Ford Performance announced its co-sponsorship agreement with Puma Lubricants yesterday, as it heads into the 2017 South African Cross Country Championship.
The national championship kicks of in Lichtenburg on 31 March, and will see three new Ford Performance Rangers, built by Neil Woolridge Motorsport, compete for the competitive Class-T title.
This year, the championship consists of six races, each spanning hundreds of kilometres over rugged terrain. The yearly highlight, though, is the three-day, 1 000-kilometre desert race that is held in neighboring Botswana, giving teams the opportunity to score double points.
“Cross country racing is the toughest proving ground for the ‘Built Ford Tough’ Ranger, and is the cornerstone of our motorsport programme in South Africa with the Ford Performance brand,” said Neale Hill, director of marketing, sales and service, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa.
The competing Ranger bakkies are powered by a tried-and-tested 5.0-litre V8 engine that combined its debut with a win in 2013.