROCK HEGER AND RZR FACTORY RACING DETHRONE THE COMPETITION WITH DOMINANT OVERALL WIN AT KING OF THE HAMMERS UTV HAMMERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Heger Makes History Securing the Ultimate Off-Road Racing Triple Crown with Wins at the 2024 Baja 1000, 2025 Dakar Rally, and Both King of the Hammers Desert Challenge and UTV Hammers Championship MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday in the Johnson Valley desert, RZR Factory Racing's Brock Heger didn't just win the King of the Hammers (KOH) UTV Hammers Championship—he dominated. Fresh off his wire-to-wire victory at the Desert Challenge less than a week prior, Heger was in a league of his own behind the wheel of his rock-ready RZR Pro R Factory, securing the overall win as the only driver to finish in under four hours while crossing the line an astonishing 26 minutes ahead of the next physical competitor. By continuing his relentless winning streak, Heger secured the ultimate off-road Triple Crown, a feat no other driver has achieved, by adding this latest triumph to his historic wins at the 2024 Baja 1000 and 2025 Dakar Rally. Once again, Heger has made one thing clear—when it comes to the toughest challenges in off-road racing, no one does it better than Polaris. Heger started the race from the second line after qualifying third, and once the green flag waved, it was clear that this would be another commanding performance. Much like his earlier Desert Challenge victory, Heger quickly surged into the lead and never looked back. Setting a blistering pace from the start, he had already stretched out a nearly 2-minute lead by mile 50. Heger's strategy was clear: get out front in the desert portion of the race to position himself perfectly for the intense rock sections ahead, and he executed it flawlessly. There were only two brief moments where he encountered slight hang-ups in the rock section, but after his co-driver quickly assessed the situation, Brock chose not to use his winch. Instead, he relied on his skill and experience to overcome the obstacles and get back on track, losing minimal time in the process. Once clear, Heger drove easily uncontested to the finish line. Throughout the entirety of the 3-hour and 57-minute race, Heger's RZR Pro R Factory withstood everything the challenging KOH course threw at it, showcasing the true strength and durability of the platform. In fact, unlike his competition, Heger was able to save valuable time by not pitting for fuel throughout the entire race, thanks to the RZR Pro R Factory's 130L fuel cell. 'I'm stoked to come away with another win and to put Polaris back on top, especially during this UTV Hammers event,' said Heger. 'This was the hardest King of the Hammers I've done, but it was so much fun. My RZR Pro R Factory performed flawlessly all day, and overall, our day went very smoothly. I almost used the winch a couple of times, but it was taking too long, so I just sent it and it worked out. I can't thank the entire Polaris team enough. We have so many great people behind us, and it truly takes a team effort to make something like this happen.' 'What another incredible performance by Brock,' said Alex Scheuerell, RZR Factory Racing Technical Director. 'Over the past few months, Brock has solidified himself as a legendary name in off-road racing. To watch him dominate at the King of the Hammers UTV Hammers Championship, is truly exciting, especially for someone so young and talented. The Gen 1 RZR Pro R Factory that Brock drove has been specially modified and reinforced to tackle today's rock course, and it's clear that the vehicle continues to be unmatched. Brock's racing expertise and his ability to adapt to the most challenging terrains, combined with the unbeatable performance of the Pro R Factory, is what makes him a force to be reckoned with.' Heger and the rest of the RZR Factory Racing team will be back in action in one month at the Mint 400 in Las Vegas, NV, March 5-9, 2025. For more information on the RZR Pro R Factory, which was recently released for purchase, please visit To learn more about Polaris Off Road and RZR products, please visit or join the conversation and follow on Facebook sm, Instagram sm, YouTube sm and X sm. About Polaris As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since our founding in 1954. Polaris' high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER, RZR and Polaris XPEDITION and GENERAL side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a robust portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories. Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves nearly 100 countries across the globe.
