The energy was palpable at The Revelry in Charlotte, where Ford Performance hosted its highly anticipated 2025 launch party. A crowd of motorsports enthusiasts, industry insiders, influencers, and Ford faithful packed the venue to be the first to hear announcements, meet some legendary drivers, and get an up-close look at Ford’s cutting-edge performance machines.
The festivities kicked off promptly at 5:00 PM as doors opened to an exclusive autograph session featuring a powerhouse lineup of Ford Performance athletes. NASCAR superstars Joey Logano and Austin Cindric greeted fans alongside off-road icons like Mattias Ekström and Nani Roma fresh from the grueling Dakar Rally. Attendees also had the opportunity to see a stunning array of Ford’s performance vehicles both inside and outside the venue.
A Display of Ford Performance Legends
The street outside The Revelry transformed into a high-octane showcase featuring Bob Tasca’s drag racing Ford Mustang and off-road champion Loren Healy’s beast of a machine, known as “El Bandido.” Inside, the excitement continued with a trio of race-proven vehicles: the Bronco DR from its victorious Baja 1000 campaign, the Ranger Raptor fresh off a class win at Baja, and the Bronco Sport Sasquatch, which claimed silver at the 2024 Rebelle Rally.
Major Announcements Steal the Spotlight
Ford Performance delivered a string of exhilarating announcements, underscoring its commitment to high-performance innovation and motorsports dominance. Among the headline reveals:
• Spirit of Ford Award-Ford presented Australian legend Dick Johnson this prestigious award, recognizing his 22 seasons of driving Fords in the Supercars series, earning 5 championships.
• Return to Le Mans-The biggest news of the night was Ford’s official return to the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, reaffirming the brand’s legacy in endurance racing. Ford executives promised a cutting-edge race program designed to take on the world's best.
• New Crate Engines-Performance enthusiasts cheered as Ford revealed two new crate engines: the “Megazilla,” an absolute powerhouse designed for extreme horsepower applications, and the Whipple-supercharged Coyote V8, bringing even more forced-induction fury to Ford's performance lineup.
• Entry to GT World Challenge America-Ford Performance also offered a look at its new Mustang GT3 entry. The race features 13 rounds of competition at seven road courses across America.
• Bronco Racing World- Off-road legends Vaughn Gittin Jr., Loren Healy, Melissa Clark, and Shelby Hall took the stage to discuss their careers, the growth of Bronco racing, and the rising prominence of the Rebelle Rally. Their provided their insights on vehicle development, team strategies, and the grit required to compete.
A Night to Remember
It really was a wonderful evening; I had the chance to reconnect with some friends and meet many of the Ford drivers, each one with a passion for their sport as well as their cars. Several of the Ford Performance Rebelle Rally competitors were there as well. I think the night helped reinforce Ford’s commitment to racing, something CEO Jim Farley continues to emphasize. “A lot of people ask me, as the head of Ford ‘why do you race?’ Some people race to give their brand a personality, some people race to give their top engineers the experience of racing, but that’s not why we race. We race because it’s in our DNA, it’s our company, and we love winning!”
The next races for the off-roading world are already underway in Johnson Valley at the King of the Hammers where Brad Lovell just won in the Limited Desert Race on February 1st, in the Ford Bronco Raptor, competing in the stock OEM class. More KOH news coming soon!
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