Despite a minor off while testing his Ford Focus WRC prior to the Rallye de France, American Gymkhana sensation Ken Block is feeling upbeat in the build-up to the French event, run for the first time in the Alsace region.
Block entered a fast left-hand curve on the test stage carrying slightly too much speed and then went off into a ditch. The damage to the Monster-backed car was only slight, so the American is now ready for action on the challenging French asphalt stages.
“We don’t have asphalt rallies in the United States, so Rally Germany is the only real experience we have on this surface,” said Block - who was nonetheless forced to retire from the German event on the final day due to mechanical failure. “Germany was actually better than I expected because the speed was good. So hopefully we can keep on making progress. Practice is everything: you can’t just jump in and drive.”
Block has recently been accumulating sealed-surface mileage by filming the latest of his Gymkhana series, where he put a 600-horsepower Ford Fiesta through its paces. The video, which has attracted more than seven million views on You Tube, will not prepare the American for the very specific demands of the Rallye de France though.
“It was just a bit of fun to show people the speed of the car and what it can do,” he said. “It took three days to film, and I actually had a serious fear of rolling. But any time spent in the car is good, although swapping between cars is always hard. The Focus I use on the WRC is the most awesome car I have ever driven.”
Block will now complete the rest of the WRC season, driving on asphalt in Spain next month before returning to gravel for the Rally Great Britain.