Ken Block has retired from the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR) just seven stages into the rally.
What Happened?
Ken Block would head into SS7 with a dominating 26.5-second lead over Brandon Semenuk. About a quarter of the way through SS7 Ken Block would go off the road, thus ending his day early. As mentioned in the first loop recap it was snowing early this morning. This may have been a factor in Block’s off. SS7 was also a night stage, which likely played a factor in Blocks off. Both Ken Block and Co-driver Alex Gelsomino would make it out of the crash without injury. We likely won’t know what exactly caused this off until later tonight, or tomorrow.
Block’s Championship Hopes
Ken Block came into LSPR knowing it would be the championship-deciding round. It was all or nothing for Block who lost a championship previously on these same roads. As in 2013 Block would suffer a similar fate. Block would go off the road on one of the stages and roll, ending his rally and handing David Higgins the championship. If Block were to return on day two the chances of him getting a good result are decent. Unlike Brandon Semenuk’s retirement at Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally, Block will only miss two stages. Ken Block also had a decent-sized lead heading into the stage. There is a chance Block could win the championship but it would rely on a lot of things going right for him and a lot going wrong for Semenuk.
Will Block Return?
The status of Ken Block’s return is unknown. As the status of his car is unknown at this time. Chances are Block will be back for the second day of LSPR. We likely won’t know the status of Block’s car or if he’ll return until later tonight.
My name is Joe Moore. I am a writer for Belly Up Hockey, Belly Up Racing, and Belly Up Sports. You can find me on Twitter.
