It’s with great sadness that Select Car Leasing is paying its respects to professional driver Ken Block, who has died this week following a tragic snowmobile accident at his ranch in Utah, USA.
California-born Block competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally America, Global RallyCross Championship, FIA ERX Supercar Championship and FIA World Rallycross Championship during a prestigious career littered with podium finishes.
Between 2005 and 2018, he notched-up dozens of competition appearances, largely with the ‘Hoonigan Racing Division’ he founded.
Yet Block was about so much more than just racing.
As many loyal fans have commented on social media platforms, Block brought a love of driving to millions who would never even dream of watching motorsports.
The self-confessed ‘Head Hoonigan’ produced a series of ‘Gymkhana’ YouTube videos which showcased his prowess behind the wheel, and saw him going sideways - rapidly - in seemingly impossible fashion.
He left fans speechless in 2014 after shutting down huge swathes of Los Angeles to film the legendary Gymkhana Seven: Wild in the Streets of Los Angeles flick, which saw him tearing it up at iconic landmarks like the 110 freeway, Chinatown, the 6th Street Bridge and, of course, the famous the Hollywood sign.
Another one of his most recent videos - 2022’s Electrikhana: High Stakes Playground saw him bringing Las Vegas to a halt so that he could pilot his electric Audi S1 ‘Hoonitron’ car (below) around Sin City.
But it was another vehicle, though, that will always and forever be associated with Block - the ‘Hoonicorn’ Mustang (below).
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Block took a 1965 Ford Mustang and enhanced it beyond recognition, giving it all-wheel drive and obscene amounts of power.
The first version, ‘Hoonicorn V1’, had power of ‘only’ 845 hp.
The Hoonicorn V2, however, was fitted with twin turbos from Swiss specialists Garrett and boasted power in excess of 1,400 hp.
For most British petrolheads, Block will be most recognisable for having featured on the BBC’s Top Gear on a couple of occasions.
The most memorable came in 2009, when Block took presenter James May for a Gymkhana-style lap around his own personal stunt course at Inyokern Airport, California, in a Subaru Impreza WRX.
Fittingly, on Tuesday, James May himself paid tribute to Block.
Writing on Twitter, May said:
“RIP Ken Block, with thanks for some hilarious days out. Here’s the airfield drifting piece from years back.”
In memory of Block’s greatness, you can watch that video in full here.
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