Ford Brings Four Trucks and a Desert Racing Legend to the 2026 Rebelle Rally

Kristen Matlock trades her SCORE trophy truck for a Bronco Raptor this fall as Ford Racing fields its biggest Rebelle Rally lineup yet, and the whole thing kicks off with tech inspection right here in Las Vegas.

A Desert Racer Trades One Kind of Off-Road for Another

If you follow the SCORE side of this sport, you know Kristen Matlock's name. She's built her career on Baja podiums and championship trophies, and no other woman has ever piloted a truck by herself across every mile of the grueling Baja 1000 the way she has. Now she's pointing that same skill set at a completely different kind of off-road test: the Rebelle Rally, an eight-day, all-women navigation competition that runs without GPS or cell phones. Matlock will drive a Bronco Raptor for Team 175, and this is only her second time lining up for the Rebelle.

She's not doing it alone. Her navigator is Melissa Clark, a 10-year Rebelle veteran who's been part of the event every single year since it launched in 2016 and has five podium finishes to show for it. Pairing a desert racing champion with a navigator who's logged a decade of Rebelle miles is exactly the kind of experienced-plus-fresh-legs move that tends to produce fast, smart teams once the course gets confusing.

Four Trucks Deep for Ford's Biggest Rebelle Fleet Yet

Matlock's Team 175 isn't running solo either. Ford Racing is fielding four full teams for 2026: alongside the Bronco Raptor driven by Matlock and Clark, a second Bronco Raptor pairs Tobi Hlavnicka with navigator Cara Carlson, and two Ranger Raptors round out the fleet, one crewed by Laura Wanlass and Teralin Petereit and the other by Karisa Haydon and Trista Smith. That last crew is coming off a silver-medal finish the year before, so there's real pedigree sitting in these trucks before the green flag even drops.

This marks Ford Racing's fourth straight year as a Silver Partner for the Rebelle, and the automaker is leaning further in for 2026 by expanding its Ford Raptor Route program, a support effort aimed at privateer teams running Raptor-badged rigs in the 4x4 class. The program handed out $1,500 in financial support per team to seven privateer entries in its first year, and this year adds a new prize on top of the cash: the winning team gets a Bronco Off-Roadeo entry for the driver plus a guest.

Ten Days, Thousands of Miles, Zero GPS

The Rebelle Rally bills itself as the longest competitive off-road rally in the country, and the format is exactly what makes it brutal. Teams navigate using only maps, compass headings, and a plotted course, with GPS units and phones locked away for the duration. The 2026 edition runs October 7 through 17, covering more than 2,500 kilometers across eight days of competition through Nevada and California desert terrain, and organizers have built in four entirely new days on top of the returning route.

There's a Las Vegas connection baked right into the calendar too: technical inspection for the 2026 event kicks off in Vegas before trucks head out into the desert, which means the buildup to this rally happens practically in our backyard. The course itself stays under wraps until race week, but organizers have confirmed it will work in a tribute to Route 66's 100th anniversary as part of the new mileage.

Sponsors and Stakes Keep Climbing

Ford isn't the only brand doubling down. Pennzoil returns as a rally partner for 2026 too, running a Pennzoil Challenge for eligible teams with the winners earning a VIP trip to the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, complete with behind-the-scenes access. Rebelle Rally founder Emily Miller summed up why manufacturers keep coming back for more, framing sponsor support like Ford's as proof that these are genuinely stock production vehicles being pushed into conditions most owners will never see.

For teams like Matlock and Clark, none of that support matters once the compass comes out and the phone gets locked in the truck. It's just terrain, a map, and thousands of miles of desert between them and the finish. Follow the action as entries lock in over the coming months and the full course details start to leak out ahead of the October green flag.

What to Know About Ford's 2026 Rebelle Rally Push

Here's the rundown on the trucks, the crews, and what's new about this year's edition.

1. Team 175: Bronco Raptor driven by desert racing champion Kristen Matlock, navigated by 10-year Rebelle veteran Melissa Clark.
2. Team 122: A second Bronco Raptor entry, with Tobi Hlavnicka driving and Cara Carlson navigating.
3. Team 188: A Ranger Raptor crewed by Laura Wanlass and Teralin Petereit.
4. Team 131: The second Ranger Raptor, driven by Karisa Haydon with Trista Smith navigating, coming off a prior silver-medal finish.
5. The dates: October 7 to 17, 2026, with technical inspection starting in Las Vegas.
6. The route: More than 2,500 kilometers through Nevada and California desert, with four brand-new days added to the course.
7. The Raptor Route program: Ford's privateer support effort now adds a Bronco Off-Roadeo prize on top of its $1,500-per-team funding.
8. The sponsor lineup: Pennzoil returns alongside Ford, offering a VIP experience at the Pennzoil 400 for its own team challenge winners.

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