Mitch Guthrie is the newest driver to graduate from Challenger to Final as he joins Ford Efficiency for the 2025 Dakar Rally, the place he’ll drive the brand new Ford Raptor T1+ from M-Sport.
Guthrie narrowly missed out on the 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship in what’s then the T3 class, successful twice on the Sonora Rally and Desafío Ruta 40 earlier than shedding to Seth Quintero within the last race by simply 5 factors. The People and former team-mates will renew their pleasant feud in 2025 as Quintero at the moment races for rival Toyota Gazoo Racing within the Final class.
After the 2023 season, Guthrie had his first style of the premier class when he drove a Ford Ranger T1+—the predecessor to the Raptor—as a part of the W2RC Subsequent Gen Tryouts.
“Since I used to be youthful, I’ve at all times been all for Ford. Initially, after I was going to high school and earlier than I may even drive, I noticed the Raptor come out and it was my dream automobile,” Guthrie recalled. “Ultimately, fortunately, I used to be capable of purchase one in 2019. I nonetheless have it and nonetheless actually take pleasure in it. Ford is such a widely known model and synonymous with the USA, in order that was after all a dream of mine to be a part of the model. To now be within the T1+ class, driving for Ford, it’s all coming full circle and can be a dream come true for me. I’m actually excited to be a part of the Ford household.”
Regardless of operating the complete 2023 W2RC, Guthrie has solely entered the Dakar Rally in 2024. He had been main the Challenger class throughout the second half of the rally earlier than a disconnected turbocharger hose and gearbox failure on the ultimate stage dropped him to second.
Somewhat than attempt for the World Championship once more, he opted to deal with desert racing in America with Polaris. In February, he completed second within the Can-Am UTV Hammers Championship at King of the Hammers. Different races embody the Mint 400 and Finest In The Desert’s Silver State 300 and Vegas to Reno.
2025 will probably be Guthrie’s fifth Dakar Rally, his début coming in 2020, and the thirteenth for his co-driver Kellon Walch. The latter first raced the Dakar on a motorbike in 2005 earlier than turning into a navigator for People like BJ Baldwin, Robby Gordon, and Austin Jones. After a yr with Guillaume de Mévius, Walch and Guthrie joined up in 2023.
“We’re excited to welcome Mitch Guthrie to the Ford Efficiency household,” started Ford Efficiency international director Mark Rushbrook. “The troublesome terrain and situations in off-road racing demand every part from a driver and Mitch’s achievements converse for themselves. He will probably be an important addition to the group, and we will’t wait to see him push the bounds of the Ford Raptor T1+ as we tackle probably the most gruelling races on the planet in Dakar.”
The Ford Raptor T1+ was unveiled in July, changing the Ranger. Nani Roma, the inaugural driver for M-Sport’s rally raid programme, gained the Hungarian Baja within the Raptor’s maiden race. 4-time Dakar champion and defending winner Carlos Sainz joined the group in Could.
M-Sport plans to subject 4 Raptors at Dakar. The fourth seat’s occupant has not been revealed, although Sainz’s outdated Audi team-mate Mattias Ekström has been concerned with testing and is predicted to formally be a part of the organisation within the near-future.
The 2025 Dakar Rally will happen on 3–17 January.
