RE: PH Blog: Ken Block responds (sort of)
Discussion
So what if he's not been overly successful in WRC!
The man can drive, fact !
If he's able to bring Rally to a market ( the US ) that's main Motorsport involves going round and round in circles, and then goes to another town where drivers go round and round in circles, then surely that's a good thing.
He's raised the profile of rally in markets where it wasn't all that well known, and has probably done more for the sport in the past couple of years from a marketing perspective than any other driver.
Ok, so he's best known for set up scenes where he gets to thrash the crap out of high performance vehicles in ways 99% of us could only dream about.
Anyone slating him for doing this, and for bringing more interest to rallying, needs to look in the mirror and just ask if they're just jealous about how they will never have his skills, his business brain , or his money!
Well done Ken, keep doing what you're doing.
The man can drive, fact !
If he's able to bring Rally to a market ( the US ) that's main Motorsport involves going round and round in circles, and then goes to another town where drivers go round and round in circles, then surely that's a good thing.
He's raised the profile of rally in markets where it wasn't all that well known, and has probably done more for the sport in the past couple of years from a marketing perspective than any other driver.
Ok, so he's best known for set up scenes where he gets to thrash the crap out of high performance vehicles in ways 99% of us could only dream about.
Anyone slating him for doing this, and for bringing more interest to rallying, needs to look in the mirror and just ask if they're just jealous about how they will never have his skills, his business brain , or his money!
Well done Ken, keep doing what you're doing.
Captain Muppet said:
I don't understand all the hatred. If I had his money I'd have a go at my dream motorsport and muck about in cars in my spare time too. That's all he's doing.
Precisely. And to the writer, it's not about missing your point. Your point was clear and negative in equal measure.Good on Ken, he is not claiming to be the best driver by any means, he has simply found a way of doing what he loves to do and what many petrolheads into rallying would if they could. He is having fun with it all and producing videos many people want to see. Judging by the views, he made the right choice by stretching the series to 6 and doing it in a location few could have secured. Should he not have done it and instead gone head to head with the a writer who's own slick productions showcasing his unquestionable talent and death-defying, cliff-edge heroics.. oh wait..
Hopefully he will push the envelope out on the next production if he makes one, although it is tough to do without putting yourself in serious harm's way. He has a few kids to consider before putting his limbs on the line to enthral dissatisfied writers.
This used to be a place for petrolheads. Now it just seems to be a forum full of negativity towards people doing what we (petrolheads) do. What happened?
Matt p said:
^^^^^^
Just to add, no matter who you are if your offered a WRC seat you will grab that chance with both hands!!.
Agreed, and I'm pretty sure most of us would re-enact the group B days by killing ourselves and a load of spectators in the process.Just to add, no matter who you are if your offered a WRC seat you will grab that chance with both hands!!.
"Mr Block, we'd like you to drive in the worlds most demanding and high profile rally series, and we're going to pay you a bucket load to do it" "what the f*** do you mean by NO?"
Fluffsri said:
Captain Muppet said:
Mini1275 said:
mat777 said:
No Ken, you're not a rally driver. Rally drivers have skill. The only reason you look remotely skilled on your stunt shows I'd because you practice them hundreds of times. When you actually try and do proper men's rallying you always crash because you cant deal with an unpredictable route. Now shut up and go have another can of Monster, you annoying little
adrenaline junkie
Jealous much?.adrenaline junkie
I think Ken Block is a very skilled driver. He explained quite clearly that to improve his rallying he would need to move family to Europe, something he does notvwish to do. Fair enough. I like the guy....and lets be honest how many of us hoon around (or have done so...) doing handbrake turns, back end out drifts and so on and not loved the feeling? The fact that Ken loves the fun side (and produces some great fun videos) on the back of his desire to drive a rally car - hat's off to him. The fact that he is alsoquite an astute businessman too is also significant. Ford must love him bringing in a small euro tin top hatch (fiesta) to the masses in the USA where normally the market is not significant.
Ridden shot-gun next to Ken a few times - he's a v.v.v.talented driver. His performance in WRC events says much more about the skill levels of the best drivers, and the accumulated knowledge gleaned graduating through lower formulae into top-level sport than it does about his purported 'lack' of skill. If you sat next to him on a gravel stage on Rally GB, you'd climb out pretty bamboozled. It's impressive, but Loeb is on another level. Ken freely admits that.
He's just a normal bloke who happened to found a shoe company, flog it for a mint, do some skids in his spare time and build a franchise around those skids that is rivalling the Super Bowl as a commercial sponsorship opportunity.I'd say that was pretty impressive.
He's also attracting a whole new, young audience to motor sport and car enthusiasm. We all owe him a pint for that.
He's also a good bloke.
He's just a normal bloke who happened to found a shoe company, flog it for a mint, do some skids in his spare time and build a franchise around those skids that is rivalling the Super Bowl as a commercial sponsorship opportunity.I'd say that was pretty impressive.
He's also attracting a whole new, young audience to motor sport and car enthusiasm. We all owe him a pint for that.
He's also a good bloke.
Was it Dan Trent who origianlly said he was a bit bored with the gymkhana vids? I can see his point about it. its like having a favourite alubm listen to it every day for a year chances are you wont want to hear it again for a while. over exposure is what i mean. I think the point made was he's very talented, utilise as much as possible, because lets be honest, most people only know who Ken block is from the gymkhana vids.
Ken block is also a very good driver, better than most of us on here no doubt, he is living his dream and some people call him unskilled for it or just hate on him for pretty much no reason.
I think its also fair to say he's introducing new audiences to rally type driving.
Just my two pence worth
Edit: just noticed Mr Harris has said the same thing about new audiences above me. not copying honest!!
Ken block is also a very good driver, better than most of us on here no doubt, he is living his dream and some people call him unskilled for it or just hate on him for pretty much no reason.
I think its also fair to say he's introducing new audiences to rally type driving.
Just my two pence worth
Edit: just noticed Mr Harris has said the same thing about new audiences above me. not copying honest!!
Dan Trent - you're a journalist. Which in essence, means that you run around after shiny new objects. What Ken Block has done is carve a brand new niche and you loved him for it, but because you are so fickle you want him to progress on and do something new, rather than ever be satisfied with the brilliant of something as it is.
Why don't you step up to the gauntlet yourself and do that magical 'thing' that you think Ken Block should do next, rather than just rubbishing this talented man because he's no longer your flavour of the month.
Why don't you step up to the gauntlet yourself and do that magical 'thing' that you think Ken Block should do next, rather than just rubbishing this talented man because he's no longer your flavour of the month.
WillBrumBrum said:
Dan Trent - you're a journalist. Which in essence, means that you run around after shiny new objects. What Ken Block has done is carve a brand new niche and you loved him for it, but because you are so fickle you want him to progress on and do something new, rather than ever be satisfied with the brilliant of something as it is.
Why don't you step up to the gauntlet yourself and do that magical 'thing' that you think Ken Block should do next, rather than just rubbishing this talented man because he's no longer your flavour of the month.
He's not rubbishing Ken Block!Why don't you step up to the gauntlet yourself and do that magical 'thing' that you think Ken Block should do next, rather than just rubbishing this talented man because he's no longer your flavour of the month.
Dan Trent -in both pieces about KB said:
he's clearly hugely talented at the wheel, a very smart businessman and, by all accounts, a very nice chap to boot with a genuine passion for rallying.
.Buh-limey...Skater12 said:
Matt p said:
^^^^^^
Just to add, no matter who you are if your offered a WRC seat you will grab that chance with both hands!!.
Agreed, and I'm pretty sure most of us would re-enact the group B days by killing ourselves and a load of spectators in the process.Just to add, no matter who you are if your offered a WRC seat you will grab that chance with both hands!!.
"Mr Block, we'd like you to drive in the worlds most demanding and high profile rally series, and we're going to pay you a bucket load to do it" "what the f*** do you mean by NO?"
BUT....Dan has come late to the band wagon, lots of journalists are turning against Block as they're bored of writing the same gymkhana advertorial and sense the readers are equally bored. Sure we'll all watch his videos BUT in order to keep the web traffic flowing through a Ken Block story they've realised it needs to be negative and somewhat 'controversial'.
It's your typical 'postive to indifferent to negative' web traffic dictated news cycle. Classic Daily Mail stuff.
Pathetic.
+1 for Ken being a good bloke. I spent some time with him at Wales Rally GB, and at Goodwood - where I found him very approachable, generous with his time, patient, and above all, a massive petrol head. Not a big head.
I'll agree, the impact of the skids in a tight box have worn off, but the broadside jump in the latest video was just stunning. Great stuff. Keep at it mate.
I'll agree, the impact of the skids in a tight box have worn off, but the broadside jump in the latest video was just stunning. Great stuff. Keep at it mate.
PH I love you but you're bringing me down!
Dare to say Ken is talented, clever and a nice bloke but could do better and it's interpreted as a character assassination. Follow up to say Ken is ... talented, clever and a nice bloke and here's why and he gets written off as a talentless wannabe for the heinous crime of being not quite as fast as the greatest WRC driver ever known.
Guys, you crack me up!
Shall I try a third time? Ken Block is massively talented at the wheel, a very smart businessman and, once more with feeling, by all accounts (Mr Harris's included) a very nice chap indeed. And I'm just keen to see how he channels that talent into something more inventive and interesting!
Dare to say Ken is talented, clever and a nice bloke but could do better and it's interpreted as a character assassination. Follow up to say Ken is ... talented, clever and a nice bloke and here's why and he gets written off as a talentless wannabe for the heinous crime of being not quite as fast as the greatest WRC driver ever known.
Guys, you crack me up!
Shall I try a third time? Ken Block is massively talented at the wheel, a very smart businessman and, once more with feeling, by all accounts (Mr Harris's included) a very nice chap indeed. And I'm just keen to see how he channels that talent into something more inventive and interesting!
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