Terrible news, my prayers go out to his friends and family. He did an incredible job of bringing motor sports into the mainstream.
Terrible news, my prayers go out to his friends and family. He did an incredible job of bringing motor sports into the mainstream.
Rip Ken very sad to hear this news he was a very talented and a driver who could do so many different disciplines. Close to 10 years ago a great local racer and friend was lost here to a snowmobile accident.
We'll never be able to count the kids he inspired to get into motorsports. A legacy that will outlive us all.
He lived the dream, RIP 
My son and I just met him at SEMA a few months ago. I was watching him interact with other people while we were in line and he seemed like a genuinely wonderful guy. He was super kind to my son. RIP.
I've always felt that drifting was kinda stupid, except for when Ken Block did it, then it was awesome beyond words. This is really sad. I'll be watching some Gymkhana videos today to remember his insane cars and driving.
For anyone that hasn't seen it, here's his 845hp AWD mustang drifting at triple-digit speeds through the streets of LA
Sad news. My condolences to his friends and family.
This sucks, and it's hitting me hard.
Ken was a good dude. Back when he was starting out, he was big into Subarus even before getting SOA sponsorship, and he would post over on NASIOC looking to learn about the cars and their capabilities. He'd interact with people just like anyone else, even after he hit the big time. Although I didn't know him personally and my interaction with him was limited to hanging out on NASIOC back in the day, I do know people that knew him and spent time with him. As nuts as he was behind the wheel, he was gracious and humble as well. A true ambassador of motorsports, and his influence simply cannot be measured. He will be missed greatly.
Last night was brutal.
Very sad. Had the opportunity to meet and spend a bit of time with Ken at a few NEFRs. Great guy. Condolences.
Damn. That's a big loss to both his family and the motorsports community. And a rough start to 2023 as well.
That sucks. For some reason back in 2010 the stars aligned and I got an E-ticket ride with Ken at SEMA. His driving skill was just effortless, it was like calligraphy but with smoking tires. And he was a nice guy to chat with just hanging out in the car while we waited.
As a Dad though it breaks my heart seeing how he and his daughter were working together more.
Condolences to the family.
Ken certainly left a mark, and it was a big positive one.
Some stars burn brighter and faster than others. His was brighter than most.
I still remember being in high school and a friend going "Hey, have you seen this?" and pulled up Gymkhana Practice and my mind was just blown. I'd never seen anything like it, it was such a game-changer.
Years ago, I met him at lspr. Travis has just won his...5th prorally?
At the time I didn't think much of the interaction. Thought he was kinda cold and distant and honestly didn't do much for me.
Then I watched the Lia audi videos and something dawned on me.
I saw Lia, and his wife at the same venue. They were patiently waiting (Lia was like 4? At the time) for him while a bunch of fans mobbed him. All he really wanted to do is get a plate of food and sit down with family.
Really painted that moment in a whole new perspective.
He spent his life creating some of the things I've loved (dc shoes, the gymkhana videos, other assorted shenanigans) and used the proceeds from that to create more things that brought a wider audience to motorsports. More than that though, it was readily apparent how much he cared for his family. Even to the point of bribing an instructor to "fail" Lia's driving test as a joke.
RiP
Matt Farrah with a great tribue: https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a42384337/what-ken-block-meant-to-us-all/
Jeremy Renner had an accident with his snow cat - pray for recovery
Damar Hamlin - pray for recovery
Ken Block - pray for his family
I'm a religious type guy but I went to sleep last night and was quite freaked out with the events of yesterday.
We have a big screen TV at the kart track dedicated to all the Gymkhana videos, it just plays all of them on a continuous loop and I was just discussing this with a friend yesterday. It's a huge loss to the motorsports community. I hope Lia carries on the family legacy
In reply to tremm :
There is a behind the scenes series on Amazon.
Not sure what's with all the back handed compliments.
Seems like he got a whole bunch of younger folks interested in motorsport again.
That's good enough in my book.
If I had DC shoes money, you can bet I'd buy myself a seat in something.
In reply to tremm :
He was a truly decent guy with a passion for motorsports. I know people who work with him and they talk about what a decent guy he was.
To get anywhere beyond club racing you need financial backing. If you don't have that you have to go out and hustle it up. Your post makes it seem like you aren't aware of this.
If you want to know who Ken Block was the short answer is he's a guy who created a whole new genre of motorsports. It's a huge accomplishment.
The talent pool at the level he was competing is huge and 95% of the drivers competing there will never win anything. The guy had gobs of talent yet was extremely down to earth. At the level he was competing that isn't always the case.
It's big loss to the community.
infinitenexus said:I've always felt that drifting was kinda stupid, except for when Ken Block did it, then it was awesome beyond words. This is really sad. I'll be watching some Gymkhana videos today to remember his insane cars and driving.
For anyone that hasn't seen it, here's his 845hp AWD mustang drifting at triple-digit speeds through the streets of LA
At 5 minutes, donuts around Randy's donuts my favorite Gymkhana scene of all time and maybe the segway donuts.
I feel mostly for his family.
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