2014 was a hugely successful year for Ken Block and his Hoonigan Racing Division. Block competed in a total of seventeen events across three disciplines, earning ten podium finishes and four overall wins. Race events included a full Global Rallycross Championship calendar, select events at FIA World Rallycross, Rally America and WRC stage rallies, Gymkhana GRID, and finally the Monza Rally Show and Memorial Bettega Rally. While the H.H.I.C. kept things diverse with his race schedule he also performed a handful of Gymkhana demo events, and produced five major videos including RaptorTRAX Shredfest and GymkhanaSEVEN, both of which revealed all-new, custom-built, hoon vehicles, the Ford F-150 RaptorTRAX and the Hoonicorn RTR Mustang. Photo: Tony Harmer
Photo: Ron Zaras
GLOBAL RALLYCROSS
GRC was Block’s major championship battle in 2014. It was an up and down year that started with a dramatic roll in Barbados and ended with a dominating win in Las Vegas. A close 5 points separated Block from the championship title. Second overall in the championship. Won two events: Charlotte and Las Vegas. Took second in Daytona and in Los Angeles #2. Took third in New York and Los Angeles #1. Consistently the fastest qualifier in the series. Block won more event heats than any other competitor with 16 heat wins.
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: RedBull GRC
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
WORLDRX
Ken Block made his debut at World Rallycross Championship in 2014, competing at only two events. At his first-ever event, Block earned a podium finish alongside his friend and former WRC champion Petter Solberg and fellow Ford driver Reinis Nitiss. Took third overall in his debut WorldRX event in Norway. Took fouth overall in France. Set the fastest lap of the event in France during the final.
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: MCH Photo
Photo: MCH Photo
Photo: Matt Tuccillo
STAGE RALLY
Block competed at four rally events in 2014 entering select events from Rally America to the World Rally Championship, as well as the Memorial Bettega and Monza rallies. First overall at The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood marked Block’s seventh win at the event. Block competed and was the fan favorite at WRC Spain. Took second place at Memorial Bettega Rally in Bologna. Block competed at Monza Rally with his friend and Monster teammate Valentino Rossi. Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Race & Motion Photography
Photo: Larry Chen
Photo: Larry Chen
Photo: Ron Zaras
GYMKHANA GRID
Block returned for the second year in a row to Monster Energy’s European Gymkhana GRID series’ final event. The event showcases a combination of head-to-head racing mixed with techniques featured by Block in his award-winning viral video Gymkhana series, and features both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive classes. Ken Block headlined the event, taking on the winner of the Street all-wheel drive class in the grand finale and won. With his title of Gymkhana Master secured, he donated his 10,000 Euro grand prize to the Keep-A-Breast charity. Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
REVOLUTIONARY VEHICLE BUILDS LAUNCHED IN 2014 WORLD’S FASTEST SNOWCAT
WORLD’S FIRST PERFORMANCE AWD MUSTANG
Watch Ken Block showcase his ford F-150 RaptorTRAX on a barge crossing Kootenay Lake in Nelson, Canada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lOaxQu5PgQ
Watch automotive video journalist Chris Harris showcase the Hoonicorn RTR on set during filming of GymkahanSEVEN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKBICDja6Sg
Built to be the ultimate backcountry snowboarding expedition vehicle, Ken Block’s Ford F-150 RaptorTRAX debuted at Winter X Games in Aspen, CO in 2014 before setting out to Bald Face Lodge in British Columbia where Block and professional snowboarder friends Zak Hale and Ethan Deiss put it to the test in deep snow.
Photo: Tony Harmer
Ken Block debuted the Hoonicorn RTR for the first time publicly in the Ford booth at SEMA 2014, a week before the highly anticipated Gymkhana SEVEN video was released. The all wheel drive, 1965 Ford Mustang notchback was purpose-built to star with Block in his seventh installment of his wildly successful viral video series.
Photo: Tony Harmer
MONSTER’S RAPTORTRAX SHREDFEST Hosted on the Monster Energy YouTube channel, the video highlights Block putting his Ford F-150 RaptorTRAX to the test as the ultimate backcountry snowboard expedition vehicle at Baldface Lodge in British Columbia, along with professional snowboarders and fellow Monster athletes Zak Hale and Ethan Deiss. The video was viewed 2.2+ million times by December 2014. See the full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aeKdmw9W50. Photo: Daniel Blom
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Daniel Blom
Photo: Daniel Blom
HOONIGAN’S GYMKHANA SEVEN The seventh installment of Block’s award-winning viral video series, Gymkhana SEVEN: Wild in the Streets of Los Angeles brought the franchise back to an urban landscape. Block tore through city streets again, but this time in an all new tire-slaying machine—a custom built 845HP all-wheel-drive 1965 Ford Mustang, dubbed the Hoonicorn. The video was viewed 10+ million times in the first 48 hours and by December 2014 had collected 19+ million views. See the full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qanlirrRWs. Photo: Pierre Wikberg
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Mike Blabac
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: 13th Witness
Photo: Mike Blabac
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Pierre Wikberg
CASTROL’S FOOTKHANA A collaborative effort with Ken Block, international football star Neymar Jr., and Castrol, the Footkhana video combined world-famous gymkhana driving with world-famous football skills in a head-to-head competition of man in a machine versus man and his feet. As of December 2014, Footkhana had been viewed 16+ million times. Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdBXpORSGu0. Photo: Ron Zaras Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
GYMKHANA JAPAN Ken Block block brought his Ford Fiesta HFHV to the city of Nagoya for his second Monster Energy Gymkhana Experience event in Japan. It was an unforgettable show including the Monster FMX team, drivers from Japan’s premiere drifting series (the D1 Grand Prix), helicopters, and more. Block performed media ride-alongs in his Ford Fiesta ST HFHV including a ride with drifting legend Keiichi Tsuchiya.
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
BLAST
A high-end art project by artist Jim Mangan, BLAST builds on Mangan’s epic, almost otherworldly landscape photography and features Ken Block and his HFHV rally car against a desert landscape. Mangan worked entirely on 35 mm film while Block piloted his Hoonigan Racing Division’s Ford Fiesta ST HFHV rally car through a desolate yet breathtaking 75-mile stretch of land between Capital Reef and the Goblin Valley of southern Utah. The result is a stunning collection of photographs and a limited edition book that are a tribute to the artist and driver alike. See more about the project here http://www.hooniganracing.com/media-upload/BLASTbyJimMangan.
Gallery photos: Matt Tuccillo
Sample of one of the many photos in the collection by Jim Mangan
OTHER PROJECTS
Keep-A-Breast: A collaboration between Block, DC Shoes and the Keep-A-Breast charity organization saw DC create special pink driving shoes for Block to wear during domestic GRC rounds in 2014. Each pair was signed post-raced and raffled off to raise funds. Over $25,000 was raised. Castrol Edge Titanium Blackout: Block accepted a challenge to race in darkness with three other world class drivers and the video received 8+ million views by December 2014. Watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKis4NYLHo. Boobkhana: 3.8+ million views (by Dec. 2014) of entertaining in-car action. Watch Boobkhana at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMSL4WKT5Uc. Photo: Ron Zaras
Photo: Ron Zaras
GoPro video screen shots from Boobkhana
Photo: Ron Zaras
THANK YOU! 2014 was one of the biggest years I’ve had in my racing career. So, thank you to the millions of supportive fans all over the world. I couldn’t do this without you!
http://hooniganracing.com Photo: Ron Zaras
