Unleash the Broncos
The latest Ultra4 race of the season wrapped up last weekend in Jay, OK. The Visions Off-Road race was like no other – east meets west, double points, and a week of packed events for the whole family. Safe to say this was equal racing, equal vacation. Our friends over at Drivingline have a fantastic race recap that dropped yesterday, be sure to check that out. We’ll let them cover the recap. For this week’s post, I wanted to spend a little time on all these 4600 Broncos that seem to be dominating the Spidertrax Stock Class this season.
A few seasons back, our good friend & world-class racer Brad Lovell rang my cell. Of course, an out-of-the-blue call from Brad is nothing out of the ordinary. There’s always something going on in racing. However, this call had some big news, bigger than usual, and it needed to be kept quiet. While we all knew Ford was working on a new Bronco, thanks to plenty of spy photos and stories that leaked on the web, what wasn’t known was just how serious and intense the Ford Motor Company and the Ford Racing Team were treating this launch. They didn’t want to release just a sexy new machine, and yes, the new Bronco looks great. Instead, they wanted a machine that was an off-road powerhouse, and they knew they needed the best off-road racers in the world to make that happen.
Lucky for us, we get to work with the best off-road racers in the world. As I understood, my call with Brad was the first “off-road manufacturer” entry into the mix. The racers know what they want to see and who can make the things they need, and the most amazing part is that the Ford Racing Team supported the racers 100%. Playing an integral part in all things axle related, we worked across the field to select the best components while staying within the strict rules of the 4600 stock class. Dana rear ends, portal front axles, and Spidertrax Spider 9 Pro Series Hubs and Axle Shafts became part of a powerhouse of products and improvements to make this one of the best 4600 vehicles yet. I lost count of how many conference calls I enjoyed with all of the racers, engineers, planners, and marketing people. This project was, without question, the most intense and impressive race program I’ve ever worked on.
The final creation, the 4600 stock class Ford Broncos you have likely seen since the kick-off of this year’s King of the Hammers, is a force to be reckoned with. Race after race, the 4600 Ford Broncos (there are three in total) have dominated the field, and last weekend’s Vision’s Off-Road Race was no exception. Bailey Cole, Brad Lovell, and Vaughn Gittin Jr rounded out the Spidertrax Stock Class 4600 top three, and yes, these are your three Broncos in the Wild. Congratulations to all three drivers, not only for last weekend’s race but for the entire season to date. These Broncos are amazing machines, but these are the drivers that make it happen.
