Behind The Scenes>> The Ken Block Airport Taxi

Sit back and think for a minute. Think about what you’re doing this very second. I can safely say that reading this Speedhunters is one of those things. But how about the others? Maybe checking your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or browsing music on Spotify. If there’s one other certainty, it’s the fact that none of us were being picked up by Ken Block and his Rally X car from the airport to go to the X Games.

That’s exactly what happened this morning at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to one very lucky fan.

Mobil 1 teamed with Autozone to create the online sweepstakes of online sweepstakes. The winner (and a friend) would be flown out to Los Angeles to watch the X Games in the splendor of VIP treatment, hang out with Ken all weekend long, get all kinds of DC/Monster/Ford swag, $1000 in cash, and the cherry on top of it all, a ride from the airport to the X Games in Ken’s rally Machine.

This is the winner (to the right), Devlin Keogh, and his friend (on the left) Scott Hiller.

Ken rolled up in his RallyX Ford Fiesta. Seeing how the rally car can only hold one other person and no luggage, Ken employed his personal Ford Focus RS, which we featured a while back, as the baggage carrier.

Ken arrived to the airport a bit early as he waited for his passenger. He even busted out his best chauffeur tuxedo for the occasion!

For the opportunity to drive a full fledged (yet street legal) race car on the street, a few special arrangements had to be made. Police escort was a must. Here’s one of Los Angeles’ finest writing up a ticket for being parked in the passenger pickup lane for too long.

That actually did not happen. The kind officers were very happy to be doing their service to Ken. They even snapped a few cell phone photos of the car and of the kind Mr. Hoon himself.

Ken Block is probably the most polarizing person in the automotive scene. Either you love what he does or you hate it. But think for minute, if you had the chance to do everything Ken has done in the last few years, would you say no?

To get all the cogs of a sweepstakes like this to be oiled up properly, it takes a large number of people working in the background. Andy Williamson from Mobil 1 was one of those people.

There’s something intangibly awesome about seeing any race car on the street. This is no exception.

The patient taxi driver awaits for his passenger.

The Monster World Rally guys were ready with their cameras to document the whole event.

Devlin and Scott met their taxi driver…

…and Devlin was quickly swagged up with a t-shirt, signed by Ken Block, and posed for a quick photo.

As everything was happening, Devlin was still in disbelief of it all.

Devlin, the happiest of clams.

The drive from LAX to the X Games is a 25 minute hop on the freeway…

…and it’ll probably be 25 minutes that this fan will not forget anytime soon.

-Linhbergh

Special thanks to Jesse Poole and Andy Williamson for the tip!

Mobil 1 Facebook

Monster World Rally Team

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1

speaking of race cars on the road.... check this out!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul4yoEXTLNI

2

This is awesome, i wish we had in brazil things like that, anyone would like a ride with Ken Block.

4

sweet!!!, sweet!!!, sweet!!!, sweet!!!..... I love it!

5

Big up to Brad and Fifteen52 and their new Tarmac wheels for the gymkhana mode of the Fiesta. Love love love the simplicity of the wheels!

6

As us Brits will say, lucky barsted!?

7

The winner's name is Delvin and the sign says John?

8
9

Wow.. Truly would be awesome to have Ken Block waiting at the airport to pick you up in his Rally X car, then be chauffeured in it to the X Games. So cool.

10

That's so awesome!!!!

11

The art work on that car is amazing

12

freakin siiiick!!

13

ken block is a very cool guy, it's hard to hate him. He does great things. The only hate I've ever displayed are to the fanboys who state he's the greatest driver, and maybe that rap video...

14

Amazing....

15

That top photo really needs to be a desktop photo. Ken block rolling up to the airport with a police escort just exudes awesome sauce!

16

Wow, the new FIA Recaro seats in action... $$$$$$

17

lucky guys!



wonder if he drove like this...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsI1dr-P23I



BTW its waaay better than the other video! A Evo 9 rally car as a Taxi :O

18

Ken Block is way too over-rated but a still like him and would jump in a car with him any day....

19

David or John? Which one is it?

20

Scott Hiller has bubble lips

21

sick! i love the auto industry's support here in LA so much so that we're allowed to drive full-fledged race cars on our streets! I LOVE LA!

23

This fiesta looks amazing! I hope there is a video of this event.

24

Wait I thought I was the actual winner ?

25

Repping Nike shoes when meeting the founder of DC shoes LOL

26

cool idea.. the winner is a lucky guy!

27

im really jelly right now i wish it was me love those little fiestas making close to 600hp ......i wonder if ken opened up on the highway or was it a slow drive cause of the police escort

28

i'm really fan and i think that this man on a small cloud ! I'd like to be in his place! How lucky!

29

TrackSol said:





The winner's name is Delvin and the sign says John?



(hahahahahahaha!!!)

30

So rad, well said Linhbergh about KB and heck yeah Ken's living the dream, he says he's a "Lucky Bastard" I think he's a "calculated kid at heart"

31

See Mom!?!?! Video Games pay!

32

It would be awesome to get something like that here in Europe.

33

OMG THAT GUYS LUCKY ASS! but is the fiesta street legalll?!

34

UNH ftw !!!! congrats you lucky sob !!!!

35

can we get a desktop of this beast parked at the airport? so awesome!!!

36

Nice report, love the shots and the writing. Gr8 work

37

fkn awesome ... i would take a cab like that :P

38

I'm so happy for those kids and I'm looking forward to meeting them this weekend! I met up later with the cops in Kens Pitt area and they were really nice and commented on how nice my brother was. They were also thrilled that they got to escort him!!! :D

39

Really? Street Legal? I am sure that roll cage meets DOT spec.

40

With Ken Block at the wheel, the trip was way less than 25 minutes.

41

What a lucky duck! I'm enter every car-related sweepstakes from now on. Can't wait until the next one! Hey, maybe someone should get Walker Wilkerson or Nate Hamilton or Matt Powers or even MAD MIKE to have a sweepstakes! That would we SICK! A weekend with one of those guys...a whole WEEKEND...*starry-eyed*

42

Nice one!!!

43

THERE IS A 2012 FORD FOCUS BEHIND KEN IN THE SECOND TO LAST PICTURE

45

I would have asked to ride in the Focus RS, myself.

46

did he spell is name wrong? ahahahah

47

One lucky kid got to ride in Ken Block's RallyX Ford Fiesta from Los Angeles International Aiport

48

LOL. He could at lease wear some DC shoes.

50

Hey Dev, I hope you have a great time.

51

Congrats to Devlin, whom I sold a set of enkei's to 2 weeks ago.

52

I'm impressed ,Thanks for the tips…thanks for this informative post.

53

By now, almost everyone on the internet has seen Gymkhana Four. If you haven't, do so now before proceeding. So with that, let's take our second and final look at the production of the film....

OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS