Matt Tuccillo's blog

Ken Block and the Monster World Rally Team are pleased to announce Block’s latest collaborative partnership: teaming up with industry-leading toy car manufacturer Hot Wheels for his own line of toy cars, just in time for the 2011 holiday season.

Monster World Rally Team driver Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino made the long haul down to Australia this past weekend to participate in Rally Australia, the 10th stop of the 2011 WRC calendar. After a rally of ups and downs, Block ended the race in impressive fashion—taking 5th on the final stage of the rally, the live, televised Power Stage.

While Day 1 of Rally Australia saw Monster World Rally Team’s Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino down and out, day 2 ended up being a completely different story for the pair. Starting under SuperRally rules after their Ford Fiesta RS WRC was repaired from Friday’s off, the two hit the ground running, proceeding to lay down a quick pace that had them netting top-10 stage times throughout the day, including running just 3.9-seconds behind fellow Ford driver Matthew Wilson (4th overall) on SS11 and keeping within 1.49 seconds per kilometer of SS12 stage winner Jari-Matti Latvala (2nd overall).

Day 1 of racing at WRC Australia has proven to be more difficult than any of the competitors could have imagined. While MWRT’s Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino found themselves off and out during the first stage of the day, SS3, due to a simple note error, they weren’t alone in their off-course adventures. Both front-running Citroen drivers, Loeb and Ogier, also found themselves crashed out from competition on Friday courtesy of conditions that could be called treacherous at best.

Following a difficult event at WRC Germany, Monster World Rally Team’s Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino returned to the racing surface they know the best—gravel—for the latest stop of the 2011 WRC circuit: Australia. Having spent the week prior down in Melbourne for his Gymkhana World Tour, Block reported for duty in the coastal town of Coffs Harbour, eager to get dusty once again.

Ken Block drag races V8 Supercar World Champ Jamie Whincup, and performs unrehearsed Segway donuts on the first try.

Ken Block revealed his newest weapon—a multi-purpose race car, built specifically to compete in stage rally, rallycross and gymkhana events—this past weekend at the Gymkhana World Tour in Los Angeles, California. The Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V.), or just ‘Hybrid’ as it has been dubbed, gets its name not from its method of propulsion, but instead from its ability to transform and race at the highest level for each of these motorsport disciplines, making it one of the most unique and versatile competition vehicles ever built.

Monster World Rally Team driver, Ken Block, rolled into Los Angeles this past weekend for the one and only USA stop of this year’s Gymkhana World Tour. But Block didn’t just bring out a brand new course layout with him; he also brought out his newest Ford Fiesta race car, the Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V. , also known by the nickname “the hybrid”). Designed as one car to do three tasks—gymkhana, stage rally and rally cross—the Los Angeles event marked the public debut of Block’s new ride.

With over 25,000 people in attendance, the first stop of Ken Block’s Gymkhana World Tour in Vienna, Austria was a massive success. The three-stop tour brings the Gymkhana driving, made famous by Block’s hugely popular Internet videos, up close and personal to a live audience.

Monster World Rally Team's Ken Block, for the second year in a row, wins the "Most Thrilling Driver" award at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for his awesome display of hooning up the legendary driveway-turned-hillclimb on Lord March's West Sussex estate. The award, presented by Veuve Clicquot, is given to the driver who puts on the best show for the over 150,000 motorsport fans that gather at the annual event. Block's always sideways, smoke filled runs this year secured the notorious title once again for the Hoonigan.