Greg Foutz kicked off the trip by leading one of the AZRR groups in his Gen 3 Raptor, starting the driver's meeting at Lake Pleasant before heading out towards Havasu for some fun off-roading and testing new products & upgrades along the way.

The Foutz team was pleased to see the new frame guard skids performed exceptionally, shielding the lower suspension links from rock impacts, while the fabricated spindle reinforced the steering and CV joints on the front mid-travel suspension - delivering extra protection and performance exactly where it counts.

AZRR president, Matt Dunshie, went all out with custom swag including sunglasses, decals, koozies, and bandanas so everyone could rep Arizona Raptor Runs all weekend.  

Over the next 200 miles of dirt from the Arizona desert to Lake Havasu, the "Road to the Raptor Rally" Challenge had all clubs posting photos and videos on instagram using #RoadToRaptorRally, documenting the journey to the event's location.

Thanks to Starlink and High Speed Mounts, we stayed connected the whole way, posting updates, filming action shots, uploading reels, and capturing badass builds in action thanks to Krash Media's professional photography. 

Want to see these photo's in action?

Watch this epic off-road video of the AZRR Raptors

 

AZRR members running Foutz upgrades also tackled the Ford jump course, sending it big for the cameras. 

 Ford Performance photographer's captured some amazing mid-air shots, showing off both the performance and the lifestyle that make the Raptor community so tight-knit.

All the way from Texas, Exodus 4x4 jumped the track - the last time the Fouzt crew saw this Ranger Raptor build in action was in June when it debuted the Foutz front mid travel and rear suspension bed organizer kit at Texas Raptor Runs.

 (View more Foutz Ranger Raptor Upgrades)

Before hitting the trail rides, Greg ran into Stewart Web, well-known motorsports content creator and Friends of Ford member who was geting coverage the event that day. On a whim, Stew jumped into Greg’s Gen 3 Raptor for a front-row experience of what it’s like to off-road with the guy who helped develop the first Gen 1. 

Ken Neal, owner of Bulletproof Diesel, and the Nikki Foutz who was in the FMI Bronco Raptor, took a quick photo-op with Greg's group before heading out to the course with them.

With perfect weather, Stew got to feel the difference between a stock Raptor and a fully upgraded Foutz build — turning a spontaneous ride into one of those unplanned moments that made the Rally trip one to remember.

Jim Beaver (off-road racer and media host) and Mike Levine (Ford North America Product Communications Director) hosted the main stage at base camp, where they When they announced AZRR as the challenge winner, the crowd went wild.

Club president Matt Dunshie summed it up perfectly:

“For me it’s the people — everyone just has a smile on their face the whole trip. We get to do amazing things like this because it brings everyone together.”

One weekend highlight was catching up with Jim Beaver, who stopped by to hang with Greg and the FMI crew. He even jumped on Foutz’s social media to talk about the event and what’s next — his new Bronco Raptor build, “Jessica Jones 2.0.”

(watch it here)

The last time Jim visited the shop, he was picking up the original “Jessica Jones,” fully loaded with Foutz upgrades. Now, he’s back for round two, saying:  

“Jessica Jones 2 is coming, and we’re taking it directly to Foutz Motorsports. When you talk about the Ranger, Raptor, Bronco Raptor — they are the only place to take your Ford.”

 view more FMI Bronco Raptor Upgrades

 On the final day at base camp, Ford unveiled the F-150 Raptor built for the 2025 Baja 1000, the first Baja truck based on the Gen 3 Raptor with a 3.5-liter high-output engine and Ford Performance Parts calibration.

For the first time, all four production Raptors — F-150 Raptor R, F-150 Raptor, Bronco Raptor, and Ranger Raptor — will race together, marking Ford’s biggest production Raptor effort at Baja yet.

 

For Greg and our team, it was a chance to see how the trucks have evolved and to check out engineering designed for extreme off-road conditions, highlighting the connection between racing, real-world testing, and ongoing vehicle development.