VIDEO: Ken Block's Subaru Concord Pond Run footage is a forest feast
Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino during the New England Forest Rally -- Click above to watch video
What you need to know: New England Forest Rally, Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino, Special Stage 5 -– Concord Pond Run, breaking their own stage record they set last year. What you need to ask: what happens when Block meets Loeb next year?
Everything else worth considering is in the video in glorious high-definition. Follow the jump to check it out. Thanks for the tip, Nate!
[Source: Subaru]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
JDM Life 10:45AM (10/29/2009)
Awesome.
Before I die I wanna do that.
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RowFive 4:22PM (10/29/2009)
I don't agree with you often, JDM, but on that one, we are the same. That is awesome stuff.
White Goodman 10:53AM (10/29/2009)
This is infinitely cooler than that stupid drift video on autoblog the other day.
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XGM 12:16PM (10/29/2009)
And your comment remains just as ignorant.
Arkz 10:53AM (10/29/2009)
I have one complaint about the video, the co-driver has a really annoying voice.
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twistedbitz 11:09AM (10/29/2009)
I don't think Loeb is quaking in his shoes.
Ken is good, very good but once he's playing with those guys we'll see. I wish him all the best as it would be good to see a Yank in WRC and that fact that he hails for SoCal is a + for me.
But, how many times have our stars gone to play in europe and fell on their faces? Michael Andretti, really never cared for that whiner or his dad but wished him well in F1, sadly what a disaster for him. Nicky Haden, did win one championship but I think only because "the Doctor" had a bad year and since his switch to Ducati, a bike Stoner screams on, has fallen flat on his face. And last but not least... Scott Speed... that one speaks for itself. I had hopes for 199 but he seems content to be a MTV clown, sad.
Good Luck Block, you'll need it.
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Redline 11:11AM (10/29/2009)
Yeah, his gonna play with the big boys now, let's hope he can stir the pot a bit.
Mark Peskin 12:13PM (10/29/2009)
Well, don't forget Ben Spies, who just won the World Superbike championship in his first year, on a new bike, having never seen most of the tracks. Let's hope Ken can do half as well...
HAAS599 12:10PM (10/29/2009)
NIcky has done well on the Ducati. Its not his fault he was knocked out on the first lap 3 times this year. He has gotten better and better results throughout the year and is now a regular in the top 10.
Colin Edwards has been great this year. He is staying to team up with Ben S. and James T. is going back to WSBK
Ben Spies seems to be doing fairly well for USA. He only won the WSBK championship in his rookie year with a Yamaha and is now headed to MotoGP.
Scott Speed sucks but 1 bad apple dont spoil the whole bunch.
ntcougar7 12:12PM (10/29/2009)
i hope your joking...
To beat loeb, you have to drive more then blocks around the corner and winning a amateur championship.
Time will tell...
xpolarx 12:39PM (10/29/2009)
Very, very true. I sometimes wonder if American sports-stars are so focused on the celebrity aspect of their career choice that they lose the drive necessary to compete on the world-stage.
I don't think Travis could really compete at the WRC level. He just doesn't have the focus. He's a fount of raw talent, but I wonder if he has the discipline to really develop it to a worldclass level. Of course, he's still young and could easily mature into a very successful rally driver...but he'd have to really dedicate himself to it.
As for Block, I think he has the drive and clarity of vision, so he COULD do well at the international level...but he has a lot to learn. One thing that stands out--from a technical perspective--is that he needs to reel in the tail on those 1 and 2-minus turns. He is putting down some very clean lines through the mid- and high-speed turns, though.
Gruv 1:42PM (10/30/2009)
Xpolarx: Dude, you really don't know what you're talking about. Block and Travis are both good, but I've seen both of them drive in person, and Pastrana wins. Easy.
Redline 11:10AM (10/29/2009)
Hopefully Speed or someone will broadcast WRC now that Block is moving over? Hoping for too much?
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Braden 11:12AM (10/29/2009)
WRC is already shown on HDNet, which most providers do offer for an additional fee. (I get it along with 3 or 4 other HD channels for an extra $5/mo.)
Now, they only seem to be "recaps" of each race - it's an hour of coverage showing the main highlights and cuts and bits of various runs. I'd assume that Europe actually gets full coverage and can watch entire runs but I honestly don't know.
Fernando 11:12AM (10/29/2009)
It's being broadcasted on HD Theater.
Fernando 11:25AM (10/29/2009)
@Branden,
I download torrents of the races and HD Theater is the same thing that they get on Eurosport same announcer and everything. I don't think anyone gets full races that would be like hours long for three days.
Fernando 11:12AM (10/29/2009)
Can't wait to see him in WRC he better bring his "A" game cause he'll be in the Pro leagues then, not JV like he's used to.
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LesPaul1 11:13AM (10/29/2009)
New England Forest Rally seems really lame imo. No turns really, just some slightly winding roads. That was boring. Block should go on something more challenging.. is this road all that's available in the states?
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gamez13 11:56AM (10/29/2009)
the co-driver sounds like super mario
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noodlz 11:41AM (10/29/2009)
I really like Block, but if he's getting second in a New England rally, he has no chance in the WRC.
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