Ken Block and Derek Dauncey are two of the highest profile figures in the world of rallying. Natural born runners? Less so. So, seeing the pair of them, jogging towards an airport-bound SUV on Saturday afternoon was a slightly incongruous sight.
Not least because KB was still fully kitted, fully suited and race booted. Literally, an hour earlier, he’d been busy guiding the Monster Energy Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC to a 13th scratch time from 19 stages.
Arriving at the finish, it was time to celebrate his second ARA win in three weeks. Except there wasn’t time. Pulling through the final control of the Southern Ohio Forest Rally, cans off, cap on, Ken was gone. The only thing which stood in his way was a quick word for DirtFish and a selfie with a couple of young fans.
Then, north-west on US Route 50 by car and very west to Colorado Springs by plane.
Twelve hours after stepping out of a victorious Hyundai, KB was aboard the Hoonipigasus, waking up 1400 horses of German descent.
Ken’s spent his life being busy. Done with the globally recognized DC Shoes brand, he turned his attention to the Hoonigans, one of the strongest and most popular brands in motorsport and off-road. And don’t forget, a few folk follow him on social.
But Sunday was about the top third of America’s Mountain. And learning how to get one of the most radical, purpose-built Porsches, bottom to top at Pikes Peak.
Trying to negotiate a longer Ken piece to camera with Derek was a non-starter.
“The pilot wants us in the air at seven,” he said. “We have to have Ken on the hill tomorrow. Honestly, we could make a movie just about the build with this car – it’s been an adventure.”
Block has already completed a couple of test days, running the bottom half and top half of the hill the weekend before Southern Ohio, but now it’s time to get the car ultimately dialed for the June 26 event.
“I’m really looking forward to Pikes Peak,” said Block. “Obviously, we did Climbkhana up there in the past and that was a real blast. It’s a great piece of road. It’s just a shame we’re so busy right now – I don’t even have time to wait for my wife and daughter (Lucy and Lia) to finish this event.
“The alarm is set for two something in the morning and we’ll be ready to roll around four. It’s a pretty amazing way to wake up and quite surreal to go from winning here in Ohio with the Hyundai to driving Hoonipigasus at Pikes Peak in a matter of hours.”
And with that, he and Dauncey were away, running down the field to the car, the plane and a wild pink Porsche.
