Cédric Goumaz isn’t going to win the Morocco Desert Challenge with his Massey Ferguson tractor, but the team’s having a good time and it’s doing fine so far.

By far the strangest entry of the eight in the Truck class, Goumaz’s ride is an MF 8S.205 originally intended for agriculture; Goumaz, once a Dakar Rally competitor with hopes of going back in 2026, is a farmer by trade who pondered if the machinery he operates on the daily could be used in rallies too. After making a series of modifications like beefing up the engine to 400 horsepower and redesigning the cockpit to fit two people, it was off to Morocco with roses attached to the A-post and a Michelin Man riding on the roof.

The tractor is usually the last truck on track and the final one to reach the finish. At the same time, to even arrive at the end of each stage is a time for celebration among his Goumaz Compétition crew members. When Goumaz and navigator Frederic Drault completed Stage #1, they were greeted with applause and cheers from the team.

Of course, Goumaz knows he won’t be contending for the overall and will be left in the dust by those like Martin van den Brink and the Huzinks, who are in dedicated rally trucks. He was last in and an hour and 43 minutes behind stage winner Kay Huzink in Stage #1, then two hours and 25 back on the second day, and trailing by four hours in Stages #4 and #5. The sixth stage on Thursday was shortened due to weather, though Goumaz still returned to the bivouac in the dark.

Rather than something they know they can’t pull off without the miracle of miracles like winning, the team’s goals are to test the tractor and to enjoy the rally experience. Even when making it back after Stage #6 at night, Goumaz proclaimed the race “went well. It’s been done like a boss. It went really well. I think the tractor is great.”

Mechanically, the tractor is faring decently in the Moroccan desert. The team noted the gearbox has been “behaving really well” despite the conditions, while the PTG central tire inflation system has been reliable in protecting the Michelin EvoBibs from sharp rocks. When the tires hold up, the team can further strengthen the cockpit between stages, which allows Goumaz to go faster across bumpier terrain.

Of course, it hasn’t been fully perfect for the tractor. A silent block had failed after Stage #5 and leaned against the the CTIS’ hydraulic motor, so they had to replace that and several suspension components overnight, a process that kept the team up until 3 AM. Still, the team is chugging along with two stages to go.

With Steve Ingels’ retirement from Stages #3 and #5, Goumaz is no longer last in class and sits seventh.

Featured image credit: MF Desert Challenge