Many people know Ken Block through his Gymkhana videos, but he also built a successful career in stage rally with veteran co-driver Alex Gelsomino. As such, fans of the American Rally Association (ARA) are accustomed to seeing number 43 on rally cars with Block and Gelsomino's names on the windows. While we sadly won't see 43, the Block/Gelsomino team lives on. Ken's wife Lucy will race in the 2023 ARA season with Gelsomino as her co-driver.
Taking to Instagram, Lucy admitted that "for a split second" she thought about selling everything and being done, but that didn't last long. She's an experienced racer in her own right, having competed last year in select ARA events with Ken and their daughter Lia. Per her post, a plan was already in the works for 2023, and she will be pressing on.
An announcement from Dirtfish confirms that Gelsomino will join Lucy in the ARA for 2023 as co-driver, but that's not the only Block/Gelsomino team coming this year. Lia Block, who made her ARA debut last year will race a Subaru BRZ in the 2WD category this year. Her co-driver is Alex Gelsomino's wife Rhianon, a veteran of the rally scene who's raced with Travis Pastrana.
Lucy and Lia will begin their season at the second round of the 2023 Green APU ARA Championship, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood taking place March 17-18 in Missouri. It was the location of Ken Block's first rally win back in 2006, and it's also the first rally in which all three competed, just last year. Round one of the season was the SnoDrift in Atlanta, Michigan, which wrapped up on February 11.
"We’re very pleased to confirm Lucy and Lia Block will enter next month’s 100 Acre Wood Rally," said team manager and Block family friend Derek Dauncey, according to Dirtfish. "As everyone knows Ken won this event seven times – it’s an event which holds a very special place for all of us. Rally was such an important part of Ken’s life and this fondness for the sport has spread throughout the whole Block family, so I’m pleased we will run this event. We also plan to enter the remaining ARA rounds and look forward to meeting everyone who makes the sport work on each rally."
Ken Block passed away on January 2 in a snowmobiling accident at age 55.
