BLOCK ROCKIN’ HEATS

Think you’re a better driver than Ken Block? You have the chance to prove it at Gymkhana GRiD…

Even those with only a passing interest in modified motors will have heard of Ken Block. Granted, they might not know that the forty-nine year old is one of the co-founders of DC Shoes ( or that the Californian is a professional rally driver), but they’ll have clocked one of his many videos on YouTube and will probably be able to name him as the fella who “performed donuts at the Cenotaph War Memorial in a Ford Mustang” following national outcry at a Top Gear film he starred in a few months ago.

Block’s enthusiasm for killing tyres on camera has made him a celebrity; assorted footage of the self-styled ‘Hoonigan’ hammering fast Fords around crazy obstacle courses – often using closed city streets as his personal playground – has generated online views numbering hundreds of millions. More importantly, his love of putting Blue Ovals through their paces has given rise to a hugely accessible form of motorsport known as ‘Gymkhana’. That’s right – you too can have a go at high-speed precision driving inspired by Block’s on-screen antics. Better still, the opportunity to beat the American at his own game is just around the corner. Literally.

Leading “alternative beverage” marketer, Monster Energy, joined forces with Block in order to develop Gymkhana