“Gymkhana” hero and rally driver Ken Block died on Monday according to his official social media accounts.
Block’s crew at Hoonigan confirmed via Instagram he died in a snowmobile accident on Jan. 2. Block was 55 years old and is survived by his wife and three children. TMZ reported that the Wasatch County, Utah, sheriff’s office said the accident happened at about 2 p.m. when the snowmobile upended and landed on top of Block. He was reportedly pronounced dead on the scene.
“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband,” Hoonigan posted.
Hoonigan confirms Ken Block’s death on Instagram
Co-founder of DC Shoes, Block took to professional driving while working as a marketing executive for his company. He attended Team O’Neil rally school at the age of 36 and became enamored with the sport. Block started racing full time in 2005.
Block created his first “Gymkhana” video in 2008 and it immediately went viral. His latest “Gymkhana” escapades saw him behind the wheel of the custom-built electric Audi S1 E-Tron Quattro Hoonitron for “Electrikhana.”
The Audi S1 E-Tron Quattro Hoonitron was built specifically for Block, who signed in on with Audi in 2021 to help develop electric cars for the German automaker. Block said he was a major Audi fan, but the partnership with the brand was made possible when Block’s exclusive relationship with Ford came to an end. Before teaming up with Audi, Block returned to rallying with Subaru, the brand that got him started with his motorsports career.
Block’s company, Hoonigan, has grown into a small empire. It merged with Wheel Pros in 2021.
While he grew up skateboarding, snowboarding, and riding dirt bikes, Block told Motor Authority in 2016 he quit riding dirt bikes because he “had this cool race car career.” He had plenty of injuries from riding dirt bikes and he was afraid to get injured. He still snowboarded a lot.
Block taught his 14-year-old daughter how to drive. She then immediately began to follow in her father’s footsteps and raced her father’s Hoonicorn against a Hemi-powered Corvette drag car. Ken Block called the car frightening.
