Ken Block (November 21, 1967 - January 2, 2023) was an American rally driver, has appeared a number of times on Top Gear. He was a founder of the Hoonigan Racing Division mainly in rallycross (including WRC). On January 2nd, 2023, Block died in a snowmobile accident near his ranch in Utah.
James meets Ken Block[]
James May travelled to the USA to spend a day with him. Meeting up with Ken at Inyokern Airport in California, they had a quick conversation about Ken's unique style of practising; instead of driving on rally stages, he prefers airports as they have "a good mix of dirt and tarmac".
Ken later told James that he had set out a course to drive on. James accepted the free seat in Ken's Rally America Subaru Impreza, and they were soon at the start line on the airport's main runway. After drifting around the runway and past an airport fire truck, as well as some parked planes, he donutted around a small signpost. He then drifted through a pair of hangar doors - twice - before handbrake-turning around a hairpin turn at an airport storage area. Narrowly drifting past a large pole, he then drove through a fire station, and then donutted the Impreza inside "Ken's Eyeball Spin Dryer"; in other words, a confined space constructed of plastic barriers.
Next, Ken took the rally car off-road. After showing off his drifting skills, dirt biker Ricky Carmicheal (Block describes him as "a good friend") joined the chase. He jumped his bike over the Impreza and an airport building, and was able to jump over some roadworks while Ken had to take a quick detour. Ken chased Ricky through a scrapyard - and even clipped the nose of a DC2 plane. Ricky and Ken then jumped their vehicles over a motorcross jump - much to James's displeasure (his facial expression made him a nominee for the Facial Expression While In The Passenger Seat Of The Year at the 2009 Top Gear Awards).
Block test drives a Reliant Robin[]
In Series 15, Ken was challenged by Jeremy Clarkson to complete a lap of the track in a Reliant Robin. Ken rolled the Robin at the first corner, and it skidded along on its side until it came to a stop. Ken was unharmed.