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DC Shoes founder and Hoonmaster General Ken Block is well-known for his ludicrous vehicles and driving the wheels off anything he touches, with expert car control skills. Building on years of experience in rallycross, stage rally, and (of course) gymkhana driving, his latest venture will be the famed Baja 1000 off-road race. To kick things off, he just threw one hell of a launch party down in Mexico with rapper Lil Jon, where they unveiled a new trophy truck for the upcoming event.

Big-block…yeah?!? Ok!!!

Block’s new 1,100 horsepower trophy truck is built on a G6 chassis from Geiser Bros. Propelling the beast into four-figure hp territory is a stout 474 cubic-inch big-block V8 from Dougans Racing Engines. To ensure proper breathing for such a massive engine, it is equipped with a Borla exhaust system that was custom-made for the vehicle. The eye-catching race livery on the outside of the truck was designed by Mexican artist Ricardo Gonzalez, who also penned the graphics for Block’s Cossie V2, Subaru STI, and Tuthill Safari Porsche.

“It’s exciting to see the merging of all these worlds,” said Block. “Bringing together a guy from rally like me with two amazingly talented trophy truck racers and the work of an artist like Ricardo with this truck from one of the greatest builders in the world is an incredible moment.”

Assemble your Baja crew

Joining Block on the Baja 1000 team are rising off-road racing star Jax Redline and 2019 Baja event-winner Alan Ampudia. The launch party took place at Papas & Beer, a nightclub and restaurant owned by Ampudia’s family in Rosarito, Mexico. Thousands of local fans reportedly attended the festivities, which featured Lil Jon on-stage for the announcement and a fireworks display.

“Most livery reveals are pretty boring and underwhelming,” said Block. “With the addition of Alan Ampudia to the team, it was only right that we did this big and on Alan’s home turf.”

Whoopocalypse Now

Ken Block at the World Rallycross of Portugal in 2017
Ken Block during the World RX of Portugal in 2017 | Paulo Oliveira DPI NurPhoto via Getty Images

Block’s run-up to the Baja 1000 will be documented on his YouTube channel in an 8-part series called “Whoopocalypse Now.” If his gymkhana videos of the past are any indication, we can expect some jaw-dropping feats of driving skill and plenty of automotive entertainment. In preparation for the main event this November, Block’s team will also enter the Maxxis Tires “Casey Folks” Vegas to Reno race taking place on August 13th, 2021.

“The ultimate goal here is winning the whole Baja 1000,” said Block. “So we are using this race to throw ourselves in and get as much seat time as possible going into the big event. There’s a big learning curve for us.”

The 54th Annual SCORE Baja 1000 is scheduled for November 15-20, 2021, starting in Ensenada and finishing in La Paz, Mexico. The Baja is always a captivating event, but with Block and company entering in such a powerful trophy truck, this should be a really interesting one to watch come November.

Related

A Brief History of the Baja 1000

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MotorBiscuit Writer

Cameron Taylor

Cameron holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication, Journalism, from Appalachian State University. Cameron’s passion for the automotive industry started early. Growing up around motorsports sparked an interest that grew into a career. Cameron has worked in the automotive aftermarket and contributed to Ford Authority before joining MotorBiscuit in 2021.

Cameron’s work covers a variety of topics including high-performance cars, motorsports, and aftermarket upgrades. From a young age, Cameron pored over anything he could find about the automotive industry. Today, it’s driving and racing that inspire him. He is an active member of both Audi Club North America and the Sports Car Club of America, participating in high-performance driving events.