Johannesburg - Fans of Ken Block and his series of Gymkhana YouTube videos will now get the chance to smell rubber burnt by the man himself when the American rally star and “Master of Hoon” performs at the South African edition of the Clarkson, Hammond and May Live show this June.
The stadium show, which was recently re-named from its original title of Top Gear Live after Clarkson’s much-publicised firing by the BBC, is set for stage at Johannesburg’s Ticketpro Dome in Northgate from June 12 to 14, where Block along with his smoke-spewing sidekick “Hoonicorn” will star alongside Jeremy, James and Richard.
Hoonicorn, for those who don’t yet know, is an extremely modified Ford Mustang that starred in Block’s Gymkhana 7 video. The 630kW monster features a tubular chassis and all-wheel-drive set up for serious sideways action, and Block will demonstrate it in all its wheel-spinning glory, live, on each of the tour’s three days. Tickets are on sale now and can be bought online or through the booking number 086-100-0291.
Prices start from R395 for basic seating and escalate to the VIP hospitality package at R2 999. More details can be found on the Clarkson Hammond and May Live website .
We got the exclusive opportunity to ask Block a few questions ahead of his first visit to South Africa.
Read his answers below.
Q. Being the Head Hoonigan In Charge and drifting sweet cars all over the planet is probably the best job in the world. If you weren’t depleting the world of its semi-slick reserves what would you rather be doing?
A. I’d probably say snowboarding as many powder days as possible, although I would miss the excitement and satisfaction I get from driving full-out.
Q. It’s obvious that many of the stunts in your Gymkhana videos require many takes to perfect. Is there one scene in particular that was especially tricky to nail? And how many takes did it take to get right?
A. A lot of times we re-do shots because we need to move cameras and get a different angle, not necessarily to perfect a trick. The shot at Randy’s Donuts in Gymkhana 7 was a really difficult trick, but I did the first take and we reviewed the footage and decided that it was perfect and we moved right on with production to the next location.
Q. We’ve seen you rip donuts around some brave dudes (and a Gorilla) on Segways in your videos, but did you ever actually knock a guy off while filming? Go on, you can tell us.
A. I’ve never knocked someone off, but I’ve given a Segway or two a slight nudge here and there.
Q. Is it true you use a Ford RS200 as a daily driver? What other interesting cars are in your personal garage?
A. Semi true. I recently purchased one which I’m converting into a weekend road car. Besides that I have a Focus ST, a Ford F-150 Raptor and a Ford Flex for driving the family around.
Q. Is there a car that you’ve always had a hankering to drive/drift, but has managed to elude you over the years?
A. Nope, I’ve been very satisfied with what I’ve been able to slide and drift these last few years.
Q. Do you have a rally-driving hero?
A. Colin McRae was always a rally hero of mine.
Q. Do you think Global Rally Cross is the future of rallying, or is the World Rally Championship still the ultimate?
A. I think that rallycross is probably the future at this point if only because it’s easily watched, easily televised and offers a lot of intimate access to the drivers.
This is especially true for the United States, where race fans are used to being able to go to one place, sit for a few hours and enjoy a couple of beers and some hot dogs and watch without having to hike through the woods for a momentary glimpse of their favourite driver.
Q. Apple or Samsung?
A. I love my iPhone.