Lia Block continues family tradition with Subaru

Lia Block is continuing the family legacy. In addition to the F1 Academy where she is aligned for the season with the support of Williams (she has just signed her best result of the season in Singapore with a fourth place in race 1), the young woman who has just celebrated her 18th birthday (on October 1st) will return to the tracks of rally October 11-12 at the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR), the final round of the American Rally Association (ARA). Already crowned champion for the third consecutive year, Canadian Brandon Semenuk will leave his place to the American. Block will take his place at the wheel of the Subaru WRX STI n°857 with Keaton Williams, Semenuk's usual co-driver, on his right.

Ken Block started rallying with Subaru

The Utah native will not be in unfamiliar territory, far from it. Before racing on the circuit this year with the F1 Academy, Block followed in her late father Ken's footsteps in rallying. With success, since in 2023 she became the youngest champion in the history of the ARA by winning the Open 2WD category. It was already on a Subaru, a BRZ (ZC6) from the Block House Racing team. She has already had the opportunity to drive twice on the Lake Superior Performance Rally in 2022 and 2023, each time with Ford, for two retirements.

A test that was successful for her father Ken Block (who died on January 2, 2023 in a snowmobile accident near his ranch in Utah) since he won twice, in 2006 and 2008, each time in a Subaru Impreza WRX STI, that is to say the previous iteration of the model that Lia will drive. It is also with the Japanese manufacturer that the gymkhana legend competed his first seasons in rallying.

The emotion is inevitably strong for the young woman, especially since she will be meeting on the track a former teammate of her late father, the illustrious Travis Pastrana (40 years old), also at Subaru. I am delighted, that is an understatement to describe the feeling I get before the LSPRshe says. Subaru and Vermont SportsCar have given me a fantastic opportunity to compete in a rally in their top-tier race car. »

« Rallying has always been my home. It’s my roots, adds Lia Block. My family and I have such a special history with this team, I wouldn’t want this milestone to be taken with anyone else. It’s been a long time since I’ve competed in a rally car, but I’m looking forward to the challenge of learning to drive this incredibly fast, high-level car. »

For her return to rallying, in a higher category than the one in which she was crowned in 2023, Lia Block has not set herself any results targets. My goal for the coming weekend is to have fun, go fast and finish the rally strong and comfortable. ", assures the pilot.

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