43 Fiestas sweepstakes kicks off with excellent NASCAR vs. Rally footage
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Racing
Ken Block takes on AJ Allmendinger - Click above to watch video after the jump
Ford has officially lit a fire under its 43 Fiestas campaign. As you may recall, the promotion aims to hand out a raft of prizes, from 43 LCD flat-screen TVs to airfare, lodging and tickets to the Ford NASCAR 400 Sprint Cup race for 43 lucky grand-prize winners. Of those souls, one will be awarded a special Ford Fiesta, but should AJ Allmendinger happen to walk away with the checkers, everyone in the grand-prize lot will receive a new Fiesta to call their very own. That's impressive and all, but not nearly so interesting as the videos after the jump.
You see, to sell the sweepstakes, Ford enlisted the help of NASCAR legend Richard Petty, rally heathen Ken Block and AJ Allmendinger, the current pilot of the #43 NASCAR racer. What happens when the three meet on a track? Let's just say that while we weren't entirely surprised by the outcome, we're wholeheartedly in favor of this type of motorsports crossbreeding in the future.
Now let's see that 3,000-pound NASCAR bruiser fling itself down a rally stage.
[Source: 43 Fiestas]
Continue reading 43 Fiestas sweepstakes kicks off with excellent NASCAR vs. Rally footage
43 Fiestas sweepstakes kicks off with excellent NASCAR vs. Rally footage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsReal Gymkhana 3 will debut 9/14, next Tuesday
Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities, Racing
Ken Block and his crew from DC Shoes didn't exactly stun the world with Part I of Gymkhana 3. The clip was more music video than sideways action, and after worshipping the first two hoon-laden pieces of cinematic glory, we were all expecting, well, more. Fortunately, it appears that Block has his heart set on delivering. According to Jalopnik, Part II will feature all of the tire and wheel-shredding glory we've come to expect from the rally world's number-one showboat. The team began teasing the next installment with a Craigslist ad hawking a pair of very abused 18-inch Volk wheels. Whatever the next clip entails, we're nearly guaranteed to see some sparks fly.
The next video is set to drop on September 14, and was supposedly filmed in France using the team's beastly Ford Fiesta rally beater. Can it top the sheer magic of Gymkhana I? Miracles do happen.
[Source: Craigslist via Jalopnik]
Real Gymkhana 3 will debut 9/14, next Tuesday originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKen Block’s Gymkhana 3: Part 1 is not like the others, Part 2 coming in September
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Celebrities
Gymkhana 3: Part 1 - Click above to watch video after the jump
The long awaited countdown to rally superstar Ken Block's Gymkhana 3 video has ended, and what was revealed today is a music video featuring a hip-hop group named The Cool Kids, with a little bit of Ken Block and his rally Fiesta sprinkled in.
Unlike the last two Gymkhana videos, which became instant YouTube sensations thanks to non-stop footage of Block doing amazing stunts behind the wheel of his rally Subaru Impreza WRX STI hatchback, Gymkhana 3: Part 1 is a straight up music video informercial that shows off Block's DC apparel and products more than his driving skill. When we do see the rally Fiesta in its Gymkhana debut, Block is either doing donuts or driving it directly into - and not around - things like paint cans and fluorescent bulbs.
We contacted Ken Block's crew to see what the deal is, and were told that the plan is to separate the marketing from what the kids really want, which is footage of Block doing things with a car that prove he's superhuman behind the wheel. So Part 1 of Gymkhana 3 is the one with the marketing message, while Part 2 we're told will be much more like Gymkhana 1 with just the driving footage. When we asked when we can expect Gymkhana 3: Part 2 to drop, early-to-mid September was the answer.
Check out Gymkhana 3: Part 1 for yourself after the jump.
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Ken Block's Gymkhana 3: Part 1 is not like the others, Part 2 coming in September
Ken Block's Gymkhana 3: Part 1 is not like the others, Part 2 coming in September originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Ken Block’s ADAC Rally prep is no match for mechanical failure
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities, Racing
Ken Block preps for the ADAC Rally - Click above to watch video after the jump
They don't call it the World Rally Championship for nothing. The globe's best and brightest descend on the pinnacle of the rally sport to duke it out all over the planet, and while Ken Block hasn't fared as well as predicted this season, he's at least made it to the point where he can step into the ring. Right before Block took to the ADAC Rally in a new Focus bruiser, he sat down to answer a few questions from the likes of the crew at 0-60 Magazine. At the time, Block had never ran a tarmac WRC rally and was busy practicing the wheels off of the new car.
That practice served him well. For the first time, it looked like Block was going to land points with a ninth place finish over all until the car's alternator died on day three, effectively banishing him to the back of the pack once more. There's just no beating bad luck. Hit the jump to watch the interview for yourself.
[Source: 0-60 Magazine via Cold Track Days]
Continue reading Video: Ken Block's ADAC Rally prep is no match for mechanical failure
Video: Ken Block's ADAC Rally prep is no match for mechanical failure originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffspeed Pitch: Richard Petty joins Ken Block, AJ Allmendinger in marketing Ford Fiesta?
Filed under: Motorsports, Budget, Sedan, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities
Brace yourself, race fans. Things are about to get a little weird. Ford has decided to meld the seemingly unmeldable worlds of NASCAR and rally to help promote the 2011 Fiesta. Ken Block, Richard Petty and AJ Allmendinger have joined forces as an unholy trifecta of motorsports action, unified by their common love of the number 43. We don't need to tell you that Petty famously campaigned old four-three in the heyday of NASCAR, netting 200 Sprint Cup wins and a total of seven championships in the process. Meanwhile, Block has established himself as one of America's flashiest rally drivers, while Allmendinger has inherited Petty's 43 throne in the current NASCAR series.
The three unlikely amigos will be campaigning for the Blue Oval's new '43 Fiestas' sweepstakes, where entrants will have the opportunity to lay their hands on a bevy of prizes. A total of 43 first-place prize winners will walk away with a 40-inch LED-LCD HD flat-screen television, while another 43 grand-prize winners will receive airfare, lodging and tickets for two to the Ford 300 Nationwide series and the Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. If that wasn't swank enough, one of the 43 grand-prize winners will drive home in a 2011 Fiesta.
But wait, there's more. Should Allmendinger happen to take the checkered at the end of the race, all 43 grand-prize winners will win their very own Fiesta. Head over to the 43 Fiestas site to enter for you chance to win. You can also hop the jump for the full press release.
Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL
[Source: Ford via 43Fiestas.com]
Offspeed Pitch: Richard Petty joins Ken Block, AJ Allmendinger in marketing Ford Fiesta? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Ford Fiesta takes care of the ‘Honey Do’ list, Ken Block style
Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Humor
Ken Block takes out the trash - Click above to watch video after the jump
At some point during the development of the American vernacular, the term "grocery getter" became a term of condescension. Thing is, lugging around a few bags of consumables and clipping apexes don't have to be mutually exclusive. Ford is hoping the average U.S. car buyer has outgrown the prejudices of his forebearers and is willing to jump into something with a hatchback. To help dispel any lingering thoughts of boredom, the Blue Oval has called on none other than Ken Block to use his guano-crazy Fiesta WRC rally racer to take care of a few household chores. Sideways.
The quick clip after the jump is filled with the kind of car control we've come to expect from Block, even with his recent run of bad luck in the WRC. If you like what you see in the video, you can register for a chance to win a 2011 Fiesta worked up to look just like Block's racer. Something tells us the grand-prize car won't be all-wheel drive, though. Hit the jump to watch the video, as well as check out the full press release with details on the drawing.
[Source: Ford]
Continue reading Video: Ford Fiesta takes care of the 'Honey Do' list, Ken Block style
Video: Ford Fiesta takes care of the 'Honey Do' list, Ken Block style originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKen Block reveals possible Fiesta special edition collaboration with Ford in the works
Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford
Ken Block Gymkhana 3 Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery
Ken Block isn't a World Rally Championship legend by any stretch, but thanks to his immensely entertaining Gymkhana videos, the glorified shoemaker can definitely lay claim to the title of YouTube Legend. And with Ford working the Internets hard during the launches of its new products like the Fiesta and Explorer, it made total sense that Ford would want to partner with the new media star.
The duo of Fiesta and Ken Block is less than a year old, but already there are some rumblings that Block edition Fiesta could be in the works. How about a DC Shoes edition Fiesta? In a recent radio interview with KROQ, Block was asked if there was a KB Fiesta on the way, and he responded with "we're discussing those types of things but there's nothing set in stone at this point." Block went on to add that for now, he wants to concentrate on racing and developing new competition cars.
So, no definitive news on the Ken Block edition Fiesta front, but the two parties are at least thinking about a special model. We can't see how this is a bad idea, considering that 30 million potential car buyers waiting patiently for Gymkhana 3 - we couldn't think of a better way to announce a special edition Fiesta than by starring in another Block-buster internet flick (sorry, we couldn't resist). Head over to the KROQ website to listen to the interview. Hat tip to Joe B!
[Source: KROQ]
Ken Block reveals possible Fiesta special edition collaboration with Ford in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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