Showing off their skills in the Show Me State, Pirelli-sponsored co-pilots Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino have driven their Monster World Rally Team Open Class Ford Fiesta to a fifth consecutive win at Missouri’s 100 Acre Wood.
Block held-off a late charge by second-place finisher Antoine L’Estage in his Rockstar Mitsubishi Evo to clinch the victory. Early leader Travis Pastrana of the Subaru Rally Team USA suffered suspension problems that took him out of contention for the top spot.
The Feb. 27-28 100 Acre Wood event is the second race of the Rally-America Championship Series. Named after the storybook home of Winnie the Pooh, the rally is picturesque, and features plenty of twists and turns to test any driver’s ability, according to Rafael Navarro III, Pirelli’s director of motorsports and media relations. Set in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, the rally is a favorite for drivers due to its fast, tight roads.
“This is the location of my first national rally win,” recounts Block, “and now I’ve won this rally five years in a row! This was [also] our first event competing on gravel with Pirellis – and they proved to not only be a very consistent tire, but extremely durable as well.”
He goes on to note that “we didn’t have a single puncture the entire rally, and when times are close like they were between Antoine L’Estage and me, a puncture can change everything. It is a pretty good feeling to get the Fiesta home in first.”
Block officially made the switch to Pirelli in a long-term deal signed earlier this season. Driving for Monster World Rally Team, Block campaigns Pirelli-fitted Fords (the new Rally version of the Fiesta and rally version of the Focus RS) in the Rally America Championship (RAC), X Games and the World Rally Championship (WRC).
Block, Gelsomino and the rest of the Monster crew are now preparing for the March 5-7 Corona Rally Mexico.
The next national event on the Rally America calendar is the April 24-25 Olympus Rally in Olympia, Wash. Top teams in the series are invited to compete in the Summer X Games broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.
For more information, visit www.us.pirelli.com.
