Hit the Twisties

Everything Ken Block touches turns to gold and more recently platnium. As the owner of DC Shoes, Ken Block has been redefining what is cool in the automotive world and that list of trends now includes Gymkhana. His first event in the newly created Gymkhana Grid series was industry only, for a peek a what will be the next the big thing.

When I return from SEMA people听always ask听me; so what鈥檚 the next big thing? Probably so they can cash in on it and I can stay broke reporting on what others have accomplished. But you know what they say, the only way to make money writing is to write ransom notes! But we鈥檙e not here to talk making a living as a journalist but听rather a听new event format storming onto the scene听that has听a few key players pushing it to听increase the chance of success.

Block_4842_th

I鈥檓 talking about Gymkhana Grid and man behind it, Chris Willard, who co-founded Redline Time Attack back in 2005. Willard definitely brought Time Attack to new heights and believes the head-to-head racing on a track that is visible to all spectators will really听take-off. Willard has an ace up his sleeve too听and that is of course, extreme motorsports guru, Ken Block. Everything Block adds his name too is bound to blow-up and should make this motorsport a household name听because as of right now most people can鈥檛 spell it, let alone pronounce it.

Block is gifted at figuring out what could be the next big thing, packaging it properly and pitching the stuffing out of it to get sponsor dollars. His PR stunts and viral videos have pretty much obliterated anything before it and set a new standard in the production of online car videos. No shakey handy-cams and cheesy Euro Dance soundtrack productions here but the real HD听deal, which has captured a following in a only a few short years. It is this viral video effort and media push that will get the merits of this sport noticed. Without the flare, the public could view this as nothing more than glorified Auto X in an obscure parking lot filled with cones. Block鈥檚 videos will not only demystify Gymkhana but add a high dose of excitement to it for loads of traction in our market.

IMG_4836_th

If I know Block and Willard well enough, they will package this properly with the right amount of media frienzy, viral material and auxiliary events to make Gymkhana exciting听 enough to attract a听massive fan base. The trend to make your car generate some G鈥檚 in every direction is real and your average enthusiast can set-up, practice and even run events听easily. All the pieces are in place for an interesting听2011.

Related Articles

JDM Flava JDM Flava
Let鈥檚 face it, the Sport Compact performance is still relatively new here in North America and we鈥檙e still finding our way. While the scene was...
Sensory Overload Sensory Overload
Since we know you are into cars, statistically you are into gadgets as well. Whether it is an LCD, a PS3 or an iPhone, odds are you own one and are...
Video Age Video Age
听 听 Let鈥檚 face the facts; people don鈥檛 read as much as they used to. Libraries are empty, newspapers are taking a beating and blogging is somehow...
SEMA Showdown SEMA Showdown
One of the hardest things to accomplish at SEMA (aside from making not bad descisions) is picking the best of what SEMA has to offer. For 香蕉视频直播 it...
Building a Cover Car Building a Cover Car
Let's face it, most of us would rock an SL55 AMG. The handbuilt vehicle boasts a supercharged V8 and was the flagship for one of the World's most...
Imported from Japan Imported from Japan
Just like me, Time Attack is huge in Japan. And much like the US, the Japanese are motorsports crazy and are constantly pushing the envelope to...