The hugs and warmth that went the way of Ken Block and his grieving family shows what a passionate person and friend he was.
It’s a sad start to 2023 for the automotive community, as we’ve lost an icon. A driver like no other who can pull tires like a ballet with trucks, cars or anything with wheels. Ken Block gave the world “Gymkhana”. It started as a marketing tool for his co-founded brand DC Shoes. But little did he know that Gymkhana would explode and the world would recognize Block as the adrenaline junkie who redefined drifting.
Ken Block’s Hoonigan Industries Instagram account broke the news of his death. Block, 55, died in a snowmobile accident in Park City, Utah. He had gone for a snowboarding session with his friends. The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office attributed the accident to a snowmobile that rolled over him and fell to the ground.
It happened when Block was driving on a steep slope and unfortunately he was alone at the time of the accident. Many of you may know her only from the popular Gymkhana series. But his love of wild driving and irritating onlookers dates back to his rally days.
But the amount of hugs and warmth that has flowed Block’s and his grieving family’s way shows what a passionate person and friend he was. They like it from the biggest car manufacturers Subaru, Fordand Audi to automotive icons, Block was loved and adored by all. The automotive world has been hit hard and here’s how the hard hitters reacted to the tragic news.
Ken Block’s death sends shock waves of grief
Just a few hours before his death, Ken Block shared a post on Instagram announcing when the final video of his daughter’s Audi Quattro build would be released. Blok, as a father, wished for more “hunkiness” for his daughter Lia. We can only imagine the pain Blok’s family will be going through right now and our thoughts go out to them.
Aside from his family, Ken Block has been a Christian and a passionate partner in many parts of the world with his “wheel pulling” life. Godehardt, a Porsche enthusiast and also a crazy motor racing athlete, was shocked by the news of Blok’s death here.
He shared a wild passion for motorsport and we’re sure that Ken Block’s mad life on petrol since 2005 has been the driving force behind Godehardt’s motorsport success.
Even Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage mourned Block’s death. This bold classic came as a shock to the muscle car collector. “We’ve lost a pioneer and an icon,” says Rawlings.
Ken Block Was A Builder Of Dreams And Aspirations
Block has been the ambassador and motivator of various motorsport events around the world. The FIA and the World Rally Championship were deeply saddened by this news. The bloc has been great at bringing back the buzz around the rally. We’d even go so far as to call him the spiritual successor to the legendary Colin McCrane! It is M-Sport to prove us right once again. They mourn the death of Ken Block and also state that
He was the creative driving force that helped redefine our sport
Block has helped millions of people around the world go wild with their imaginations and given them the willpower to go out and do wonders! One such person is Larry Chen. A famous car photographer is hit hard by the news of his mentor’s death. In an Instagram post, Chen says,
I owe a lot to @kblock43. I will miss him very much. I am completely devastated. He was the greatest ambassador of car culture of all time.
WRC driver Takamoto Katsuta also shared his pain over the loss of a great icon. He, like many other rally and autocross drivers, credits Ken Block with bringing the masses a fun, colorful and wild vision of the “dirt-filled” motorcycling event. Katsuta is a wild driver and has taken his house by storm as well.
Automakers Deeply Saddened by Ken Block’s Accident
Ken Block began his rally journey with a Subaru. And that’s where he got the “43” label as we know it. Subaru Motorsports USA hit us with nostalgia with a nice reminder of why Ken Block is a true legend.
In Ken Block’s quest for wild videos, he has the longest relationship with Ford. The first Gymkhana videos of him riding around in wild Ford Fiestas are still fresh! In fact, Block was the guy who proved everyone wrong as he drove around in a Ford Mustang Hoonicorn and a Ford F-150 Hoonitruck.
It shows the world that a muscle car driving a pickup truck is the coolest sight ever! Ford recalls the legend and explains how Block single-handedly shaped the definition of driving, drifting and imagination. In the words of Ford Performance,
We lost a legend today in Ken Block.
After a long collaboration, in 2021, Ken Block switched from Ford to Audi. His concert with the German car manufacturer was unfortunately short-lived, but full of surprises! In a short time, Ken Audi managed to fill the family with his “active spirit”.
We saw him shred the tires in his 730hp Audi Sport Quattro. He also created the Pikes Peak Monster using a Porsche 911 “Hoonipigasus”. For the first time ever, he drove around the all-electric one-off Audi S1 Hoonitron at Electrikhana!
Ken Block was the visionary who made us fall in love with Hooniganism. And for that we will forever be indebted.
Sources: Hoonigan Racing Division, Ford, Audi