55-year old Ken Block has been killed in a snowmobile accident.
About ten years ago, Ken Block rose to internet stardom with his gymkhana antics. Today it was learnt that the 55-year old passed away during a snowmobile accident.
A statement on the Hoonigan Industries’ Instagram page reads, “It’s with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today. Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And, most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed. Please respect the family’s privacy at this time while they grieve.”
Ken Block was just on the back of a career revival. The professional rally driver had just ended his working relationship with Ford Performance and had returned to Subaru. What’s more, he had only just began working with Audi on some exciting electric Gymkhana projects. Audi even designed the S1 Hoonitron for Block last year, which he used to perform electric gymkhana stunts in Las Vegas.
Ken Block’s Career In Brief
Ken Block began his rally career in the Rally America Series in 2005 with a Subaru WRX STi. He finished 7th overall and 5th in the Group N class. At the end of his first year, he won Rally America’s Rookie of the Year Award. Ken Block went on to sign a sponsorship deal with Subaru in 2006 and went on to compete in more international championships and events including the first ever X Games rally event.
He then moved on to the World Rally Championship. In 2010, he signed on with Ford and became the driver for Monster World Rally Team. Block competed in Global Rallycross Championships and rebranded his team “Holligan Racing Division” in 2012. Block found success in his rally career but his real claim to fame came in the form of his viral gymkhana videos since 2008 which garnered hundreds of millions of views and landed him on an episode of Top Gear early in his career. He also co-founded DC Shoes and was featured in a number of videos game series’, such as Dirt, Need For Speed, and CSR Racing.
