The words themselves don’t even make a lot of sense when I type them, but as the title suggests, I am going to be riding shotgun with Ken Block in a rally car tomorrow as he prepares for the Rally America New England Forest Rally. The fine people at Ford decided to invite me for this deal and in turn I called up Nutting and we’re heading up together at the crack of dawn tomorrow to hang out with one of the best known drivers in the world. From the Gymkhana videos that I showed my kids last night for the first time to his competition in events like rallies, the X-Games, Global Rallycross, and whatever else he stab and steer throughout the year, the guy has a lot of experience in a lot of different stuff.
I wish I had more information to pass along as to exactly what I am going to be doing tomorrow but here’s what I do know. Ken Block will be driving, we will be hurtling through the woods at speeds where angles fear to tread, and I will likely be trying to scream and not irrigate my shorts at the same time. I have never been in a rally car, let alone one being driven in anger. I have seen the videos, I have posted hundreds of wreckage videos (damn you karma!) and I have even posted some stuff of Ken eating trees and rocks on occasion (those I did not show the kids).
Now is the part where you come in.
I want some honest to goodness questions to ask this guy. If I do this right, I’d like to interview him as we hurtle through the woods with your questions. I would write them down but when my bladder lets loose the ink may run. I’ll just memorize your questions in the comments section below. This is one of those deals where I wish every person that reads the site could come with me. I’ll do my best to relay what will certainly be one of the more memorable (most memorable?!) automotive experiences of my life as quickly as possible after it happens. Until then, do two things.
1.) Post questions below.
2.) Pray for me.
The man below is Ken Block, I need some questions to pepper him with!
Hey Ken – where’s the brown trousers and toilet paper?
Not a question but a comment: one thing that will probably surprise you is how well the brakes work on gravel. i guess its normal to think that when on gravel you hit the brakes and the car slides a lot and doesn’t really slow down but rally cars can scrub off speed really quick.
Have fun, Ken Block has some of the coolest most bang shifty cars around.
also ask for a ride in the mustang, sometime….
Info on the 2016 Focus RS
What would he know about the 2016 Focus ? He’s a sponsored and paid driver not a Ford employee . And being sponsored and paid do you really think even for a moment he’d be the least bit honest or forthcoming if he did actually know anything ?
Get a grip ! Celebrity is no guarantee of knowledge but 99% of the time is an absolute guarantee of dishonesty . They aint paid to tell you the truth . They’re paid to sell you something
crawl back in your hole jackass, i could careless about your thoughts
You should ask him where the nearest wal mart is because you are surely going to shit your pants.
How do they remember all the hazards and trees say right at a corner when they are traveling so fast?
Why did they feed us BEFORE the ride…..rraallpphh?
Question…Have you ever thought that I may have gone too far with this stunt?
I’m sure you’ve seen this…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Y4K3awE0A
I love the face that James May makes going into the jump…I’m thinking that is what your face will be looking like for most of the ride!
Have fun!
Brian, you’re gonna be wearing a gopro or two, right? This needs to be on film.
Go Pros will be involved!
Hows about ;
” Hey Ken ! When the ___ are you gonna quit farting around chasing celebrity and start taking rallying especially the WRC seriously rather than continuing on with your showboating Drift / X-Games antics that make you and us [ US ] look like idiots every time you stick your nose into a WRC event ? ”
Or even better ;
” Hey Ken ! When the ___ are you and your family especially your father in law gonna start making amends for the mess y’all have managed to make of US rallying since father in law all but Shanghai’d SCCA rally back in the 80s ? ”
Now THAT Mr Lohnes … would be genuine Investigative Journalism ,,, rather than the blatant fawning and hero worship I’m betting this’ll turn out to be
dude… shut the fuck up. So sick of your negative bullshit conspiracy theory crap.
Ask him yourself, you’ve always indicated you were some-type insider to all things. And popular at parties, I’m sure.
I would ask, in light of all the crazy things that have been accomplished here, “What did you want to be when you were ten? And, did you become that?” Just curious what he’d say.
Ask him ….
If you could do us
…ALL…
a favor and
Drag the
Colorado DoucheBag
Around by his neck
for the day !!!!!!
I’m sure the rest of us
BangShifters would
even pay for the gas…
and probably even pay
To see it !!!!!!!
You should be asking to drive that wild little monster!!!
The question won’t be for him, it will be for you: Brian, are you ready to be terrified in a way you never have, and not be in control of the situation? You are going to shit yourself. My next question is, how many seconds of his insane driving before you feel O.K. enough to breath?
There have been points today where I have been legitimately electrified at the thought ot doing this and there are other times where I have felt like a guy heading for the firing squad!
Turns out I’ll have a chance to get some rally driving instruction at the Team O’Neal school as well…assuming I live through the ride!
1) are slow cars still fun to drive even though you likely have limited exposure to them?
2) What’s a nannyless driver’s car/truck that is attainable to the masses (in your view)?
3) What’s the simplest vehicle you’ve driven; and did you enjoy it?
4) Your thoughts on carburetors
5) Is mechanical empathy/intuition a learned or inborn trait?
Tomorrow is going to be awesome.
Wait, you wanted a question?
1) So…this is “work”… What do you do for fun?
2) Hope many sets of tires did it take to make the Mustang video? (Maybe this has been published, but I didn’t find it).
3) What’s the craziest automotive stunt you’ve done OFF camera?
4) What driving skill did you find the most difficult to master?
Bruab!!
Ask him if he’s gonna come to the Bangshift Barbeque shindig at your house!!!
Btw… we need to have a Bangshift Barbeque, and it needs to be at your house!!!