Yahoo Autos Lia Block's Tribute to Her Father Will Break Your Heart
Lia Block, teenage racing driver and daughter of Gymkhana and rally icon Ken Block, released an emotional statement on Instagram Tuesday following her father’s death earlier this week.
“Yesterday I didn’t just lose my father, I lost my best friend,” Lia Block said in the introduction of her memorial post. “ He was truly my whole world and the only person I ever looked up too [sic]. No matter what I did he was always there to support me. I can’t believe how fast he was taken from all of us. No words can describe of how much of an amazing human my dad was, he lived so many lives, accomplished more in 55 years than most people could in 10 lifetimes, and lived his life to the absolute fullest every single day.”
Ken died in a snowmobile accident in Utah on Monday at the age of 55.
Fans of Ken Block and his work with Hoonigan, the automotive media company he co-founded, are likely familiar with Lia. The 16-year-old driver has been a regular on the brand’s YouTube channel for over two years now. Lia first made her mark on the channel when Vaughn Gittin Jr. stopped by to teach her to drift in a Foxbody Mustang. Lia was only 14 at the time, but it was clear, even then, that she shared some of her father’s driving talent. Since then, the young Block has grown her media presence, even taking the reins of the Hoonicorn during the second season of "Hoonicorn vs The World".
More recently, Lia and her father starred in a four-part video series about a 1985 Audi Ur Quattro, which the pair was building as Lia’s first car. The final episode of the series was slated to debut on January 3, with Block’s final Instagram and Facebook posts, shared just hours before his death, hyping fans up for the occasion. Additionally, Lia has been tackling the world of stage rally, like her father, and has been showing serious promise. Back in June, Lia captured her first stage win at the Southern Ohio Forest Rally. Lia even bested her mother Lucy Block's standings in the event.
Ken's fans, friends, and other supporters flooded the comments of Lia's Instagram tribute with support for the young driver and her family.
“We owe your father so much, and we will always be here for you and your family,” said Hoonigan co-founder Brian Scotto in response to Lia’s post.
“He’s going to be proud of you every step of the way Lia,” said rallycross driver Steve Arpin. “Amazing words about an amazing man. You’ve got an entire industry here for you and supporting you! Please give your whole family a big hug for us.”
“You already made him proud,” said Hoonigan star Hertrech “Hert” Eugene Jr. “Everything else is a bonus. We’re all here for you whenever, wherever.”
Lia Block’s tribute post only further reiterates the type of person Ken Block was and how dedicated he was to being a good father.
“He always did what he loved no matter what, right up to the last second, and always was there for me and my siblings and my mom whenever we did what we loved," Lia said. "He never said no to something we wanted to try, never pushed us to like what he liked, just opened the door for us to explore. He never missed an opportunity to help us grow as good people, he always told me that he wanted us to be even more amazing, caring, happy, selfless, humans than him and my mom. He always helped others and opened doors for so many other people. I can only hope to do half as many amazing things he did.”
You Might Also Like
