Watch Ken Block Test His Escort Group A Rally Car
Ahead of his 2018 stage rally race plans, Block takes his Escort Group A rally car to Hungry Valley, California for testing.
A few days ago, The Drive told you about Ken Block's 2018 racing schedule. One of Block's racing goals for 2018 is to take his Ford Escort Cosworth Group A rally car to a few U.S. stage rally races. During Hoonigan's most recent episode of the Field Trip series, Block took the car to Hungry Valley, California to give the car a proper shakedown.
The 1991 Ford Escort Cosworth Group A rally car has actually been used to film a yet to be released Gymkhana 10 and during the test still retained its Gymkhana 10 livery. The car is mostly period correct with the exception of a Hoonigan branded hand brake. Block will be driving the car at three stage rally events: Oregon Trail Rally, April 20-22, New England Forest Rally, July 20-21, and the Idaho Rally International, Sept. 15-16.
Helping Block with the rally car test was his Hoonigan Racing Division crew as well as co-driver Alex Gelsomino who has been co-driving for Block for nearly 12 years and about 107 rallys. Block and Gelsomino start by recce-ing the roads, which means running the rally course to create a set of pace notes—a reconnaissance run.
The duo eventually heads out for a race pace run and finds out issues with the car that obviously need to be fixed before it is race ready.
"Half way through the stage, we get an error with the diffs. So when I pull the handbrake instead of getting a nice initial slide into the corner and getting the nice turn in how I want it, the front wheels just lock up and I go straight." Block laughs about.
Check out Hoonigan's newest Field Trip episode "Ken Block Ford Escort Cosworth RS Gravel Testing" below.