Ken Block heads to WRC - Official!

[Andy_Harrison]

Ken Block has finally ended months of speculation and confirmed he is going to compete in the WRC in 2010!

News Article:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/I...

Cool Video Interview with Block on Rally and the WRC:
http://grid1.tv/#browse/media_vault/drivers?id=2_2...

[stin]

Personally i think that this is great news. I haven't realy kept up with Rallying since the Mcrae vs Makinen era but i will be watching now!

Ken clearly has huge driving ability and it will be interesting to see if he can do it on the world stage.

I say good luck to him for putting his reputation on the line (so to speak, although meant in a not quite so serious way)! It has certainly added at least 1 more viewer to the ratings.

[Gillet]

agree with the above, i used to watch it all the time in the Mcrae years, definately interested to see how Kimi and Block get on this year.

[anonymous-user]

I think they will both do okay. Lets be honest, ken block wouldnt be any good at that gymkhana thing he does, without any talent. As for kimi, he can peddle a car no matter what sport its in.

[xspencex]

Me thinks WRC is entering into a new phase with a welcome injection of personality. It's been a long time since I paid attention to WRC but I think I will now!

[Slinky]

xspencex said:

Me thinks WRC is entering into a new phase with a welcome injection of personality. It's been a long time since I paid attention to WRC but I think I will now!

Personality? Block can drive and run a good shoe company, but I'm not sure he really comes across as having "personality".. Nothing wrong with the chap, just doesn't strike me as a "live wire"..

[Jungles]

When or if Travis Pastrana enters the WRC, we can talk about injecting personality into it.

[cat@10]

creationracing said:

I think if Chris Atkinson is confirmed as his team mate Ken'll be made to look very amateur. But good luck to him!

I'm sure Atkinson and Bloc are good friends. Wasn't there a clip on the WRC prog. of them driving old Escorts like loons in the dirt?

I wander what the Yank audience will make of the WRC. Not many of them know about real rallying outside of Ken Bloc. They have the Baja but that's more like a miniature Dakar. Will there be a California stage in the WRC in the near future? It would be a good money maker for the sport.

[Slinky]

Jungles said:

When or if Travis Pastrana enters the WRC, we can talk about injecting personality into it.

[The Black Flash]

Just in time for all of the remaining personality to be taken out of the cars.

[K50 DEL]

The Black Flash said:

Just in time for all of the remaining personality to be taken out of the cars.

This year you're probably right, but from next year we move to Super 2000 spec cars, machines that make a proper noise, one of those on full chat through a forest... I can't wait.

[Allyc85]

But they will be 1.6 litre turbo charged cars so we dont know how they will sound yet

[K50 DEL]

Allyc85 said:

But they will be 1.6 litre turbo charged cars so we dont know how they will sound yet

A quick Google tells me you're correct - the last time I looked at the specs they were for 2ltr normally aspirated cars, in fact they've been running S2000 cars in the IRC for a few years now, hence my comments at the noise.

A 1600cc turbo'd motor...... that doesn't bode well for noise at all

[tysonpuncher]

glad to see ken making the decision.should be intresting.

[PPPPPP]

tysonpuncher said:

glad to see ken making the decision.should be intresting.

Impressed that he is putting his fine reputation on the block.

[scoby87]

Can't see him making much of an impact in the way of stage times, think it's great news for the sport however, about time there was some hype in rallying seeing as Loeb's as boring as they come! would love to see Pastrana follow Ken's lead, and maybe the Monster link could bring in some exciting guest drives for eg. Rossi?
Here's to an exciting new decade in rallying!

[Allyc85]

K50 DEL said:

Allyc85 said:

But they will be 1.6 litre turbo charged cars so we dont know how they will sound yet

A 1600cc turbo'd motor...... that doesn't bode well for noise at all

Dosnt does it. I suppose they might sound a little better as they wont be so restricted as the 2.0 but a screaming N/A 2.0 is sooo much better!

[thunderbelmont]

Allyc85 said:

K50 DEL said:

Allyc85 said:

But they will be 1.6 litre turbo charged cars so we dont know how they will sound yet

A 1600cc turbo'd motor...... that doesn't bode well for noise at all

Dosnt does it. I suppose they might sound a little better as they wont be so restricted as the 2.0 but a screaming N/A 2.0 is sooo much better!

Have you ever heard a Lancia Delta S4?????
That only had another 194cc to play with.....

[shoestring7]

thunderbelmont said:

Allyc85 said:

K50 DEL said:

Allyc85 said:

But they will be 1.6 litre turbo charged cars so we dont know how they will sound yet

A 1600cc turbo'd motor...... that doesn't bode well for noise at all

Dosnt does it. I suppose they might sound a little better as they wont be so restricted as the 2.0 but a screaming N/A 2.0 is sooo much better!

Have you ever heard a Lancia Delta S4?????
That only had another 194cc to play with.....

I'm pretty sure it was more than that....

SS7

[Jungles]

The Delta S4 had a 1759cc engine.

The difference between it and the new turbo-1600 is that the S4 was both turbo-charged and super-charged.