Ken Block versus Travis Pastrana: an age-old US battle with global appeal that will be remembered for generations after the pair eventually stop competing.
It all started back in 2005 as the two superstars battled in their Subaru Imprezas on the American rally stages.
But Block went in his own direction in 2010, deciding to compete in the World Rally Championship and thus ending his association with Subaru.
Joining Ford instead, it was a decision Block now admits was “difficult” because “my entire career at that point was all with Subaru”.
But in 2021, now a free agent, Block has returned to the Subaru fold for the American Rally Association presented by DirtFish National season and says “it feels great to be back with the exact same team I started with in Vermont SportsCar”.
In an exclusive DirtFish video, he adds: “Growing up as a kid I knew the Group B era days with Audi and Peugeot and Lancia and then we move into the Group A days which is where Subaru really got involved and where Colin [McRae] eventually won his title in the World Rally Championship.
“I kind of associate those two different eras as two different things but the Group A era and Colin was probably the most influential part as far as me really getting involved and wanting to be a rally driver.
“And so being able to meet him and drive against him in an equal car and actually compete twice and be on the podium with him at the first X Games was really cool and then the second time actually head-to-head against him and pressured him into rolling his car, and that’s something he admitted to me which just blew me away!
“Those things are things that I’ll never forget because I never dreamed that my career in rallying will take me to that level and all the other levels that I’ve been able to achieve.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs since that but as far as a driver to be able to come back and now be a future part of Subaru’s history, it’s very cool.
“Hopefully I can put this thing on the top of the podium, if not close a couple of times.”
In this interview, Block also touches on his battle with Pastrana and how they’ve both matured from their first fights 15 years ago and speaks about his burning desire to win a US rallying title.
“That’s why I’m here,” he says.
“I do enjoy going out and just driving and racing and trying to win any event that we go into but that overall title is something that has eluded me so far and we’ll keep trying.”
Hit play to watch the video in full and why not subscribe to DirtFish on YouTube to see more exclusive content from the world of rallying?
