FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 10 | Page 78

The 2015 GRiD final round went down
over an adrenaline, gasoline and energy
drink fuelled weekend at the end of
October. A world-class Gymkhana course
was constructed at Santa Pod Raceway
and the best Gymkhana drivers in the
world turned out to get their hoon on. The
big guns were brought out for the season
finale and Team Hoonigan were out
in force. Ken Block himself was
out on the tarmac representing
in his notorious AWD 1965
Ford Mustang, AKA the
‘Hoonicorn’, whilst his
teammate Ryan Tuerck
drove Block’s brand new
Gymkhana build: a 1978
Ford Escort Mk2 RS.

looking at the big picture. A flash-in-thepan promotor looking to make a quick
buck, he is not.
“For me, the most important thing is that
it keeps growing,” he explained. “More
and more events with more competitors.
Gymkhana is such a small discipline when
you’re talking about the amount of
competitors who are actually out
there doing it. It really needs a
strong grassroots foundation,
with events aimed at
newcomers, along with the
big, top-end events and
drivers as well.”

One thing you might have
noticed about Ken Block
over the years is that the
man likes to think big.
Although Gymkhana is still
a relatively new discipline of
driving, it is growing fast and
Block has a strong vision for
the future of this unique mashup of motorsports. “Every year
the Gymkhana GRiD series gets
better and better. Hopefully it
keeps going,” he said.

Gymkhana GRiD and Hoonigan
alike are more than just another
action sports event or T-shirt
brand. Through a combination of
hosting events, creating brands,
building cars and making some
of the most popular videos on the

KEN’S WHIPS: THE CARS THAT MADE GYMKHANA

It is evident from listening to Ken
talk that the guy has his head
screwed on when it comes to

T

he wheels employed by Block
have a tendency to make just
as many headlines as the
man himself; from what was
in some areas a controversial switch
to Ford, to the construction of the
one-of-a-kind Hoonicorn. As the rides
evolved from the relatively standard
WRX Impreza of Gymkhana One to
the purpose-engineered Fiestas of the
later editions, the appearance of the
Hoonicorn was a natural step.
Ken’s latest toy, a heavily-customised
‘78 Mk II Escort, looks likely to be front
and centre when Gymkhana Eight
reaches our screens.

Gymkhana One (2006)

Ken Block’s Gymkhana Practice

2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
WATCH THE VIDEO u

© SIMON NIEBORAK

Block bought the
trademark for the
Gymkhana series a few
years ago, so he had some
control over the series and
could protect it if necessary.
“I knew that at some point, one
day when I’m not so busy doing
all the stuff I’m doing right now,
I should be able to slow down
and really focus on this to try and
push it even further.”