Ken Block - From Hoonigan to World Rally Pro

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Ken Block - from Honigan to World Rally Pro

By Chris Jefferies

This summer, one of the motorsport's most controversial figures is set to be embraced by the world of Formula 1; only three years after a YouTube stunt-driving video propelled him to global fame.

Ken Block, the self-styled 'Hoonigan' or driving hooligan, will be treated to a test drive of the 2009 Toyota F1 car at Monza this August.

The glamorous surroundings will be a far cry from his 2008 video 'Gymkhana Practice', in which he recklessly skids around an American airfield in a souped-up Subaru rally car.

The video, known as Gym for short, has racked up a highly impressive 10 million views and Block has ratcheted his ambition up with the subsequent two sequels.

Between the three of them, the Gymkhana videos have been viewed in excess of 68 million times worldwide.

One of Block's most famous fans is Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who is quoted by Modified Magazine as saying that the original four-minute stunt-fest is the coolest motorsports video he's ever seen.

Since then, Block has become something of a hero for the middle-aged Top Gear crew, who have had him on the show to drive James May round the twist (quite literally) in his hot Subaru and prove just how easy it is to flip over a Reliant Robin.

Raised on adrenaline

Brought up on a liberal diet of skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding in California, Block made a name for himself in the early noughties, first competing in the Gumball Rally in 2005 and winning Rookie of the Year.

Despite being surrounded by a burgeoning extreme sports scene on the West Coast, Block was always more interested in watching Scotsman Colin McRae and his iconic blue and yellow Subaru competing in the World Rally Championships.

After his first two YouTube videos earned him respect on both sides of the Atlantic for his garish driving style, Block achieved his life-long WRC ambition last year but had to sever some old ties in the process.

He insists that leaving Subaru was a tough and necessary decision, as the Japanese carmaker had just pulled out the WRC, but he is delighted to have joined forces with Ford.

Last year marked his world rallying debut as part of the recently formed Monster World Rally Team, racing in their souped-up Ford Fiesta.

Off the track he has also been involved in a number of lucrative tie-ups, from skate brand DC Shoes (who did the exterior design for his car in Gym 2) to becoming a playable character in the recently released racing game Dirt 3.

The latter was a particularly big coup for Ken, as it meant he got to follow in the footsteps of his racing idol Colin McRae, who launched the series in 2007 shortly before his death.

A menace to tyres everywhere

Looking forward, and this August will mark another first in the Hoonigan's remarkable rise - with Toyota giving him the keys to their 700bhp F1 car.

They will surely be hoping that Block is a little more careful with its slick racing tyres than he was in his third Gymkhana video.

After haring round French race trace l'Autodrome de Linas in a specially made Ford Fiesta, Block proceeded to finish off his knackered tyres with a series of doughnut-spins, which resulted in some spectacular sparks� not to mention some completely ruined wheels and rims.

With Ford seemingly backing him to the hilt, it's hard to predict what the 44-year-old will do next, so wide open are his options.

The cinematic stylings of Gym 2 suggest that a career as a Hollywood stunt driver is his for the taking, should he want it.

Furthermore, his competitive streak will surely have been provoked by the recent news that the record for the world's longest drift has just been broken.

Last month (June 20th), Mauro Carlo slid sideways in a Mercedes C63 AMG for 1.43 miles at Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands, Surrey, until the rear tyres burst.

Now, if only Ken Block could find some spare time between WRC tour events and Formula 1 showcases to give him a proper run for his money.