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The iconic Ford Bronco has built its past legacy in the dirt, mud and rocks. The off-road rugged and highly capable Ford Bronco has returned, and now includes an entire family of SUVs that include a two-door, a four-door and the Bronco Sport too.
Looking to build upon last year’s first-place finish and further demonstrate every model’s Built Wild promise, Ford is sending its full Bronco outdoor brand lineup of all-4x4 SUVs to compete in the 2021 Rebelle Rally – an all-women off-road event that challenges participants to conquer the harsh desert terrains of Nevada and California. Three two-women teams will compete in a Bronco two-door, Bronco four-door and Bronco Sport at the October event.
Last year, professional off-roader Shelby Hall and navigator Penny Dale piloted a Bronco Sport to a win in the X-cross class at the Rebelle Rally, a grueling competition that covers more than 1,200 miles and puts vehicles and drivers to the ultimate off-road test. Hall and Dale will compete this year in the 4x4 class in a Bronco two-door, while professional off-roaders Melissa Fischer and Cora Jokinen take the wheel of a Bronco Sport to compete in the X-cross class. Novice Rebelle off-roaders Kathryn Reinhardt and Victoria Bundrant of off-road accessory supplier 4Wheel Parts will compete in the 4x4 class in a Bronco four-door.
“We’d love nothing more than to podium a Bronco and a Bronco Sport at the same time,” said Jovina Young, Bronco Sport marketing manager. “What I really like about sending the full family of Broncos is that Rebelle is about taking on different types of terrains and exploring; competitors aren’t just hitting high speeds in the desert. It’s a chance to show Bronco doing a different type of off-roading.”
Related story: Bronco Off-Roadeo School Resonates With Owners.
Navigating Through The Desert
In addition to showcasing the off-road ability of the vehicles entries, the Rebelle Rally is designed to challenge the navigation skills of the participants. The event will start near the Hoover Dam on Oct. 8, wind its way across rugged terrain in Nevada and California, and finish at Imperial Sand Dunes in California Oct. 16. Participants spend their nights at designated checkpoint basecamps along the way.
The Bronco Sport and Bronco four-door are Badlands, while the Bronco two-door is a Wildtrak. All three are outfitted in race livery inspired by the Bronco 4600 stock class race vehicle that will run in the ULTRA4 stock class off-road series this year. The Bronco two-door, equipped with the Sasquatch™ Package, and Bronco Sport vehicles maintain bone stock designation, with second-row seats removed. The 4Wheel Parts team will accessorize the Bronco four-door entry.
To conform to event rules, teams must disable Trail Maps and any other electronic navigation equipment on the Bronco two- and four-door entries.
“The No. 1 obstacle at Rebelle is your navigation, but the terrain definitely challenges the vehicles and these competitive women too,” said Young, who competed last year as a novice in a Bronco Sport. “This is such a great event to showcase what Bronco and these women off-roaders are capable of in the harshest conditions.”
Related story: Ford Partners With Amazon Alexa For Advanced Navigation And Search Features.
Bronco 4600 Race Truck
This year’s Rebelle Rally Broncos will be outfitted with liveries to match the Bronco 4600 that competed at the Kings of the Hammers competition this past February.
“Bronco 4600 underscores how ready the all-new Bronco is for competition and how Ford Performance is committed to driving the brand’s success across multiple off-road series,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We look forward to off-road racing teams coming to this platform and to Ford Performance stepping up to continuously enhance the state of the art in off-road racing for them.”
Related story: Bronco Ultra4600 Competes at King of the Hammers Off-Road Race.
What do you think of these special liveries and do you think the Ford Bronco teams will fair well at this year’s Rebelle Rally? Leave me your comments below.
Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.
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