Ken Block has announced a blockbuster schedule for 2015, but it will not see a return to the World Rally Championship for the popular American this season.
Block had competed sparingly since 2007 in the WRC, racing Subaru Impreza’s, Ford Focuses and most recently Ford Fiesta’s, but will not return this year.
His priority for this season will be the Global Rallycross Championship, in which he will be competing in the twelve-round series with the aim to better his runners-up spot from 2014, where he finished five points shy of the title.
“I’m really excited about my race calendar for 2015,” said Block. “Just like last year, I feel really lucky to be able to have such a diverse race calendar.
“I’m looking forward to competing in the full GRC season again and going after that title. I only missed it by 5 points last season, so I’m confident that I’m the best contender for the title this year and I’ve been working my butt off with my team in the off season so that we can have the best possible chances of taking it.”
Block will also compete in this year’s X-Games at Austin, Texas on 4-7 June, aiming to add to his five X Games medals at the Circuit of the Americas.
Despite not returning to the WRC, Block will still be competing in some rally events, with the American running in two rounds of the Rally America Championship. He will compete in the New England Forest Rally with the UK-based M-Sport team, and in the Lake Superior Performance Rally. He will also participate in the first two rallies of the New Zealand National Championship.
“I’m getting to do some fun stage rally events this season, with two in America and two down in New Zealand on some of the greatest roads on the planet,” said Block.
“While rallycross is more of my focus these days, I come from stage rally, so to be able to still do a few events for fun each year is hugely important to me.”
In addition to taking part in the New England Forest Rally, Block will be taking along two cars to the rally with the assistance of M-Sport – the Ford Fiesta R5+ and the new Ford Fiesta R2. The goal of the joint venture will be to demonstrate to the US rally community how these cars perform on an actual rally. The cars will be raced by yet-to-be-determined guest drivers.
The final piece in Block’s jigsaw puzzle of 2015 events is some Gymkhana-style events running in his 1965 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn RTR, which he will demo in public for the first time. He’ll be also be a participant in Monster Energy’s Gymkhana GRID European Finale.
“I’m also going to get to run my 1965 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn RTR a few times as well for fans around the globe,” revealed Block. “Overall it’s going to be a great season, I can’t wait for it to get started.”
