Lia Block is following in her father Ken Block's footsteps as a Subaru rally driver.
Block, along with co-driver Keaton Williams, will step into Brandon Semenuk's Subaru WRX ARA24 for the American Rally Association (ARA) Lake Superior Performance Rally, which kicks off in Marquette, Michigan, October 11. Semenuk will skip this event, the final one of the season, having already clinched a third ARA championship.
Lia Block to drive a Subaru WRX ARA24 at the 2024 Lake Superior Performance Rally
"My family and I have such a special history with this team," Block said in a statement. "I wouldn't want this milestone to be with anyone else." Ken Block, who died in 2023 in a snowmobile crash at age 55, started his motorsports career rallying a Subaru WRX before going on to create the viral Gymkhana video series.
Block encouraged his daughter's interest in racing, teaching her how to drift at age 13 and letting her drag race his monstrous "Hoonicorn" 1965 Ford Mustang at age 14. Lia Block has since become an accomplished driver, piloting her father's "Hoonipigasus" Porsche 911 in a demonstration run at Pikes Peak, representing Williams in the 2024 season of F1 Academy, and competing in the Baja 1000, Extreme E, and kart races.
Lia Block to drive a Subaru WRX ARA24 at the 2024 Lake Superior Performance Rally
Lia Block is also no stranger to the ARA series. She won the ARA Open 2WD class championship in 2023, becoming the youngest champion in ARA history. But this marks here debut in a top-level car in the series.
Travis Pastrana, who raced with Ken Block in the early days of the latter's rallying career and has carried the torch for the Gymkhana series, will compete in the Lake Superior Performance Rally as Lia Block's teammate, along with longtime co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino.