Our prayers are with Ken’s family.
As confirmed by Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook, the well-known rally driver and YouTuber Ken Block died at the age of 55 on January 2 after a snowmobile accident in Wasatch, Utah.
Kenneth Block’s career as a professional driver speaks for itself, but he was also beloved by gamers, especially racing enthusiasts, as he starred in multiple racing video games across different franchises such as Need For Speed, Dirt, and Forza.
His first appearance was in the Dirt series. Block featured as a driver in Dirt 2, and then he took the role of a Gymkhana teacher in Dirt 3, a field that he was known for very well as it was the main focus of Block’s YouTube account to teach lessons for rally enthusiasts about the Gymkhana practices. In 2015, Block starred in Need For Speed as a style icon. Also, his iconic Ford Fiesta rally car was featured in both Dirt Showdown, Forza Horizon, and Forza Motorsport games.
In his professional driving career, Ken Block earned dozens of trophies and many more podium finishes in different worldwide RallyCross competitions. Block was a crucial part of the Hoonigan Racing Division for 11 years, before announcing his departure from the team in 2021. In September 2022, Block revealed that he would cooperate with Audi for joint projects in the field of electric mobility.
Aside from video games, Block also was a special guest on BBC’s well-known Top Gear series a few times, showing his skills in Gymkhana practices and testing multiple cars for the popular TV show back in 2009 and 2010.
Both Forza Horizon and EA Sports Rally accounts on social media shared their tributes. “Devastating news about the loss of Ken Block,” reads the official tweet by Forza Horizon. “He was a legend in Motorsports and will be dearly missed. Our deepest condolences to his family and the team at The Hoonigans.”
“Rest in peace, Ken,” shares EA Sports Rally on behalf of the developers behind both Dirt and Need For Speed franchises.
Our hearts go out to Ken’s family in these difficult times.
