hopefully this will eventually lead to the RS coming to the states...I will never understand why we don't have that car here...idiots...
He's only rallying the Focus RS this year in WRC. He's running a Fiesta here in Rally-America, and next year will be running a WRC Fiesta as Ford moves to that platform for rally. So the Focus RS isn't real likely to end up here.
pastrana and mirra are now both entered for sno*drift in open class subarus. now waiting for ford entries! edit 2010 subarus... so brand new cars for factory subaru
A teaser http://monsterworldrallyteam.com/ Im glad i have my Subaru Monster/DC gear... Since there wont't be anymore Subaru Monster/DC stuff.
Good for him, he's done a lot to put rally on the map here in the U.S. It'll be nice to see how he does on the world stage as well as competeing SRT USA here.
dont forget that he will be bring a ton of money to the table as well. so it is more like the guy that schmoozed better and was willing to sink some money into the company and is a guaranteed moneymaker. motorsports sponsorship is a business and ken is a solid investment. he will be a money machine for them. so in a way he is totally qualified for the job. you guys are just focusing on the wrong aspect of the job.
And yet he could still drive circles around 99 percent of the population. It's not like he hasn't put up any wins of his own. The guy can drive right there with some of the best in RA, if he wasn't an above average driver he wouldn't have done as well as he has done, marketing or no. I think Ken will do a lot of positive things for the WRC, and I think he'll do just fine.
That's crazy to see Ken Block in a Ford. A Fiesta of all models, too. Oh well, now it's time for Pastrana to become Subaru's hero.
so you'll bash Block for getting in with relatively little experience? But endorse TP with only 1 more year under his belt? I'm thinking more of the guys that have been doing this for decades. But, I'm sure Block isn't the first to try to get into WRC. he found a way to make it marketable.....So I certainly tip my hat to him. Even though I think there are many who are more deserving drivers.
TP has had almost twice as many finishes than Block in the last 2 years, that says something, yaa think? 2009 points.... Travis = 151 Ken = 80 2008 Travis 9 events, 7 finishes, 7 podiums! 2 DNFs Ken 9 events, 5 finishes, 3 podiums... 4 DNFs that all I saying..... The last 2 years he has kinda sucked compared to his team mate that out shines him in almost every way. The sad truth is that he has to move on to somthing else so his mediocrity might be accepted for a few years due to learning curve. Fact.... Block doesn't have what it takes to land podiums unless somthing has changed, he will be a marketable novelty in a very competitive sport where it may take five years for the world to know.... that he is a middle of road, aged(but marketable), under performer.
I brought this up last time because you didn't do the research. How many of those DNFs were due to mechanical failure rather than him crashing?
can we quit bashing ken block? love him/hate him...he's still moving forward with the sport and bring more of a notice to it within the US. even the best drivers with the best cars and co-drivers will still screw up or can have crappy results. rally is so damn intense. Hell, even when everything is going perfectly you are always on the edge of crashing or having something break.
awesome! rally with out teeth, you wouldn't have to worry about biting your tounge or lips when going over all those bumps while co-driving and reading course notes.
Since you missed it the first time I posted it: http://mnsubaru.com/forums/showpost.php?p=666181&postcount=31 He crashed out twice, once at a rally he's admittedly never done well at. If someone were to listen to you they'd think he can't back out of his driveway without balling up a car or three. At least do some research, would you? Jeez, I want to be a co-driver too! :laugh:
Are you talking about Tiger Woods?:biggrin: I did some research, but any driver will encounter mechanical failures, so he had a bad shake 3 times out of 9. Other drivers experiance the same failures and some of them seem to find a way to finish on occation. I realy think alot of his issues have to do with nerves more than skill. He is a very skilled driver, but he seems to have issues with finishing any where other than 1st. I think he psychs him self out when he is behind, as a result he pushes it, or runs into issues and calls it quits rather than limping and finshing 29th. I think the thing that makes me much less of a fan is his attitude. He is such a poor sport, and he sulks when he screws up. He must have huge expectations of himself, and he just can't handle loosing. If he crashes on stage 3 and DNFs, you will not see him again untill the Factory team truck is leaving, and then he sneeks out and leaves. I don't think he understands that everyone crashes somtimes in rally, and he needs to get used to this fact. I supose I just feel that when it comes to rally, (bad luck or bad driving...whatever) he has realy let us down with what seems to be the best outfitted team racing in Rally Americas National Championship. I think dave Mirra will preform well in Block place in open class.
If I were in his shoes (no pun intended) I would do the same. With the hundreds of (as you call them) brotato/bro-dawg kiddies hanging all over his nutz, can you blame him? I can't. I don't have the personality type (like Pastrana) to handle situations like that. I'd rather keep to myself. The bottom line is he is marketable and bringing a TON of money and positive press to the sport. That part is as hard (if not harder) than being a top-level driver imho. In any sport, very few people can pull off doing both.
Huge lulz with regards to the brotato/bro-dawg comments. I'm glad I'm not the only one that has noticed that the current big names in US rally (at least the ones that are all over the media) have a following of sideways-cocked-flat-brim-trucker-hat-frat-bro-goons.
Blocks Fiesta he will be driving in the states: http://www.wrc.com/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=101&id=6771&desc=Monster World Rally Team: first pictures
i was just about to post that. http://flatovercrest.com/2010/01/ken-block-fiesta-official-video-pics/ http://www.rallybuzz.com/block-fiesta-ready-for-sno-drift/
I am sure this is already in the thread.... but just incase. Some pics and a short video. View attachment 20263 View attachment 20262 View attachment 20261 View attachment 20260 http://jalopnik.com/5456977/ken-blocks-new-ford-rally-car-is-monstrously-cool [YOUTUBE] <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p8lSbpAHRnk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p8lSbpAHRnk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object> [/YOUTUBE]
I love that they don't even give him a new car, Marcus Gronholm drove it up Pikes Peak last summer and the teams goal is just to finish at sno-drift. So the question is, who will crash first? Ken block with his new toy or Carl with his new turbo setup?
I hope every subaru driver beats Ken Block! It might be, I'll be either parting it out or selling it whole depending what kind of car I get to replace it.
^ That's for WRC, he's still driving a Fiesta in Rally America and he'll be switching to a fiesta in WRC next year when they finish designing it and have 5 already built for him to crash.
I'm still rooting for you, I bought a zip tie hoodie and I don't own any monster clothes. That gives me an idea, I think there should be real zip ties holding the hoodies together, in fact, just have it stitched with zip ties :nana:
