On a hot, late May afternoon, thousands of screaming, sweating, and (hopefully) well hydrated fans watched as rally racing icon Ken Block backed up his season-ending win in Las Vegas last year with a victory to kick off the 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross season, taking top honors in the season-opening race at the Bahia Mar Resort in Fort Lauderdale. Block held off strong charges from Formula 1 veterans Scott Speed and Nelson Piquet Jr., who completed the podium.
“Racing these two really talented tarmac drivers was really tough!” Block said after the race. “They really pushed me and our team all weekend, and it was a lot of fun. It came down to starts, and I got lucky—I got quick on the starts, was able to put some good times in, and came out with the win. It’s a great way to start the year!”
Block, who finished third in his first heat after an aggressive overtake attempt on Speed put him into the tire barriers, took second place in the second round and converted the front row starting spot into a victory in his semifinal. In the main event, Block used the Kobalt Tools Joker Lap immediately to grab the lead, then extended his gap over the field to take his fourth career Supercar victory.
The event marked the first time that the Red Bull Global Rallycross had visited Fort Lauderdale, and the crowds on both Saturday and Sunday were greeted with some of the best racing action on the planet! The GRC Supercars are 600 horsepower racing machines, that literally fly through the air over a ramp that makes up part of the track. For the Volkswagen team, spearheaded by racing legend Tanner Foust and equally legendary Scott Speed, that is almost a literal fact, as the cars barely made contact with the second half of the ramp before starting the dirt section of the course.
Yes, the course actually had a beach sand covered section! Why would you ever race that close to one of the world’s most famous beaches without incorporating a beachside drive? It was no Sunday drive for these professionals, however.
In GRC Lites, the race had to split into two sections, as the first final heat was red falagged due to a horrific looking crash by River racing driver Colette Davis, whose car was forced to the side of the course, and slipped off the edge of the ramp, caught between it and the concrete wall! Luckily, it looked worse than it was, as Davis actually was able to return to the race after it resumed.
Austin Cindric took a commanding victory in his first race for Olsbergs MSE, winning every on-track session he competed in. The American driver defeated Colombian Alejandro Fernandez and Swede Oliver Eriksson for the crown, heading home with the maximum 56 possible points.
With the wide variety of motorsports that can be viewed within a few hours of South Florida, it can easily be argued that the Red Bull Global Rallycross is one of the most exciting, action packed, and generally fun of them all. Looking at the crowd, which looked to be a much younger demographic than even the FIA Formula E fans, it seems as though they have hit on a nerve that motor heads are looking to have filled. It will be interesting to see how this series develops in the next few years, and whether it’s recipe for high flying, high horsepower action is a sign of things to come in the racing world.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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