Pro rally driver Ken Block has died aged 55 following a snowmobile accident, his team has confirmed.
Hoonicorn Racing said in a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday: “It’s with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today.
“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed.”
The accident took place in Utah’s Wasatch County, with the Sheriff’s Office stating that Block “was riding a snowmobile on a steep slope when the snowmobile upended, landing on top of him”.
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“He was pronounced deceased at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident”.
The Sheriff’s Office also states that Block was riding as part of a group but “was alone when the accident occurred”.
Block became famous for his various successes behind the wheel, including during the long-standing Gymkhana series of internet videos, which saw him piloting a number of high-powered and upgraded cars around inner-city challenges with jumps, slides and hairpins.
He was also the co-founder of footwear company DC Shoes.
Tributes have been flooding in since the announcement, with former Top Gear presenter James May thanking Block for “some hilarious days out” and chief executive of Ford Jim Farley calling the rally star “an innovator, a talented driver and a marketing genius”. — PA
