Ken Block to WRC in a Ford

seen on autoblog.com:

"You know Ken Block as the star of those Gymkhana videos, which have made this corn-fed American rally driver an internet celebrity on YouTube. Usually seen whipping his trademark Subaru WRX STi around an abandoned airport and through empty hangars, Block makes the difficult task of rally driving look downright easy. From now on, however, you'll be seeing him do his thing in a Ford rather than a Subaru.

The 42-year-old driver announced today that not only will he be driving Fords from now on, but in addition to competing in the Rally America Championship and X Games like always, he will also compete on the rally world's biggest stage: the World Rally Championship. Block will reportedly be the first American driver to compete in WRC, and to get the job done he's formed a new rally team with sponsors Ford, Monster Energy Drink, DC Shoes (the company Block co-founded), the video game Dirt2 and Castrol Edge.

What will Block be driving in 2010 if not a WRX STi? He'll be behind the wheel of a Focus RS prepared by M-Sport for the WRC and Ford's new rally Fiesta when off-roading in America for the RAC and X-Games. We don't know which Ford he'll drive in the next Gymkhana video, but rest assured because we're told there will be another."

First Kimi and now Ken Block to WRC? Should be a very interesting 2010 rally season!

hmmm... an ex-F1 World Champion vs. a shoe salesman...

Hopefully this translates into an all wheel drive, turbocharged focus for consumers in 2012.

Ken Block, most successful American rally driver ever? If he even completes the 2011 season, it will be an interesting argument. No other American has competed in a full season of the WRC.

Please note I didn't say "best", but most successful.

first American driver to compete in WRC

Anyone round here heard of a guy named Buffam? Drove an Audi. Just checking. He did a few events back in the 80's. Best driver this country's ever produced IMHO.

I'll be damned impressed if Block does well, because he has a very tough road ahead of him. I'm curious as to what kind of motorsports experience he had before he joined Subaru, because he did not start racing on the Rally America circuit until 2005. European rally drivers start at a very young age, so he has that to contend with as well. Wiki sez he's 42.

I think he'll be one of the "further down the leaderboard" folks, but there's no question that he'll raise the profile of WRC in the US. And I'm all for that.

vwcorvette wrote:

first American driver to compete in WRC

Anyone round here heard of a guy named Buffam? Drove an Audi. Just checking. He did a few events back in the 80's. Best driver this country's ever produced IMHO.

Same sport, different sanctioning body.

John Buffum bio

Maybe the series will air on TV here in the states.

Its on all the time on Discovery's HD Theater. Of course they take a whole rally and compress it to an hour program. I think it works though.

That's all well and good if you get HD Theater....some of us don't watch TV on a flat screen and in standard definition.

I would like to see him do respectably well over there. It would be good for the sport in the US.

My parents have a HD cable box on their low def tube tv. So if you were so inclined you could watch it on an old console tv. Just putting that out there. Check for torrents if you dont like tv but like the internet.

Tom Heath wrote: Hopefully this translates into an all wheel drive, turbocharged focus for consumers in 2012.

First thing I thought when I read this. That would be awesome.

Actually, Buffum ran a number of WRC events driving factory backed Triumph TR7 - v8s (as they were known in Europe) and A2 Quattros. Events that spring to mind without actually digging out the books or googling include the RAC and the Acropolis. JB always did very well at those events, but usually DNF after turning in excellent stage times. Several other American drivers have run WRC over the years, but none as well as JB.

Tom Heath said: Hopefully this translates into an all wheel drive, turbocharged fiesta for consumers in 2012.

There I fixed if for you.

Did anyone else notice that he will be driving a "new rally Fiesta" while in the USA?

berkeley ken block

Keith wrote: I think he'll be one of the "further down the leaderboard" folks, but there's no question that he'll raise the profile of WRC in the US. And I'm all for that.

+1 could not have said it better myself!

Go Kimi!

pitbull113 wrote: berkeley ken block

Well, thanks for chiming in with that stunning post new reader. I'm sure it'll be great to see you around the boards!

Who's Ken Block? Any video of him driving?

A little bit of practice here...in a Ford!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQgmdHzqtqA,

Hey wherethefmi, disregard what I posted in your Germany thread. You NEED a RWD Escort.

-Thor

pitbull113 wrote: berkeley ken block

[citation needed]

1slowcrx wrote:

Keith wrote: I think he'll be one of the "further down the leaderboard" folks, but there's no question that he'll raise the profile of WRC in the US. And I'm all for that.

+1 could not have said it better myself! Go Kimi!

plus eleventy billion. I wish him well, but since he can't even beat Travis, he'll be "further down".

HiTempguy wrote:

pitbull113 wrote: berkeley ken block

Well, thanks for chiming in with that stunning post new reader. I'm sure it'll be great to see you around the boards!

no problem glad i could help

pitbull113, are you Tanner Foust?

maroon92 wrote: pitbull113, are you Tanner Foust?

no why does tanner hate ken block too?