Ford launching Octane Academy with Ken Block, Tanner Faust
Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford
If you're one of the hordes of internet citizens who watch videos of Ken Block, Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan or Vaughn Gittin Jr. perform various acts of insanity from behind the wheel and think you can do better, Ford is giving you the chance to prove it. The automaker has just unveiled its new Octane Academy, which will pair fans up with their favorite maniacal driver for a little on-track training.
If you want a shot at jumping into the fray, all you need to do is work up a video that shows why you're better than the rest and fit for a weekend of challenges. Contest winners will be selected to compete against other horsepower-obsessed entrants before a final champion is selected. Those who beat out the rest on their respective team will take home big prizes, including a specially-designed vehicle penned by Block, Foust, Gittin Jr. or Deegan.
The first camp gets underway in November of 2011, and the contest is currently open and awaiting your video submission. Head over to Octane Academy for more information and check out the video and press release after the jump.
Continue reading Ford launching Octane Academy with Ken Block, Tanner Faust
Ford launching Octane Academy with Ken Block, Tanner Faust originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsDates for Ken Block’s Gymkhana World Tour announced
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Ford
Ken Block is coming to a
The Monster World Rally team will first head to Vienna, Austria, where the Gymkhana World Tour kicks offs on July 10. A live audience will be treated to a Gymkhana run that will in turn be filmed for a new soon-to-be-YouTube-sensational video.
From Austria, Ken Block and his crew will move to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. This July 23 stop on the tour is the week prior to X Games 17, after which Block will stick around to try and pilot his Fiesta to Rallycross gold. Following that, the Gymkhana tour heads Down Under to bring tire-smoking antics to the birthplace of Hoon. Ford Australia will welcome Block in Melbourne for the weekend of September 2-3 just prior to Rally Australia.
This is going to be a smokey summer for Ken Block, and an expensive one for his tire sponsor, Pirelli. Click past the jump for all the details in the full press release.
Continue reading Dates for Ken Block's Gymkhana World Tour announced
Dates for Ken Block's Gymkhana World Tour announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKen Block busting through boxes in DiRT 3 promo
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Off-Road
We can never get enough of Ken Block's Gymkhana, and we're pretty sure that many of you feel the same way. Lucky for us, Block and Codemasters have the launch of DiRT 3 to look forward to, making a new drift video a no-brainer.
Watch Block as he hops behind the wheel of the Ford Focus Rally car at London's Battersea Power Station, the same place he took a bikini model from Zoo Magazine for a ride. As always, Block traverses some keenly placed obstacles whilst drifting and doing donuts all the way. As a special sendoff to DiRT 3, Block also drifts through a series of stacked DiRT 3 boxes, which we hope aren't filled with copies of the $59 game.
Hit the jump to watch the slide-master do his thing. This may not be Block's best work, but it isn't often that we actually enjoy being bombarded with advertising.
Continue reading Ken Block busting through boxes in DiRT 3 promo
Ken Block busting through boxes in DiRT 3 promo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKen Block battles Tanner Foust in DiRT 3 Gymkhana battle
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Toys/Games
The launch of DiRT 3 is nearly here. You can pick up a copy of the Gymkhana-friendly game on May 24th, but since we're not quite there yet, Codemasters is more than happy to show off this new video, tantalizing us until the day we can finally plunk down cash for our very own copy.
Like we've seen in the past, this latest clip features a virtual Ken Block sliding his perfectly pixelated Ford Fiesta through a make-shift course. This time around, however, Block is joined by Tanner Foust and his equally impressive Rallycross-ready Fiesta.
The last time these two met in real life, Foust wound up beating Block at his own game. Now he's in Block's game, and we can't wait to take each car out for a few (thousand) laps of virtual tire destruction. Click past the jump to watch the clip.
Continue reading Ken Block battles Tanner Foust in DiRT 3 Gymkhana battle
Ken Block battles Tanner Foust in DiRT 3 Gymkhana battle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: New footage of Ken Block’s crash in Portugal
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ford
During a shakedown run before the 2011 Rally of Portugal, Ken Block wrecked his Ford Fiesta WRC car in a big way. The high-sprung rally car clipped a berm at the start of a turn, and the resulting series of flips were both violent and scary. Block and his teammate Alex Gelsomino checked out of the hospital with a clean bill of health, but the same prognosis can't be said of the car.
That means we don't feel guilty for showing you more footage of the wreck, which comes courtesy of the Monster World Rally team. The post-jump clip is over two minutes long, with the oddball goofiness we've come to expect from Block and Co. We're thinking the theme here is that of a near-death experience - we can't fathom another reason why Block would be floating around a pool, in full racing gear, with an angelic glow all around him.
Hit the jump to watch the horrific crash, which makes its entrance at 2:13, followed by a slow-motion replay.
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: New footage of Ken Block's crash in Portugal
Video: New footage of Ken Block's crash in Portugal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Ken Block and Zoo bikini model strap in for makeshift Gymkhana ride
Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford, Racing
It's a tried-and-true stunt: Take one professional driver (at least as often as not, it seems, Ken Block), put them in a fast car. Add one beautiful woman, a bunch of cameras, and stir. The result? Generally, lots of screams and nearly as many clicks on Youtube. We suspect the internet clicks will indeed come, but this particular video is suspiciously absent of screaming girls.
Judging by her lack of aural outbursts, we'd say that this particular bikini model, who was apparently plucked from the pages of Zoo Magazine, actually enjoyed her time in the passenger seat with Mr. Ken Block, he of Gymkhana fame. She even gives him a nice pat on the back upon exiting the Ford
This video was shot at a Gymkhana circuit at Battersea Power Station as a promotional event for the launch of DiRT 3, and both the video and GPS data overlaid over the screen were captured and recorded by a Racelogic Video VBOX. See it all go down for yourself in the video after the break.
[Source: Youtube]
Continue reading Video: Ken Block and Zoo bikini model strap in for makeshift Gymkhana ride
Video: Ken Block and Zoo bikini model strap in for makeshift Gymkhana ride originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Ken Block destroys Fiesta WRC car before Rally of Portugal
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ford
At the Rally of Portugal, Ken Block and teammate Alex Gelsomino were in the midst of shakedown runs when things suddenly got messy. Block clipped the inside of a turn and it sent his Ford Fiesta WRC car flying sideways.
The Fiesta rolled once before smacking the ground and rolling several more times. It was a violent accident that sent Block and Gelsomino to the hospital, though both men are reported to be uninjured. The car, however, is toast.
This gives Block a bit more time to prepare for the next leg of the WRC circuit, which will take place at Rally Argentina. In the meantime, you can click past the jump to see the reason he won't be competing at Rally of Portugal.
[Sources: YouTube, Autosport.com]
Continue reading Video: Ken Block destroys Fiesta WRC car before Rally of Portugal
Video: Ken Block destroys Fiesta WRC car before Rally of Portugal originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideos: Ken Block releases alternate edits of Gymkhana 3
Filed under: Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Specialty
As if Ken Block's Gymkhana series weren't popular enough, the DC Shoes owner/hotshoe has released eight (8) new edits of Gymkhana 3, each focusing on a different aspect of Block's behind-the-wheel trickery.
The videos, all of which can be viewed after the jump, highlight the more impressive of Block's tricks, like a rainy-day rolling 360 and a nearly impossible wall tap that leaves just a slight rubber smudge on the white concrete. There's also an in-depth look at Block's execution of the famed 51-degree bank wall ride.
Of the eight vids, two are dedicated to a behind-the-scenes look at Gymkhana 3 and the making of a limited-edition Gymkhana 3 drip poster, signed in paint pen by Block himself. According to Block, the videos are meant to celebrate the success of Gymkhana 1, 2 and 3 and give fans something else to sink their teeth into. Check out all 8 videos after the jump.
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Videos: Ken Block releases alternate edits of Gymkhana 3
Videos: Ken Block releases alternate edits of Gymkhana 3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Ken Block unveils new livery for WRC Fiesta, Monster Girls
Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities, Racing
Gentlemen, start your engines. The Monster World Rally Team has announced its full schedule for the 2011 season, and there's plenty of impending action to drool over.
Speaking of drooling, there's a video of the the all-new Monster Energy Ford Fiesta RS WRC that Ken Block will be using to contest the World Rally Championship along with Summer X Games, Gymkhana GRID, and select RallyCar rallies and RallyCross events in the United States. Oh yeah, and there's more than just automotive eye candy in the video you'll find after the break, if you know what we mean... nudge nudge, wink wink.
Says Block, "We even have a few top-secret projects in the works. I'm a lucky bastard to be doing all this, it's going to be an amazing year!" Lucky indeed.
For those interested in more, this is said to be the first video in a three-part series. Part two is scheduled to be released on February 9th, so stay tuned for that. Click past the break to watch this first video and to see the full slate of appearances for 2011.
[Source: Monster World Rally Team]
Continue reading Video: Ken Block unveils new livery for WRC Fiesta, Monster Girls
Video: Ken Block unveils new livery for WRC Fiesta, Monster Girls originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKen Block’s official RC Gymkhana car arrives just in time for Christmas [w/video]
Filed under: Videos, Ford, Toys/Games
Master of the Gymkhanna (with a minor in marketing) Ken Block has teamed up with Traxxas to create a radio-controlled version of Block's #43 Ford Fiesta. The 1/16-scale Fiesta is fitted with a brushless motor that turns all four wheels and sends the mini-Block car down your driveway at up to 30 miles per hour. If that's not enough juice to play out your dreams of winning a Gymkhana event, you can opt for another setup that features a new pinion gear, second NiMH battery and series connector. The additional hardware raises the top speed to over 50 mph.
The car is currently selling for around $300. No word on whether that price includes replaceable fenders and other body panels... a necessity after the Ken Block RC car inevitably hits a tree. Check out a mini Gymkhanna-style video of the micro car in action after the break... and, answering the last possible remaining question, proof that it will indeed blend.
[Source: Traxxas via Jalopnik]
Continue reading Ken Block's official RC Gymkhana car arrives just in time for Christmas [w/video]
Ken Block's official RC Gymkhana car arrives just in time for Christmas [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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