The Dakar Rally has always been about conquering the most extreme terrain on the planet Earth. Whether it be across the dunes of North Africa or the rocky moon-like landscape of Argentina. This year’s Dakar Rally began at the beginning of the month, and only this weekend did it come to an end. Two-thirds of the racers who began the race did not finish, but the Ford Raptor piloted by Sue Mead and Darren Skilton didn’t only finish, but finished in 1^st place in the OP/2 Racing Class.

Mead, a freelance writer for PickupTrucks.com among others, called up her pals to say that they won their class, and were the only team of the six others in their class to finish the over 5,900 mile race.

This is a historical win not just for Ford, but for women everywhere, as Mead is the first woman from either North or South America to compete in the automotive class. This victory is also the first American class victory in the history of the Dakar Rally, so Mead didn’t just win for women, but for America. And she did it in a Ford.

Just finishing the Dakar is no small feat, as it pushes both man (or woman) and machine to the very limits of endurance. Yet the Ford Raptor was up to the task, and in mostly stock configuration. The only real modifications were an ARB Locker, King Shocks, and Walker Evans wheels. The 5.4 liter V8 engine was completely stock except for Royal Purple oil, a larger cooling system, and two Odyssey batteries. Mead and Skilton managed to work their way up from 126^th place to 40^th place overall, a remarkable achievement to be sure. They sure built those Raptor trucks tough, eh?