Yahoo Autos American Rally Association Retires Number 43 to Honor Ken Block
The American Rally Association, the premier organizer for stage rally events in the United States, announced Wednesday it will retire the number 43 from competition to honor the legacy of Ken Block, who died in a snowmobile accident in January.
“The shockwaves of Ken’s passing were seismic,” ARA business and marketing director Jeremy Meyer said in a statement. “As with everyone else, we worked through the grief of losing Ken, and when the time was right, we began discussions with the Block family on how to honor him. That begins with retiring the 43, with only the family being able to use it from now on.”
In addition to being a trailblazer for performance driving and rally culture across the globe, Block was incredibly successful in American stage rally competition, winning well over a dozen races Stateside throughout his career.
ARA plans to officially retire #43 at a special celebration in Salem, Missouri on Thursday ahead of the 100 Acre Wood rally, where Block took a record seven wins. The event will also mark the return of Block's wife Lucy and daughter Lia to competition for the first time since the incident.
Honoring Block's memory, the family has launched the 43 Institute, a non-profit organization meant to carry out the rally legend's legacy through "creating paths of opportunity for the exceptionally driven who may lack the proper support system for growth and success.” Those interested in donating should head over to www.43i.org.
You Might Also Like
