He wowed millions of people on social media with his spectacular rides. He brought a lot of attention to the drift scene in rallying. Now Ken Block has died in an accident.
Mourning for Ken Block: The rally professional died in an accident with a snowmobile. He was only 55 years old. “We deeply regret that Ken Block passed away today in a snowmobile accident,” said his team Hoonigan Racing on Instagram: “Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And above all a father and husband. He will be incredible missing.” Block leaves behind his wife and three daughters.
According to police, Block was driving a snowmobile up a steep slope in the US state of Utah when the vehicle overturned and landed on him. It is said that he succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the accident. And further: “Mr. Block was driving with a group, but was traveling alone when the accident occurred. The official cause of death will be determined by the state coroner.”
The American was a revolutionary on the rally and drift scene. He was acclaimed by his fans for his daredevil stunts. He started his career in 2005, he took part in the world championship and won several competitions. He was runner-up in the American Rally Championship three times and had 16 victories. In the World Rallycross Championship (WRC), he competed in 24 rallies between 2007 and 2018, his best result being seventh place at the Rally Mexico in 2013. He also took part in the World Rallycross Championship several times, finishing in the top three twice .
He was best known for his spectacular drift videos. He was a celebrated star on Instagram and YouTube, and videos of his rides received hundreds of millions of clicks.
In particular, he brought the sport of Gymkhana, which had a niche existence, to an audience of millions. It is a skill tournament in which a course has to be completed in the shortest possible time. The drivers use drifting techniques to negotiate the course with cones, tire stacks and straw bales, for example.
Block recognized the potential of social media early on and was one of the first influencers for car fans. He also worked with major car manufacturers such as Subaru, Ford, Audi and Porsche. His Hoonigan racing team’s vehicles can also be controlled in the Forza Motorsport/Horizon video game series. He himself had appearances in video games.