Snowmobile crash kills rally car racing ‘icon’ Ken Block, Utah cops say
Ken Block, a rally car racer who co-founded DC Shoes and Hoonigan Racing, died in a snowmobile crash in Utah, officials said.
Block, 55, was riding a snowmobile near the Mill Hollow area on Monday, Jan 2, trying to navigate a steep slope, “when the snowmobile upended, landing on top of him,” the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and a husband,” Hoonigan wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. “He will be incredibly missed.”
Jenson Button, a former Formula 1 champion, took to Twitter to share his shock in the wake of Block’s death.
“Such a talent that did so much for our sport. He was a true visionary with his own unique style and infectious smile,” Button wrote.
Block began his rally car career in 2005, according to his profile on Hoonigan Racing, shortly after selling DC Shoes for $87 million in 2004. He competed in the World Rally Championship and was “one of only four Americans to ever score points” in the championship. He also won multiple Rallycross medals at the X Games.
“In addition to his performance in the car, Block has been a driving force in shedding light on the sport of rally within the United States,” his Hoonigan Racing profile said.
Block promoted the sport primarily through his YouTune channel, which amassed more than than 1.95 million subscribers, according to his page. His viral series Gymkhana, featuring him navigating dangerous tracks with obstacle courses, “garnered over 600 million views on Youtube alone.”
Mill Hollow is about 70 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Snowmobile crash kills rally car racing ‘icon’ Ken Block, Utah cops say."
