Ken Block’s Wife Lucy Will Race at Pikes Peak in an Unlimited-Class EV
Some things just run in the family, as her daughter Lia will drive the Hoonipigasus Porsche up the mountain as well.
Last year, Ken Block's final entry at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was cut short by an engine failure. This June, his daughter Lia will drive his "Hoonipigasus" Porsche up the mountain in his honor, and her mother Lucy will be there too. Not only will she be there, but she'll be in the running for an overall win.
Lucy Block will enter the 2023 PPIHC in the race's top Unlimited class driving a Sierra Echo EV. It's a tube-framed single-seater that's somewhere between a buggy and a prototype, with long-travel suspension and a featherlight curb weight. We're talking 1,350 pounds, plus whatever bulk is added by its high-performance electric drivetrain from Hypercraft.
The Sierra Echo EV will be powered by a 55.8-kilowatt-hour battery, which drives a motor making 300 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. They top out at just 120 mph, but acceleration counts more than top speed does at hill climbs. Plus, electric power means no loss of performance as altitude increases and air thins.
"Driving Pikes Peak International Hill Climb gives us a way to carry Ken's spirit forward and do something he was excited to do himself," said Lucy, who is herself an experienced rally driver. Lucy's run will be timed, though her 16-year-old daughter Lia's will not; her drive was described as more of a "tribute run" than a competitive entry by a race spokesperson. So, they're not exactly racing as a mother-daughter duo, but they're still living as Ken would've wanted.
They're honoring him in other ways too, such as running the nonprofit 43 Institute, an organization that funds racers and gives up-and-comers access to the Block family's network. It intends to raise $43,000 from the sale of seven Block Edition cars from Sierra and Hypercraft, which will share their tribute livery with Lucy's Pikes Peak entry, and be signed by members of the Block family.
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