The Ford Raptor T1+ has raced across some of the most demanding terrain in the world. This week, Ford Racing brought the ultimate Raptor home.
Mitch Guthrie Jr. and co-driver Kellon Walch finished second overall at the 2026 Casey Folks Vegas to Reno, delivering an overall podium in the Ford Raptor T1+’s first race on American soil and its first competition outside international rally raid.
Running in full FIA Dakar specification, Guthrie and Walch fought for the overall victory throughout more than 500 miles of Nevada desert, completing approximately 800 kilometers of competition with no mechanical issues in 7 hours and 43 minutes.
The Raptor T1+’s homecoming comes during a year rooted in Ford’s racing history.
As Ford celebrates 125 years since Henry Ford’s 1901 victory that helped set the company in motion, and the United States marks its 250th anniversary, an American driver and co-driver brought one of Ford Racing’s most global competition vehicles back to the American desert — and onto the podium.
“Bringing the Raptor T1+ home to race in the United States was important to us, but doing it with Mitch and Kellon and finishing on the overall podium makes this a really special moment for Ford Racing,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Racing.
“This truck was developed to compete at the highest level of rally raid around the world, and this weekend we saw that capability translate to a very different challenge in the American desert. In the 125th anniversary year of Ford Racing and as America celebrates 250 years, America’s race team brought the ultimate Raptor home with an American driving team and fought at the front.
"We’re proud of the result, but even more excited about what we learned and where this program goes next.”
The Ultimate Raptor Comes Home
Developed by Ford Racing and M-Sport for the world’s toughest rally-raid competition, the Ford Raptor T1+ represents the pinnacle of the Raptor racing lineup.
Its Coyote-based 5.0-liter V8, purpose-built chassis, and long-travel FOX suspension were developed for multi-stage events where competitors cover thousands of kilometers over some of the most demanding terrain on earth.
With a second and third-place finish in the 2026 Dakar Rally, the team continues to develop and push forward.
Vegas to Reno presented a different test.
Rather than changing the Raptor T1+ specifically for American desert racing, Ford Racing entered the truck in full Dakar specification, complete with the regulatory limitations required for international FIA rally raid.
The objective was both to see how the global Raptor would perform against purpose-built American desert race vehicles and to use one of the longest off-road races in the United States as an intensive test ahead of the next Dakar Rally.
The answer came quickly. Guthrie and Walch were in the fight for the overall throughout the race.
“This thing’s in full Dakar spec. We have all the limiters and everything, and we really didn’t know how today would go. I think we surprised some people with what the T1+ could do and what it’s capable of,” said Guthrie at the finish line.
“I know this truck is fast and super reliable, and I think today we showed everyone what we can do — and this is just the start. I’m happy to bring this truck here with Ford Racing for the first time and have a great result — even fighting for the overall the whole time.
"The T1+ was amazing. I gotta thank Kellon. We’re able to push so hard with the great notes and callouts he has. Really happy to get here to the finish line with zero issues, and about 800 kilometers of test miles. It was just a great day overall.”
For Guthrie, Vegas to Reno represented a connection between two sides of his career.
The American grew up competing in U.S. desert racing with a decade competing in this very race before establishing himself on the international rally-raid stage and joining Ford Racing’s Raptor T1+ program. Bringing the truck to Nevada put those two worlds together for the first time.
For Nevada-native Walch, the race was even closer to home.
“We didn’t miss a beat all day long," said Walch.
"Mitch did a great job. The team did amazing. It’s been a lot of work getting this together, and I couldn’t be happier. It was honestly a dream come true for me to race this truck here in my backyard."
800 Kilometers Toward Dakar
While the podium demonstrated the Raptor T1+’s ability to compete at the front in American desert racing, the mileage gathered in Nevada was equally valuable to Ford Racing and M-Sport.
Vegas to Reno packed approximately 800 kilometers of competition into a single day — roughly twice the competitive distance the team would typically encounter during one Dakar stage.
That created an opportunity to put sustained load on the truck, its components, and the team while continuing development toward Dakar.
“It’s fantastic to be here,” said Matthew Wilson, M-Sport program manager.
“We’ve achieved what we what we set out to achieve. Obviously, the truck’s still in full FIA Dakar spec, so it’s nice to know that even with that, we can come and compete and be fighting at the front.
"But the most important thing is really that from a Dakar preparation point of view, it’s brilliant — 800 kilometers in one day. To get that without any issues other than a puncture has been the biggest positive out of the whole thing.
"Overall, it was really exciting — a very different way of racing and something we’re not used to, but it’s been fantastic.”
The second-place finish adds another chapter to a Raptor T1+ program created to take Ford Racing to the front of global off-road competition.
But in Nevada, the program came full circle: a Raptor carrying lessons learned around the world returned to the terrain that has helped define Ford’s high-performance off-road vehicles for generations.
One American truck. One American driving team. And one more podium for America’s Race Team — this time, at home.
Kelsey Quartuccio writes about Motorsports for Ford Communications.
