CLARIOS, the company behind OPTIMA Batteries, has announced an exciting new collaboration at the pinnacle of off-road racing – the Dakar Rally.
Partnering with the legendary Ford Performance team, OPTIMA Batteries will be joining one of the world’s most grueling off-road races to back a four-vehicle racing effort driven by champions like Carlos Sainz Sr., Nani Roma, Mattias Ekstrom and Mitch Guthrie Jr.
To highlight the engineering capabilities and determination of the Ford Performance team, four Ford Raptor T1+ vehicles - considered the ultimate Raptor by Ford Performance – will be racing in the Ultimate T1+ category at the Dakar Rally and other rally-raid competitions.
In partnership with Clarios and OPTIMA Batteries, the Ford Performance Raptor T1+ vehicles will flaunt OPTIMA Batteries’ signature rocker panel integrated into the Ford Performance livery and be supported by the OPTIMA Batteries team.
The decision to partner with Ford Performance was driven by Clarios and OPTIMA Batteries’ continued efforts to push their battery systems to the limit. Using motorsport racing efforts as the highest level of research and field testing, Clarios and OPTIMA Batteries can test products in grueling terrain, inclement weather and high-stress scenarios.
“When you take on a challenge the size of Dakar, everything needs to be right,” said Global Director of Ford Performance Mark Rushbrook. “OPTIMA has a long tradition of building great products that meet demanding conditions.”
With the 14-day, 4,784-mile race already underway, the teams at Clarios and OPTIMA Batteries are looking forward to the conclusion of the ultimate shake-down.
“Very few other races have the lengthy run-time, variety of terrain and sheer adversity that comes with the Dakar Rally,” said OPTIMA Batteries Director of Marketing Cam Douglass. “When OPTIMA Batteries and Clarios can compete at this level alongside Ford Performance, we can have confidence in the products we provide to our daily drivers and recreational fun-haver community.”
Fans can see updates from the Clarios and OPTIMA Batteries-backed Ford Performance Dakar Rally drivers by following along with OPTIMA Batteries and Ford Performance social media.
About Clarios
Clarios is the global leader in advanced, low-voltage battery technologies for mobility. Our batteries and smart solutions power nearly every type of vehicle and are found in 1 of 3 cars on the road today. With around 18,000 employees in over 100 countries, we bring deep expertise to our Aftermarket and OEM partners, and reliability, safety and comfort to everyday lives. We answer to the planet with a rigorous sustainability focus – advancing best-in-class sustainability practices and advocating for them across our industry. We work to ensure 100% of our products sold are recyclable, and we recycle 8,000 batteries an hour in our network. Clarios is a Brookfield portfolio company.
About OPTIMA Batteries
OPTIMA high-performance automotive, marine, heavy-duty AGM and lithium batteries are manufactured by Clarios, LLC, the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive batteries. OPTIMA REDTOP, YELLOWTOP and BLUETOP batteries feature state-of-the-art SPIRALCELL TECHNOLOGY. This patented design allows OPTIMA batteries to deliver superior performance in both starting and deep cycling applications. OPTIMA ORANGETOP batteries are the newest additions to the legendary line of reliable performance batteries with six sizes available that utilize HYPERCORE LITHIUM technology. This new offering allows for more than 95% of the powersports market to experience the power and performance of OPTIMA Batteries. The OPTIMA product family also includes a line of Digital Chargers, with advanced multi-stage charging to charge and maintain a variety of 12V vehicle batteries, maximizing battery life and performance. To learn more or to purchase OPTIMA products, please visit www.optimabatteries.com, call 1-888-8OPTIMA (1-888-867-8462) or find @OPTIMABatteries on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Ford Performance
Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Michigan. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and their latest commitment in Formula 1 with Red Bull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as outreach programs with all Ford clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, TikTok and YouTube.
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