Ford Performance have confirmed that Ken Block’s Hoonigan Racing Division will contest the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship using the Ford Focus RS RX recently revealed in the Gymkhana 8 video he released earlier this week.
Both Block and his team-mate for 2016 Andreas Bakkerud will use the M-Sport built Focus RX in all 12 rounds of this years championship, which kicks off in Portugal next month. The Focus is being built in the UK by M-Sport, who are the team responsible for constructing the Ford Fiesta that Block raced in Norway and France in the 2014 World Rallycross Championship, where he finished third and fourth respectively.
Block is looking forward to using the new car in WorldRX this year:
“I’m really happy to be expanding my relationship with Ford Performance,” said Block. “To have official factory support for my race season in 2016 and beyond as I enter the FIA World Rallycross Championship full-time is absolutely incredible. It opens up a ton of powerful resources that myself and my team will be able to benefit from in terms of engineering prowess, research, development and racing experience from different fields. Plus, have you seen the car that they’ve created for me to go race in? My mind was blown when they showed it to me in Dearborn a few months ago. I absolutely cannot wait to get behind the wheel and start testing.”
Dave Pericak, Global director of Ford Performance, is happy to see the RS Legacy continue into a new era:
“RS is a worldwide brand with a rich heritage that motorsports enthusiasts know and love,” said Pericak. “Our RS badge has a natural connection to racing, and we have a passionate, dedicated team on the project. We’re excited to honor the history of Rallye Sport by pushing every aspect of performance and design to the limit.”
M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson OBE is enthusiastic that the car will see success very soon:
“Working closely with our colleagues at Ford Performance and Hoonigan Racing Division, a huge amount of work has gone into this project,” he said. “It’s been an extremely exciting, rewarding venture – one we hope yields considerable success. I’m confident we have a winning formula for the season ahead.”
