AUSTIN, TX, JULY 2, 2018: Hoonigan Racing
Division’s Ken Block has officially kicked off his 2018 rallycross program, in
partnership with Steve Arpin and Loenbro Motorsports. Combined, both extremely
talented drivers have 10 overall rallycross wins, countless podium finishes and
are looking to add more to their respective résumés with help from an updated
Ford Focus RS RX rallycross car that Arpin and his team have been developing
during the first half of 2018. This updated car will usher in a new era of
performance for the Focus RS RX.
The partnership is built on Block—as
well as Hoonigan—bringing their motorsports marketing expertise to the table,
while Arpin’s side brings extensive technical prowess when it comes to
developing and running rallycross cars.
“When I made the decision to
return to a handful of rallycross events this year, I knew partnering with
Steve [Arpin] and his team was the right move,” said Block. “I’ve
always liked Steve as a driver and I had been keeping an eye on how he and his
team had developed the older Ford Fiesta RX43 chassis and were still achieving
top results with it, so I knew I wanted to work with them with our Focus RS RX.
When I made that decision, Ford stepped up and decided to then supply Steve a
Focus RS RX of his own to further help assist in the development. Needless to
say, I’m very excited about the forward progress they've made and I
can’t wait to get back behind the wheel at the race in Austin July 14th!”
"Obviously I'm excited about
partnering with Ken [Block] this season," said Arpin. "He and I have
always gotten along great at the track in the past and I think we're both in a
position to help each other this year. I'm also happy about the fact that Ford
Performance entrusted myself and my team to help further develop the Focus RS
RX rallycross program, the car has felt amazing in our testing with the
revisions we've made and I'm really eager to get it out on track and put it to
the ultimate test against the competition."
Both drivers will be competing in
the three remaining ARX (Americas Rallycross Championship) races, taking place
in Austin, TX, at Circuit of the Americas on July 14th, Trois Rivieres in
Quebec, Canada August 4th to the 5th and back in Austin at COTA September 29th
to the 30th. Block will also compete In the U.S. round of the FIA World
Rallycross Championship, taking place that same weekend of September 29th and
30th at COTA. Additionally, both drivers will also compete at Travis Pastrana’s
Nitro World Games rallycross event, taking place September 22nd and 23rd at the
Utah Motorsports Complex outside of Salt Lake City, UT.
