Ken Block’s wife to join their daughter at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Stunt driver and rally racer Ken Block was killed when a snowmobile upended and landed on top of him while he was riding alone in the mountains of Wasatch County, Utah, on January 2. He left behind a wife and three children.

It had already been announced that his daughter Lia—a video star in her own right—was planning to tackle the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June in her father’s pink Porsche 911 race car, “Hoonipigasus.” Ken Block had hoped to race the car in 2022, but it broke before he could complete a run. Lia’s trip up the mountain in Hoonipigasus will be untimed, a tribute to her father. She’s a capable pilot: In one Hoonigan video, Lia races against a 4000-hp C6 Corvette in her 1400-hp AWD Mustang. It has over 10 million views.

Over the weekend, at the Electrify Expo in Long Beach, California, Block’s wife, Lucy, announced that she, too, would take on the mountain in an electric Sierra Cars race vehicle, which has 300 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque delivered to the rear wheels. Top speed is 120 mph, according to Sierra Cars.

“My biggest accomplishments have always been being a mother to my kids and a strong, supportive wife,” Lucy Block said in a statement. “Being given the opportunity to drive to the summit for Ken at Pikes Peak is an honor. He gave so much to the action sports community. Driving Pikes Peak International Hill Climb gives us a way to carry Ken’s spirit forward and do something he was excited to do himself. We are eager to be able to use this opportunity to create awareness around 43 Institute, and celebrate my husband’s love for motorsports and innovation.”

Sierra is supporting Block’s 43 Institute nonprofit, which provides opportunities to those pursuing careers in creative industries, by selling seven “Block Edition” cars, which will be donated to the organization, with the goal of reaching $43,000. These exclusive vehicles are race-ready and adorned with the same Block-tribute graphics as Lucy’s Pikes Peak car. Each will be hand-signed by members of the Block family.

Block had been a founder of DC Shoes, which was acquired by Quicksilver in 2004 for $87 million. After selling his portion of the company, Block began to focus on his competition driving, especially rally racing. Block shifted his business acumen to Hoonigan Industries, an apparel brand for auto enthusiasts. He was the co-owner and “Head Hoonigan In Charge” at the company. “Hoonigan” is a mixture of “hoon,” which is to drive in a reckless manner, and “hooligan,” a combined word with Australian origins.

Block, 55, was a winner in rally driving and in Rallycross despite coming to the sport relatively late in life, but his biggest pro victory was turning his Gymkhana brand into an incredibly successful video series, with multiple episodes garnering over 1 million hits each, and some over 100 million. Still, Block remained a quiet, respectful man who valued his family over fame, his fans over his personal time, endlessly signing autographs wherever he appeared.

The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is scheduled for Sunday, June 25.

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