KEN BLOCK—A RALLYING ICON IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Rising to fame through his co-founding of DC Shoes, Ken Block quickly found his second love in rallying following the sale of his company in 2004. After being named Rally America rookie of the year in 2005, numerous X Games medals would follow, in addition to finishing second overall in Rally America in 2006, 2008, and 2013. Perhaps most notably, Block would become the first American to drive in the World Rally Championship.

It can be argued that Block’s most memorable time behind the wheel didn’t come from his time in professional rallying, but in the Gymkhana videos produced for the YouTube channel of his racing team, the Hoonigan Racing Division. They amassed many millions of views across ten feature-length videos featuring a variety of cars from his Ford Fiesta RS WRC to his custom-built Ford F-150 and Mustang, dubbed the Hoonitruck and Hoonicorn respectively. It was these videos that captured the imaginations of many, taking wild cars with breathtaking stunts and car control across increasingly wild landscapes, from San Francisco to Dubai.

THE 2022 EAST AFRICAN SAFARI CLASSIC RALLY

The East African Safari Classic Rally is a must-do event for enthusiasts around the world, and it is easy to see why it caught the attention of Ken Block as he continued to expand his experience in older cars and classic events on the rally calendar. Established in 2003 to revive the spirit of the original rally first held in 1953, it proved a grueling test of both man and machine across Kenya’s stunning landscapes, with the cars juxtaposed against the African Savanna. The 2022 edition would see the event’s return following the COVID pandemic, with the rally having been postponed from November 2021 to February 2022 as a result of travel restrictions, so there was fervent anticipation from participants and spectators alike to see the event return. While all the material for the rally (including signage and each car’s rally stickers) was done in anticipation of the event taking place in 2021, the event itself did in fact take place in February 2022. 

Porsche 911s have dominated the East African Safari Classic Rally since its inception, and there is no team with more experience on the event than Tuthill, and to many, they are the support of choice when entering the event. It’s no surprise that Block would have chosen to run a 911 built and supported by Tuthill for his first outing, as that would give him the greatest chance of adequate preparation beforehand and success on the actual event itself. 

All Tuthill’s 911s prepared for the East African Safari Classic Rally were fitted with a rebuilt 3.0-litre high-compression flat six-cylinder from a 911 SC engine producing 280 bhp alongside a safari-specification gearbox with a limited slip differential, safari specification oil coolers, and a competition specification exhaust. To cope with the terrain, the cars were fitted with five-way adjustable safari-spec dampers with hydraulic bump stops, strengthened safari rear arms, and a safari-specific steering rack, alongside bespoke billet front suspension uprights. Each donor 911 SC body shell was stripped back, strengthened, and repainted to customer specifications. Fitted with a full weld-in roll cage, the cars received full underbody protection with ‘roo’ bars at the front. The cars were also fitted with Perspex side windows, twin spare wheels, and a safari roof vent. Finally, the interiors were fully stripped out and prepared to rally specifications with Sparco Pro 2000 bucket seats, six-point harnesses, a Stilo intercom, two Monit G-Series trip computers, a hydraulic jack ready to be used in case of mid-event wheel replacements, and a fully plumbed-in fire suppression system alongside two handheld fire extinguishers.

Block and his long-time codriver Alessandro Gelsomino would be one of no fewer than thirteen Tuthill-entered 911s competing in that edition of the East African Safari Classic Rally, showcasing the Tuthill team’s talent and experience with both the event and the 911 as a platform. Painstakingly built and prepared in the UK prior to being shipped to Africa, it was the Block/Gelsomino car that was undoubtedly the standout and most watched, not only due to its famous driver but the car’s eye-catching color scheme, finished in Block’s iconic Hoonigan Racing livery. 

Over the course of the event and on pace to win the event, Block and Gelsomino had amassed an impressive eight stage wins, but a whopping six punctures and a time penalty would leave them in 19th place overall at the finish. Looking at Tuthill’s rate of success across the same event, a Tuthill-prepared 911 driven by Patrik Sandell placed 2nd overall, followed by five other cars finishing in the top ten, with a further four rounding out the top 20. The event and all Tuthill’s participants, including Block and Gelsomino, were documented in a full-length film commissioned by Tuthill and produced by Petroleum & Co, showcasing not only the highs and lows of the event itself, but the painstaking preparation of each car participating, which makes for truly fascinating viewing.

POST-RALLY HISTORY

Following the conclusion of the rally, the 911 was transported back to England, where it went into storage at Tuthill’s Oxfordshire facilities. Meanwhile, Ken returned to modern cars and contested events in the 2022 Green APU National Rally Championship organized by the American Rally Association, driving a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC with Gelsomino as his co-driver. After Ken Block’s tragic passing in January 2023, the car was mechanically refreshed and set up for road use, while the exterior of the car was left in the same condition as it finished the rally. The car’s only outing since was at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it was driven as a tribute to Ken and his impact on the world of motorsport. Presently road-registered in the UK, this would be an extraordinary addition to any collection of Porsches or rally cars.

Today, scores of young car enthusiasts can point to Ken Block, the Gymkhana videos, and his infectious personality as where they got their love of cars. This Tuthill-prepared 911 SC ‘Safari’ and its participation in the East African Safari Classic Rally brought the Hoonigan brand into an exciting new world, far away from the concrete jungles his cars were normally seen in the US, and undoubtedly helped to introduce Ken’s fans to the world of classic rallying. 

For the Hoonigan with a sense of adventure, there is no better car.